The Impact of Traffic Noise Pollution on Plant Growth Within Urban Community Gardens

This experiment was conducted to inquire the impact of traffic noise pollution on plant growth within urban community gardens. In acknowledgment of urbanization concerns and the increase of noise within cities, the study was devised to determine if this type of pollution was impacting plants, in addition to animals and humans. To achieve the research goal, two conditional groups with identical set-ups were placed in adjacent rooms. One group contained traffic noises while the other contained natural noises. Plants were grown over six weeks and data was collected both throughout the experiment and at its conclusion. At the conclusion of the experiment, the average plant height for the control group was 104.2 millimeters and 65.6 millimeters for the experimental group. Additionally, the average plant weight for the control group was 1.31 grams and .85 grams for the experimental group. The results yielded T-values of 3.74661 and 1.89107, respectively. With 95-percent confidence, the results showed a statistically significant difference in average plant height and weight between the two conditional groups. The data yielded an answer to the question proposed by the research and fulfilled the purpose of experimentation. A deteriorating effect was found and the impact calls upon city leaders to research the topic further. The results stress the need for a solution involving the reduction of noise to protect the benefits provided by community gardens and the plants within them.