If the birds are struggling to communicate and the mussels are stressed, how is noise affecting us?

Robin bird singing

Latest research from Queen’s University shows that man-made sounds mask signals between birds, hampering their ability to communicate with each other through song.

Latest research from Queen’s University shows that man-made sounds mask signals between birds, hampering their ability to communicate with each other through song. The findings were published a few weeks ago and it was published by Biology Letters to show the effects caused by noise pollution. Sadly, it seems the birds could be at risk of a severe decline in numbers. Equally, just as surprising was the report on mussels and how they are suffering from stress as a result of underwater noise from ships. While the scientists said it was not immediately dangerous for the creatures, it could, like the birds, impact on their growth and may cause a decline in numbers.

These reports are worrying, yet many are forgetting the impact noise has on humans. At Sonitus Systems, we supply robust and reliable sound level monitoring equipment. Our products and services allow you to easily monitor and assess noise levels in any scenario. Our team have worked on several high-profile projects including, Dublin City Noise that measures noise in 20 locations around Dublin and we also worked on the large five-year Luas Cross City Project. We recognise that noise has an impact on communities. Not only is this a nuisance for residents, it is also a headache for project managers and property developers. The World Health Organisation has identified noise as the second most significant environmental cause of ill-health and the world is getting noisier. People who are in pain or who live with chronic pain are more susceptible to the noise nuisance.

We understand that noise management can be a complicated issue, but it doesn’t have to be. Our noise measurement equipment and cloud-based software are designed to make monitoring and analysis of noise emissions easier and less time consuming. Our system takes care of measurements and upload, letting project managers focus their time and resources on running their project. From small-scale sites to managing environmental noise for an entire city, we can build a solution that will work for you. Our measurement and reporting system is designed to monitor noise level readings on short or long term projects. We simplify measurement tasks by providing equipment that takes the manual work away from environmental noise monitoring. Automated data capture and communications allow users to tackle a range of applications with a cost-effective system. Rugged sound level monitors combined with an online noise reporting platform allows measurement and analysis of noise levels with minimum effort. We have delivered noise monitoring systems ranging from single turnkey sites to city-wide smart monitoring networks. Our affordable products and user-friendly service help environmental professionals and city councils to measure and manage noise levels on projects of any scale. Our goal is to deliver affordable and scalable sound level monitoring systems for the assessment and management of noise pollution. Drawing on our R&D background we are constantly developing better and simpler ways to deliver the products and services needed by our customers.

It has never been more important to manage noise to ensure people at risk of prolonged exposure have a better quality of life, as well as the birds and fish.

Sonitus Systems supply robust and reliable sound level monitoring equipment globally from their base in Dublin. Their award-winning products and services allow users to easily monitor and assess noise levels in any scenario to ensure compliance. For more information, call the team at Sonitus Systems on +353 1 6778443 or email info@sonitussystems.com