The line graph illustrates the number of noise complaints addressed to the Environmental Health authorities in the city of Newton from 1980 to 1996. Overall, there was a significant increase in the figures of both traffic and domestic noise complaints, while the number of road works and factory-related complaints showed either a stable or a downward trend.
It can be seen that the number of noise complaints related to traffic and household noise fluctuated slightly, levelling off after a gradual decrease from 1984, with 400 and 200 complaints for domestic and traffic noise in 1988, respectively. Afterwards, the figures rose dramatically, reaching the number of a little above 1200 for household noise. Likewise, the traffic noise complaints demonstrated a plunge up to 600 complaints.
By contrast, the number of noise complaints, related to factory noise, rose slightly from the number of 400 to 600 in the period between 1980 and 1982, hitting a plateau at around 700 in 1986. It can also be noted that the number of road work complaints had showed a gradual decline since 1980 at a high of a little above 600 and at a low of approximately 100 in 1986. 1986.