In human society, noise is a problem in various places, such as near airports along railway tracks and cities, and is known to adversely affect health. However, little is known regarding how noise can cause serious harm to animals. Faye Clark, a life science researcher at the University of Anglia Ruskin, and others have revealed regarding the damage caused by noise to animals.
Human noise is everywhere, such as construction sites, congested roads, airplanes, and railroads, but most of the attempts to block the noise are to protect humans, and only a small number of animals. However, it is argued that noise has a significant effect on animals such as livestock and pets that are closely related to humans.
When thinking regarding noise in humans, it is common to express the loudness in dB and measure the noise level, but for animals, noise damage cannot be measured with decibels alone. In the human audible region, the frequency ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but bats and dolphins communicate with high frequencies that are not felt by humans, and elephants transmit infrasound of 10 to 40 Hz to communicate with distant objects. have. In addition, it is said that there are types of spiders that sense sound vibrations with their feet or heads, and even sounds that humans cannot feel can become noises to animals.
It is difficult to determine the sensitivity to animal noise, but the most important thing is not whether the frequency is high or low, but whether the ambient noise fits within the audible range of the animal. In a noise study on animals, it was confirmed that noise left permanent hearing damage in a study using rats, and it is also suggested that noise may have a painful effect because it takes different actions to noise with or without analgesic administration. A study has also reported that livestock in transit experience high-level noise that is inaudible to the ears.
Moreover, in the laboratory, even in wild animals not confined in cages, human noise may cause chronic stress or infertility, and may lead to changes in migration routes or habitats. Studies have shown that even in fish, extreme noise can damage the body, affecting hearing and buoyancy. Another study reported that learning and memory temporarily increased in mice exposed to noise, but learning and memory significantly decreased as the exposure period was prolonged. Studies on humans have shown a relationship between noise and dementia, and it is possible that noise is also reducing cognitive ability in mice as well.
If pets or livestock are stressed by noise, synthetic pheromones or toys can be used to calm their mood, but prevention is superior to treatment, so noise countermeasures should be implemented first. For example, when raising animals indoors, it is recommended to pay close attention to noise-producing tasks such as cleaning or gardening and check how the environment around the animals reflects the sound. In addition, fireworks and lightning may have an adverse effect on animals, so it may be effective to prepare pillows and blankets to help absorb the sound, and to cover the body or cage with these if the animal is afraid. Others point out that regulations may be needed to protect animals from construction work and noisy areas. Related content this placecan be checked in
