Diesel Noise And Urban/Rural Interfaces

The health hazards associated with noise exposure warrant that it be recognized as a serious form of environmental pollution, one that threatens the health and well being of all Americans. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss noise pollution, specifically what is produced by the commercial transportation industry and the diesel engine trucks crowding interstates and highways across America. Noise pollution due to diesel engines and its impact on areas of urban expansion, as well as health problems associated with noise exposure will be discussed. Excessive noise produced by commercial transportation becomes increasingly problematic as urban populations grow and metropolitan areas expand, absorbing neighboring towns and rural areas in their wake. There currently exists no regulatory legislation on the federal level for such noise pollution, and as the populations of metropolitan areas increase and they expand into outlying areas, noise pollution threatens to help destroy the physical and mental health of people in rural towns and agricultural communities who may have no choice but to stand silent and listen as their once quiet area develops into a noisy city. This noise encroachment not only represents a continued risk for the health of city dwellers, but threatens a long-continued way of life of those who live in these recently developed areas. In the hopes that this paper will generate awareness throughout the educational community as well as the transportation industry, possible solutions will be presented including the application of audio technology as a means of reducing diesel noise. Engineering education is an ultimate field for providing an optimal scope of disseminating the advancements of this technology. By educating future engineers, the importance of discussing environmental topics such as this in class as well as creating projects with it outside the classroom will encourage industrial collaboration for viable alternative solutions of increasing problems with rural growth. Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education P ge 10479.1