Mystery Hum Torments Connecticut Town
Sleep in West Haven, Connecticut, is being disrupted by a mysterious noise that residents can’t see and few can escape. A low, persistent hum—compared to a powerful exhaust fan or vacuum—has prompted more than 200 complaints, with many saying it vibrates through brick walls, drowns out televisions, and jolts them awake at night, the New York Times reports.
The hum has been most noticeable in the West Shore area, near an industrial zone that includes a plant producing edible sparkles, which is now under renewed scrutiny after years of sound-dampening upgrades. City officials have allocated $16,000 to hire an acoustics specialist to monitor the area and try to pinpoint the source over several weeks.
John Carrano, West Haven’s human resources commissioner, has been tracking the noise for months, sometimes recording readings just over 50 decibels. “My daughter doesn’t hear it at all. I can hear it, and for other people it’s excruciating,” he told NBC Connecticut last month. “It’s more of a vibration than a sound. It’s a quality of life issue, and people are losing sleep.”
A petition signed by residents states: “This disturbing phenomenon occurs at all hours, disrupting our ability to sleep, concentrate, and enjoy life to its fullest. Many residents have reported increased levels of stress, anxiety, and physical discomfort due to this incessant noise and vibration.”
Experts say low-frequency noise can disrupt sleep and increase anxiety, while remaining notoriously difficult to locate and fix. “People feel imprisoned by it,” said Erica D. Walker, assistant professor of epidemiology and director of the Community Noise Lab at Brown University. “It’s kind of destroying the acoustical fabric of a community. It’s anxiety-driven. You appeal to authorities. They don’t know what to do about it. They think you’re crazy.”
Initial decibel checks in the area mostly fell within Connecticut’s legal limits—61 decibels during the day and 51 at night. The sparkle plant’s parent company, Glanbia Nutritionals, says independent testing confirms the site complies with regulations. “We have nonetheless implemented a series of precautionary measures to improve sound management at the site,” the Irish company said.
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