Department of Zoology, Bangabasi Morning College, 19, Rajkumar Chakraborty Sarani,

Kolkata 700009

Noise or unwanted sound is an environmental stressor. At the international level studies are based on the auditory and non-auditory effects of aircraft noise mostly. The present survey was conducted among people exposed to loud noise in Kolkata, a metropolitan city in India. The study area includes railway stations of Sealdah and Dumdum and music shops in Chandni Chowk. The study was conducted among the working class people among whom the adverse health effects may lead to productivity loss with corresponding economic losses. A detailed social survey was carried out to investigate the ill effects of noise on exposed male individuals. The ages of interviewed persons were ranging from 26-35 years (18.3 %), 36- 45 years (26.7% ), 46-55 years (13.3% ), 56-65 years (18.3% ) and   23.3%  were below the age of 25 years. The average time of exposure to noise was 68.25 hours per week. Among the sixty persons interviewed the effects were found as moderate to severe fatigue (87% suffered), loss of concentration (81.5% suffered), irritation (81% suffered), headache (80% suffered) and hypertension (76.8%). 74.1% complained of suffering from dizziness, more than 60% reported other psychological discomforts like depression (65.5 %), indecisiveness (64.9 %), withdrawal ((64.9 %) and loss of appetite (64.3 %). 52.7 % faced problems like memory disorder, however, only 41.5 % suffered from lack of sleep or insomnia. Noise pollution is an obvious result of urbanization whereas in the music industry, noise is the desired product. But there is little awareness on chronic exposure to noise, its health impact and management. An extensive survey with awareness generation is necessary to check the health impact of noise in our country.

Keywords:Health Effects; Male Workers; Music Shop; Noise, Railway Station.