Industrial Noise Pollution and Its Impact on the Hearing Capacity of Workers: A Case Study of Gujranwala City, Pakistan
The main purpose of this study was to analyze and evaluate the impacts of industrial noise pollution onhearing of workers in Gujranwala. Noise pollution levels were measured at fifty locations with the help of sound levelmeter, which was placed at a height above 1.2 meters from the ground. Two hundred workers were interviewed throughquestionnaire method. Different statistical tests correlation and chi-square were applied to analyze the noise pollutionlevel in Gujranwala city. Impacts of industrial noise pollution on hearing of workers were shown in different mapsusing interpolation and buffers. The present study concluded that noise pollution levels were exceeding the WHOpermissible limit of noise pollution at all sample locations. Workers of factories were suffering from annoyance,hypertension, irritation, interference with speech communication and sleep disturbance. Thus, it is necessary to possessa hearing discussion program in factories. One of its main parts is education to raise the consciousness of workers aboutnoise risks and techniques of prevention. Lastly, the issues of noise annoyance should be included in all future studieson the usage of hearing protection devices.