Study: Noise Pollution Threatens Several Animal Species

Human-produced noise can have a serious effect on all animal species, a new study has found. Previous studies have looked into the effect of noise produced by factories, vehicles, and machinery on animals that are sensitive to noise. However, these studies only observed different species individually. Because of this, Queen’s University Belfast scientists Hansjoerg Kunc [hans-YORG kuhnk] and Rouven Schmidt [ROUV-en shmit] decided to compare the effects of noise across various species. Kunc and Schmidt analyzed 108 earlier studies about the effects of noise on 109 different types of animals. A summary of findings from the studies revealed that human-produced noise affects all groups of animals examined, whether they are mammals, fish, birds, or insects. They also found that there is no difference in the level of response that the different animal groups had toward noise. The two scientists emphasized that human-produced noise poses a threat to animals’ survival. For instance, for bats, noise pollution can disrupt hunting because they greatly depend on acoustics when looking for food. Another study showed that noise from ships can make seals temporarily deaf. Hearing is very crucial for seals because, like other marine mammals, they use sound to communicate with their kind and find food. The authors suggested that because of the great impact of human-produced noise on wildlife, it should be considered a serious hazard. They added that the study provides the necessary evidence and information that lawmakers need to create more effective policies for regulating noise. Thus, their call to action is for people and governments to develop strategies and policies that will protect wildlife from further harm caused by noise pollution.