Development of a Bio-Based Acoustic Barrier for Commercial Purpose

Abstract

Pollution is a common factor that affects people health adversely when exposed to a larger level. Noise pollution is becoming a threat to the populations living in urban cities. The present study focuses on identifying ecological material which can reduce the sound intensity in noisy environments. They chose ten plants for analysis. Among those, four plants had significant sound absorption capacity. These four plants were studied for their germination rate at different environmental conditions. Azadirachta indica L. and Vigna unguiculata L. were taken to analyse their sound absorption capacity when coated with perforated and smooth plywood. Based on chlorophyll content, α value at different frequencies, NRC, the germination rate of plants, the optimum plant that can absorb maximum sound waves were identified as Azadirachta indica L. Azadirachta indica L. had the leading sound absorption coefficient of 0.923 at 2000 Hz. Its NRC value was found to be 0.854. In contrast, Vigna unguiculata L. had a relatively lower α value at different frequencies and hence a low NRC value compared to Azadirachta indica. So, this plant can be used for controlling noise pollution in noisy environmental conditions.