Noise pollution is an interfering air-pollutant which possesses both auditory and a host of non-auditory effects on the exposed population. Since there is no medicine to cure hearing loss prevention to overt exposure is the only alternative left. The study reports community noise levels measured during day time in a fast developing semi-urban area of Nepal. The noise levels were measured following standard procedure using calibrated sound pressure level meter at many places predominated by both commercial and residential tenements at Banepa town particularly reflecting motor vehicular traffic prone areas. A small exercise of nose generated by different vehicles that frequent on the arterial roads has also been carried out. To delineate the perception about the noise and its significance on health of community a representative sample of public has been interviewed using a questionnaire. The results indicate high noise levels, surpassing on many occasions to the prescribed levels. Overall minimum and maximum noise levels for the Main Road are 60.1dB (A) and 110.2 dB (A). Bus parks and Bus stops had minimum and maximum noise levels were 63.9 dB (A) and 110.2dB (A). The picture near residential tenements also had substantial levels of noise, a minimum of 59.11dB (A). The noise levels produced by different motor vehicles ranged from 121 to 91.2 dB(A), which was substantial. The study observes motor vehicles as main source in the town. The perception survey indicate high prevalence of head aches, lack of concentration, sleep. Since levels lie much above the prescribed limits there is am imminent health risk to the exposed population and the study suggests control measures to be instituted on a priority. Key words: Environment; noise pollution; health hazard; sub-urban; Nepal DOI: 10.3126/kuset.v3i2.2891 Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol.3, No.2, August 2007, pp 12-20

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ABSTRACT:The respirable particle matter (PM 10 ) concentration in urban areas has been a chronic cause concern and principal reason for increased morbidity rate among resident population. The present study aimed at estimating a discrete event like mortality rate associated and attributable to excess particulate matter pollution in the Kathmandu Valley area. The Government of Nepal conducts air monitoring of particulates at its air monitoring site network covering valley area. Adopting the data available with respect to PM 10 and with several other considerations like cutoff value for PM 10 , mean annual concentration, demographic data of valley, exceedance to the reference cutoff value, attributable fraction evolution and computation relative risk attributable to PM 10 was computed. Assumption was made about the relative risk of long-term average PM 10 exposure on natural mortality estimated and reported from a previous study. The estimation or mortality rate in our case was 0.95% after all these considerations and computation. This implies that 95 deaths out of 10,000 deaths are due to particulate pollution existing in the Kathmandu Valley Area.

The ionizing radiation has hazardous health effects upon human exposure. Different types of cancers are reported to be arising on account of overt exposure to ionizing radiation like X-rays. This study reports occupational exposure as well as general exposure to the public and persons visiting radiology department in hospitals of Kathmandu city for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. A portable environment radiation monitor was used to quantify the total radiation in places of work in the X-ray departments of 13 hospitals located in different parts of city. The findings show increased exposure and in some instances very high levels of unintentional exposure to radiation. DOI: 10.3126/kuset.v3i2.2895 Kathmandu University Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Vol.3, No.2, August 2007, pp 31-34

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