Air and Noise Pollution on M4 and M5 Link in Sydney

This document discusses the impact of air and noise pollution as a consequence of the development of M4-M5 Link in Sydney. It explores the effects on air quality, health impact on residents, and the harmful effects of noise pollution.

Air and Noise Pollution 1
AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION
Student’s Name
Course Name
Professor’s Name
University Name
City, State
Date

Air and Noise Pollution 2
Air and Noise Pollution on M4 and M5 Link in Sydney
Introduction
Air and noise pollution eventually affects the environment on a totally negative way, it is
like we are robbing ourselves of living a healthy and comfortable life and robbing our children of
their bright future. There have been promoters of the development of M4 and M5 link which will
be linking Haberfield and St. Peters and this also applies on the same measure there has been
those who have been opposing the development of the M4 and M5 link that connects Haberfield
and St. Peters. The objective of the construction of The M4- M5 Links was for the Sidney
government to reduce or decongest the city, so in terms of time saved on traffic and total money
saved; this was a very noble idea. An economy without any traffic is an economy that cans
actually grow at a very high rate. The objective which to economist make sense, the
development of the M4-M5 Link that would be linking Haberfield and St. Peters., would
drastically reduce daily traffic from and to town hence save on time and cost. Since the project
was commenced, it has been facing constant backlash especially from environmentalist. There
are very many people living around the area at which the M4- M5 constructed as the Sydney
population is still growing. The link is still yet to be completed but what impact is it going to
have on our environment that is what we would like to discuss in detail here.
Purpose of This Document
1. The document is going to discuss on the impact of air destruction together with noise pollution
as a consequence of the development for M4-M5 which connect Haberfield and St. Peters.

Air and Noise Pollution 3
2. The document is going to discuss whether it will make it better for the construction to proceed
or to stop, because of the evidence on air destruction and noise destruction.
3. The document will discuss the impact the construction of the M4-M5 Link will have on the
citizens of Sidney in terms of air and noise pollution.
4. The document will describe health impact on residents who are living near the M4-M5 Link.
Literature Review
There has been a lot of opposition in regard to the West Connex Stage 3 M4-M5 Link,
and that the government of Sidney should not have the project approved at all cost. According to
the study of Arroyo et al., 2016, one of the major reasons provided against the development of
the said link is on the impact it will have on the residents of Sidney especially air quality and
destruction combined with noise pollution and destruction with the health impact for the
residents, especially school going children of Sydney (Arroyo et al., 2016:162). Various research
and studies carried all over the world, clearly shows that there has been a great increase in the
health effect for residents or communities staying, going to school and collages near large
roadways like the M4 and M5 Link.
Description of pollution
Pollution is the addition of harmful substances into our normal environment and in the end
causes an imbalance to the natural clean environment. Under this section, am going to discuss
two types of pollution, air quality and noise destruction as a result of development of M4-M5
Link in Sydney.

Air and Noise Pollution 4
Air Pollution
Here we are going to discuss the impact on the quality of air, and how much total air pollution
the area will be affected of this. Air pollution or reduction of air quality occurs when harmful
substance is introduced into the normal environment, hence becoming toxic to the human beings,
animals consuming the natural air. These harmful substances include things like gas emission
from all types of motor vehicle and very tiny particles introduced into the normal environment.
Under normal circumstance usually causes diseases like respiratory disease such as asthma,
coughing, allergies and can also cause human death if not well controlled, lung cancer is on the
increase and is as a result of air pollution to some small extent (Münzel et al., 2017: 550). This
project from my own understanding is expected to decongest the city, but in the real sense this
project will not solve the traffic menace, but will be motivating the use of vehicles in Sidney.
Sidney should be in drier need to be seeking to improve the air quality as much as possible and
not concentrating on transportation alternatives.
The study that was carried out by the government of Sidney was not satisfactory and conclusive.
The study that was designed to check the traffic emissions and the effect to the environment on
air pollution and air quality was not conclusive and satisfactorily as to warrant the construction.
Commonly known emissions from all forms of vehicles cause air pollution and reduce air quality
and eventually known to cause health conditions, death to human and animals , allergic diseases
to school going children which can really affect their future.
I strongly disagree, the objective to constructing as outlined in Environmental Impact
Assessment Report that was provided by the government of Sidney, which when I thoroughly

Air and Noise Pollution 5
studied it , it was not conclusive and not giving the full details of how it was going to cause air
pollution. On my own opinion my objection is sole centered on my concern about the effects of
the project on air pollution and quality in the areas surrounding the link hence a risk to the public
health. Limiting exposure to pollutants created by traffic is extremely important but the link will
do the opposite.
The effect of this will surely in lung infection, respiratory infections and asthmatic conditions.
The Link will be exposing the residents of Sidney to health risk. It is so inhuman and
unacceptable to expose the people living around the area near the link. We are requesting the
government of Sidney to be more human, and take it role of protecting its citizens seriously and
to seek sustainable options to reduce air pollution and not to instead of increasing it and putting
the life of its citizens in more danger.
Impact of the development of the M4-M5 Link on air quality (predication of air quality)
X –Traffic flow per
second
5 10 15 20 25 30 35
y- Average pollutants in
form of gases introduced
as a result of traffic flow
10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Filtration of in tunnel air - Air quality danger in tunnels
There have been so many concerns about the effects on health of living near ventilations that are
not filtered. There has been major concerns that and that the initial assessment report has not

Air and Noise Pollution 6
given any details on what safety protocols that would be built into this project to deal with
circumstances like serious congestion, no movement of traffic, accident, shootout or fire. In
situations where there will be a traffic halt, on the deepest of these tunnels, it’s so obvious that
the air quality will be automatically be compromised very quickly (Münzel et al., 2017: 550).
Harmful effects of air pollution
Apparently, it is strongly agreed that there is evidence to insinuate that air pollution affects the
health of human being in a negative way. It happens that when people are sick where the air is
heavily populated, when they move to cleaner, no populated environment they become well and
healthy. So there is a correlation between health and the quality of air one breaths. Air pollution
is directly linked to respiratory infection. Air pollution will lead to cancer, asthma. No wonder
there are so many cases of lung cancer and various cancers leading to increase in burden of
health. The animals that live amongst us, also tend to suffer under the air pollution, some die,
some contact various disease, meaning air pollution even makes life for the animals, yet we need
these animals for food. When a pregnant woman is in an environment where the air is heavily
populated, the chances of the pregnant mother giving birth to a child with defects are so high.
Noise Pollution
According to a layman, the definition of noise pollution can also be refereed as sound pollution,
and this refers to the availability of extremely excessive noise and sound from the transportation
system. This noise can look as normal but silently it is very harmful to the physical and mental
fitness in the environment and so causes so much discomfort. There were concerns about the
effect of the Link on noise pollution but these were not addressed accordingly. The government
response did not answer the questions satisfactorily and also did not fully answer the community

Air and Noise Pollution 7
concerns, but also locked out group of environmentalist who had expressed their strong concerns
as well (Forns et al., 2015: 530).
Environmental Assessment Requirement on the impact of noise pollution to the residents of
Sweden
Requirement Section that was supposes to be addressed in
the report
Development and assessing development and
daily operational noise and ground vibrations
impact
This section was supposed to dully assess and
talk about the results to sensitive receiver of
noise , such consideration as sleep disturbance
which can actually lead to irritability and
mental disturbance and the frequency of the
noise
Development related noise and vibration
Daily operational related noise and vibration
Sensitive receivers of related noise pollution
and related ground vibration. Here in sensitive
receivers we can consider, infants, children,
elderly and the sick
This is not a nice experience, with noise pollution, the health effects are so numerous, this will
eventually result to hypertension, high stress levels, automatically normally leads to hearing loss,
sleep disturbances being irritable and so on. There has been no well record on noise management
and as we know there is no proper management we can conclude that the government of Sidney
has good intentions towards their people.
Harmful effects of noise pollution

Air and Noise Pollution 8
Noise pollution has so diverse effects, that I have ever seen someone being mentally disturbed
when they lacked enough sleep because of noise. So much noise normally will interfere with
speech, in the presence of so much noise; one has either to shout and hence strain to be get heard
while communicating. The Noise pollution will depression and can actually lead fatal situation
(Arroyo et al., 2016:162). A person who is actually depressed can actually go totally mad under
such stressful condition. A person can be mentally disturbed under the presence of heavy noise.
Noise pollution can actually lead to permanent loss of hearing. There are so many measures to
put in place in case of noise pollution to avoid permanent loss of hearing. So many people
leaving in a noisy environment have started losing their earing. If one is sick, and still under a
heavily noisy environment, that person will become more and sicker. Doctors will normally
recommend patients to be out of stressful noisy situations all times to increase chances of getting
better quickly. A noisy environment can lead one to increased heartbeat which can actually lead
to high blood pressure and even death.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this project will eventually have major negative impact for the people of Sidney
by increasing the health burden. We have already discussed the effect of air pollution for
example Noise pollution has so diverse effects, that I have ever seen someone being mentally
disturbed when they lacked enough sleep because of noise. So much noise normally will
interfere with speech, in the presence of so much noise, one has either to shout and hence strain
to be get heard while communicating and for the air pollution on an example of an effect . If one
is sick, and still under a heavily noisy environment, that person will become more and sicker.
Doctors will normally recommend patients to be out of stressful noisy situations all times to

Air and Noise Pollution 9
increase chances of getting better quickly rather that bring any benefit. The aim of decongesting
the city by constructing this link has fewer benefits compared to the diverse effects the pollution
will have bring in community living in Sidney. This project will have a negative impact for the
resident of Sidney rather bringing any positive impact it is strongly agreed that there is evidence
to insinuate that air pollution affects the health of human being in a negative way. It happens that
when people are sick where the air is heavily populated, when they move to cleaner, no
populated environment they become well and healthy. So there is a correlation between health
and the quality of air one breaths.
Reference List

Air and Noise Pollution 10
Arroyo, V., Díaz, J., Ortiz, C., Carmona, R., Sáez, M. and Linares, C., 2016. Short term effect of
air pollution, noise and heat waves on preterm births in Madrid (Spain). Environmental
research, 145, pp.162-168.
Forns, J., Dadvand, P., Foraster, M., Alvarez-Pedrerol, M., Rivas, I., López-Vicente, M., Suades-
Gonzalez, E., Garcia-Esteban, R., Esnaola, M., Cirach, M. and Grellier, J., 2015. Traffic-
related air pollution, noise at school, and behavioral problems in Barcelona
schoolchildren: a cross-sectional study. Environmental health perspectives, 124(4),
pp.529-535.
Münzel, T., Sørensen, M., Gori, T., Schmidt, P., Rao, X., Brook, J., Chen, C., Brook, D. and
Rajagopalan, S., 2017. Environmental stressors and cardio-metabolic disease: part I–
epidemiologic evidence supporting a role for noise and air pollution and effects of
mitigation strategies. European heart journal, 38(8), pp.550-556.