Showing papers on "Annoyance published in 2004"
TL;DR: The respondents' attitude to the visual impact of wind turbines on the landscape scenery was found to influence noise annoyance, showing higher proportion of people reporting perception and annoyance than expected from the present dose-response relationships for transportation noise.
Abstract: Installed global wind power increased by 26% during 2003, with U.S and Europe accounting for 90% of the cumulative capacity. Little is known about wind turbines’ impact on people living in their vicinity. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of annoyance due to wind turbine noise and to study dose–response relationships. Interrelationships between noise annoyance and sound characteristics, as well as the influence of subjective variables such as attitude and noise sensitivity, were also assessed. A cross-sectional study was performed in Sweden in 2000. Responses were obtained through questionnaires (n=351; response rate 68.4%), and doses were calculated as A-weighted sound pressure levels for each respondent. A statistically significant dose–response relationship was found, showing higher proportion of people reporting perception and annoyance than expected from the present dose–response relationships for transportation noise. The unexpected high proportion of annoyance could be due to visual interference, influencing noise annoyance, as well as the presence of intrusive sound characteristics. The respondents’ attitude to the visual impact of wind turbines on the landscape scenery was found to influence noise annoyance.
401 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Conventional methods of assessing annoyance, typically based on A-weighted equivalent level, are inadequate for low frequency noise and lead to incorrect decisions by regulatory authorities, but do not deal adequately with fluctuations.
Abstract: Low frequency noise, the frequency range from about 10 Hz to 200 Hz, has been recognised as a special environmental noise problem, particularly to sensitive people in their homes. Conventional methods of assessing annoyance, typically based on A-weighted equivalent level, are inadequate for low frequency noise and lead to incorrect decisions by regulatory authorities. There have been a large number of laboratory measurements of annoyance by low frequency noise, each with different spectra and levels, making comparisons difficult, but the main conclusions are that annoyance of low frequencies increases rapidly with level. Additionally the A-weighted level underestimates the effects of low frequency noises. There is a possibility of learned aversion to low frequency noise, leading to annoyance and stress which may receive unsympathetic treatment from regulatory authorities. In particular, problems of the Hum often remain unresolved. An approximate estimate is that about 2.5% of the population may have a low frequency threshold which is at least 12 dB more sensitive than the average threshold, corresponding to nearly 1,000,000 persons in the 50-59 year old age group in the EU-15 countries. This is the group which generates many complaints. Low frequency noise specific criteria have been introduced in some countries, but do not deal adequately with fluctuations. Validation of the criteria has been for a limited range of noises and subjects.
186 citations
TL;DR: Comparisons of socio-acoustic studies conducted around international airports in Amsterdam, Sydney, and London support the previous findings that noise sensitivity is an independent predictor of annoyance and adds to the prediction of noise annoyance afforded by noise exposure level by up to 26% of explained variance.
Abstract: In order to examine the role of noise sensitivity in response to environmental noise, this paper presents detailed comparisons of socio-acoustic studies conducted around international airports in Amsterdam, Sydney, and London. Earlier findings that noise sensitivity moderates the effect of noise on annoyance were examined to see if they could be replicated in each of the datasets, independent of the technique of measuring noise sensitivity. The relation between exposure to aircraft noise and noise annoyance was studied separately for groups of individuals with low, medium, and high noise sensitivity, with statistical adjustment for relevant confounders. Results support the previous findings that noise sensitivity is an independent predictor of annoyance and adds to the prediction of noise annoyance afforded by noise exposure level by up to 26% of explained variance. There is no evidence of a moderating effect, whereby the covariation between noise exposure level and annoyance is weak for people who score at the extreme high or low end of the sensitivity scale, and strong for people who score in the middle of the sensitivity scale. Generally, noise sensitivity appears to increase annoyance independently of the level of noise exposure after adjustment for relevant confounders. These findings were consistent across the three datasets.
172 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors tested the hypothesis that risk perception of those living near an incinerator has effects on their psychological well-being, and found that the risk perception is more acute for residents living closer to the site, who also have a less favourable attitude.
160 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Traffic noise exposure, even at low levels, was associated with annoyance and sleep disturbance and access to a quiet side seemed to be a major protective factor for noise related problems.
Abstract: Traffic noise, which is steadily increasing, is considered to be an important environmental health problem. The aim of this study was to estimate the degree of annoyance and sleep disturbance related to road traffic noise in residential settings in an urban community. The study is based on a questionnaire on environmentally related health effects distributed to a stratified random sample of 1000 individuals, 19-80 years old, in a municipality with heavy traffic in the county of Stockholm. The response rate was 76%. The individual noise exposure was estimated using evaluated noise dispersion models and local noise assessments. Frequent annoyance was reported by 13% of subjects exposed to Leq 24 hr >50 dBA compared to 2% among those exposed to 50 dBA and by 13% at levels 55 dBA Leq 24 hr). There was some habituation to noise for problems related to sleep but not for annoyance. The prevalence of both annoyance and sleep problems was higher when bedroom windows were facing streets. People living in apartments had more sleep problems compared to people living in detached or semi-detached houses. In conclusion traffic noise exposure, even at low levels, was associated with annoyance and sleep disturbance. Access to a quiet side seemed to be a major protective factor for noise related problems.
159 citations
TL;DR: The adverse effects of long-term exposure to a high volume of road traffic were studied in socio-acoustic surveys in 1997 and in 1999 after a substantial reduction in road traffic as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The adverse effects of long-term exposure to a high volume of road traffic were studied in socio-acoustic surveys in 1997 and in 1999 after a substantial reduction in road traffic. The results obtained in 1997 showed a similar response pattern as in previously performed studies in the area in 1986 [Ohrstrom, J. Sound Vib. 122, 277–290 (1989)]. In 1999, road traffic had been reduced from 25 000 to 2400 vehicles per day, and this resulted not only in a large decrease in annoyance and activity disturbances, but also in a better general well-being. The results suggest that a reduction in both noise and other pollutants from road traffic contribute to these effects. To be able to use the outdoor environment and to have the possibility to keep windows open is essential for general well-being and daily behavior, which implies that access both to quiet indoor and outdoor sections of the residency is of importance for achievement of a healthy sound environment. More knowledge of long-term health consequences of exposure to noise and simultaneous pollutants from road traffic is needed. Studies should focus more on “softer” health outcomes and well-being than hitherto and preferably be performed in connection with traffic abatement measures.
117 citations
TL;DR: The annoyance equivalents model concerning noise annoyance from combined sources and the underlying assumptions are presented and it appears that independence will be violated substantially only due to the effect of the presence or absence of a quiet side of building which is not incorporated in the model.
Abstract: Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-night level (DNL) or day-evening-night level (DENL)] from a single source (aircraft, road traffic, or railways) and annoyance based on a large international dataset have been published earlier. Also for stationary sources relationships have been assessed. Here the annoyance equivalents model concerning noise annoyance from combined sources and the underlying assumptions are presented. The model first translates the noise from the individual sources into the equally annoying sound levels of a reference source, road traffic, and then sums these levels giving total level L. The annoyance from the combined sources is found by substituting exposure L in the road traffic exposure-annoyance relationship. The most important assumption, independence of the contributions of the sources, is discussed. It appears that independence will be violated substantially only due to the effect of the presence or absence of a quiet side of a building, which is not incorporated in the model. For use in practice, the application of the model is broken down in five steps. The step by step procedure can be used for the assessment of the total noise level and the associated total annoyance on the basis of the DNL or DENL values of the individual sources.
116 citations
TL;DR: There is a relation between the extent of annoyance and stress, but future research should define this on a dose–response basis using clinical as well as subjective exposure outcomes.
98 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the interactive effects of noise stress and personal project stress on subjective health were examined among adults living in noisy and not-noisy residential environments, and the results reveal an interactive effect of both stressors on self-rated general health and somatic symptoms.
90 citations
TL;DR: In this article, exposure-effect relationships between the level of road traffic noise at the most exposed side of a dwelling's facade and the residents' reactions to road traffic noises have been estimated.
72 citations
TL;DR: Exposure to noise from stationary sources (shunting yards, a seasonal industry, and other industries) and annoyance and results regarding transportation sources are given, including previously unpublished results for expected annoyance.
Abstract: Relationships between exposure to noise [metric: day-evening-night levels (DENL)] from stationary sources (shunting yards, a seasonal industry, and other industries) and annoyance are presented. Curves are presented for expected annoyance score, the percentage "highly annoyed" (%HA, cutoff at 72 on a scale from 0 to 100), the percentage "annoyed" (%A, cutoff at 50 on a scale from 0 to 100), and the percentage "(at least) a little annoyed" (%LA, cutoff at 28 on a scale from 0 to 100). The estimates of the parameters of the relations are based on the data from a field study (N=1875) at 11 locations (2 shunting yards, 1 seasonal industry, 8 other industries) in the Netherlands. With the same (yearly) DENL, the seasonal industry causes less annoyance than the other industries, while the other industries cause less annoyance than the shunting yards. It appears that annoyance caused by vibrations from shunting yards and annoyance caused by noise from through trains are (partly) responsible for the relatively high annoyance from shunting yards. The relatively low annoyance from the seasonal industry presumably is related to the presence of a relatively quiet period. Results for the two shunting yards and the seasonal industry are based on fewer data than the other industrial sources, and are indicative. The same patterns of influence of age and noise sensitivity that are generally found are also found in this study. For comparison, results regarding transportation sources are also given, including previously unpublished results for expected annoyance. © 2004 Acoustical Society of America.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: A procedure for estimating future annoyance in changed noise situations is proposed, including the analysis of possible statistical trends of the annoyance reactions over the years - even for steady-state noise loads, and with changing state situations, the effects of the change should be accounted for.
Abstract: When planning the development or reduction of large traffic facilities, acoustic calculation procedures are used to forecast the noise load in the affected residential areas. Then, existing dose/response relationships for steady state situations are used to predict noise effects in future years. Planners often assume that (1) noise annoyance reactions of residents do not change over the years, and (2) annoyance is not affected by the change itself. Both of these assumptions are questioned in this paper, and a procedure for estimating future annoyance in changed noise situations is proposed. This includes the analysis of possible statistical trends of the annoyance reactions over the years - even for steady-state noise loads, and with changing state situations, the effects of the change should also be accounted for.
TL;DR: In this article, a combination of a socio-acoustic survey on self-reported noise annoyance and a contingent valuation questionnaire is used to estimate willingness to pay for noise reduction for urban residents living in Copenhagen.
Abstract: A combination of a socio-acoustic survey on self-reported noise annoyance and a contingent valuation questionnaire is used to estimate willingness to pay for noise reduction for urban residents living in Copenhagen. It is found that the annoyance level has a significant effect on the stated WTP. Expected WTP per dB reduction is subsequently calculated by combining WTP for each annoyance level with the estimated dose-response function for the relationship between noise exposure and annoyance. It is found that the expected WTP for a one dB noise reduction is increasing with the noise level from e.g. 2 EUR at 55 dB to 10 EUR at 75 dB.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared pupils' and teachers' annoyance responses to classroom noise, and compared females and males responses, and tested annoyance models that fitted both pupils and teachers.
TL;DR: Annoyance due to air pollution is frequent in Europe and individuals' annoyance may be a useful measure of perceived ambient quality and could be a complementary tool for health surveillance.
Abstract: BACKGROUND
Annoyance due to air pollution is a subjective score of air quality, which has been incorporated into the National Environmental monitoring of some countries. The objectives of this study are to describe the variations in annoyance due to air pollution in Europe and its individual and environmental determinants.
METHODS
This study took place in the context of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey II (ECRHS II) that was conducted during 1999-2001. It included 25 centres in 12 countries and 7867 randomly selected adults from the general population. Annoyance due to air pollution was self-reported on an 11-point scale. Annual mean mass concentration of fine particles (PM(2.5)) and its sulphur (S) content were measured in 21 centres as a surrogate of urban air pollution.
RESULTS
Forty-three per cent of participants reported moderate annoyance (1-5 on the scale) and 14% high annoyance (> or =6) with large differences across centres (2-40% of high annoyance). Participants in the Northern European countries reported less annoyance. Female gender, nocturnal dyspnoea, phlegm and rhinitis, self-reported car and heavy vehicle traffic in front of the home, high education, non-smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke were associated with higher annoyance levels. At the centre level, adjusted means of annoyance scores were moderately associated with sulphur urban levels (slope 1.43 microg m(-3), standard error 0.40, r = 0.61).
CONCLUSIONS
Annoyance due to air pollution is frequent in Europe. Individuals' annoyance may be a useful measure of perceived ambient quality and could be considered a complementary tool for health surveillance.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report two studies intended to develop and assess conceptual models of how different factors mediate and moderate the annoyance reaction in school environments, and assess the effect of different factors on student annoyance.
Abstract: This article reports two studies intended to develop and assess conceptual models of how different factors mediate and moderate the annoyance reaction in school environments. In the first, a survey ...
TL;DR: In a new research project finished in 2003, the influence of odour intensity and hedonic tone, in addition to odour frequency, has been assessed and reliable and reproducible results are obtained.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of spatial factors extracted from the interaural cross-correlation function (IACF) on annoyance of noise stimuli are examined, and the results show that annoyance increased by increasing the fluctuations of IACC as well as the SPL, while the previously developed indices to measure sound pressure levels and frequency characteristics cannot fully explain the psychological effects of noise.
TL;DR: This work revealed different styles of coping both by blind clustering and by (fuzzy) logical aggregation of different actions reported in a survey, and provided all essential building blocks for designing models for annoyance in changing environments.
Abstract: The majority of research on annoyance as an important impact of noise, odor, and other stressors on man, has regarded the person as a passive receptor. It was however recognized that this person is an active participant trying to alter a troubled person–environment relationship or to sustain a desirable one. Coping has to be incorporated. This is of particular importance in changing exposure situations. For large populations a lot of insight can be gained by looking at average effects only. To investigate changes in annoyance and effects of coping, the individual or small group has to be studied. Then it becomes imperative to recognize the inherent vagueness in perception and human behavior. Fortunately, tools have been developed over the past decades that allow doing this in a mathematically precise way. These tools are sometimes referred to by the common label: soft-computing, hence the title of this paper. This work revealed different styles of coping both by blind clustering and by (fuzzy) logical aggregation of different actions reported in a survey. The relationship between annoyance and the intensity of coping it generates was quantified after it was recognized that the possibility for coping is created by the presence of the stressor rather than the actual fact of coping. It was further proven that refinement of this relationship is possible if a person can be identified as a coper. This personal factor can be extracted from a known reaction to one stressor and be used for predicting coping intensity and style in another situation. The effect of coping on a perceived change in annoyance is quantified by a set of fuzzy linguistic rules. This closes the loop that is responsible for at least some of the dynamics of the response to a stressor. This work thus provides all essential building blocks for designing models for annoyance in changing environments.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether the distance from noise source to houses influences community responses to railway and road traffic noises and found that the annoyance in areas close to railways was greater than that in distant areas, while there was no difference in doseresponse relationships for road traffic noise between both areas.
TL;DR: In this paper, a sound environment in a compartment of high-speed trains (Shinkansen) was examined in relation to speech communication and annoyance, and the results showed that the annoyance of compartment noise showed good correlation with L Aeq.
TL;DR: In this article, a field study has been carried out in urban Assiut city, Egypt to evaluate road traffic noise levels, to determine if these levels exceed permissible levels, and to examine people's attitudes towards road traffic noises.
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: It turned out that while instrumental metrics fared well in predicting overall annoyance, they did not account for the discrepancies in judgments of original versus neutralized sounds, suggesting that these actually reflect non-sensory effects mediated by the ’meaning’ of the sound.
Abstract: 267] It is common practice to predict perceived noise annoyance by means of regression models using instrumental psychoacoustic metrics as predictors. The validity of this approach has been criticized for not taking into account non-sensory variables such as the meaning of the sound. The present study investigates to which extent judgments of annoyance reflect sensory attributes in terms of psychoacoustic metrics as opposed to cognitive and emotional variables related to the sound source. A new signal-processing method which substantially reduces the identifiability of sound sources was applied to a set of 40 environmental and product sounds. In the listening experiment, two independent groups of participants (n = 25 each) provided annoyance judgments of either the original or neutralized version of the sounds using the method of category-subdivision scaling. In the second part of the experiment, the participants rated the affective meaning of the sounds on a concept-specific semantic differential. Instrumental analyses of the sounds included the calculation of psychoacoustic metrics of loudness, sharpness, roughness, fluctuation strength, and tonal prominence which were entered into regression models to predict the outcome of the listening tests. It turned out that while instrumental metrics fared well in predicting overall annoyance, they did not account for the discrepancies in judgments of original versus neutralized sounds, suggesting that these actually reflect non-sensory effects mediated by the ’meaning’ of the sound.
TL;DR: The authors used the ICBEN method to construct noise annoyance scales for use in other Asian countries, because noise pollution is becoming an increasingly important environmental issue in these countries, and also, Asian data should be compared internationally with Euro-American data.
TL;DR: This study examines the annoyance of pure-tone and bandpass noises with center frequencies of 1000 and 2000 Hz under the condition of equal sound-pressure level, and shows that the annoyed noises inside the critical band is not constant.
Abstract: This study examines the annoyance of pure-tone and bandpass noises with center frequencies of 1000 and 2000 Hz under the condition of equal sound-pressure level. The bandwidths of the source signal were 0, 40, 80, 160, and 320 Hz, with a 2068-dB/octave sharp filter to control the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the source signal. Scale values of annoyance were obtained using a paired-comparison method. The results show that the annoyance of pure-tone and bandpass noises inside the critical band is not constant. The annoyance of pure tones is greater than that of sharply filtered noises within the critical band. The annoyance of bandpass noises increases with increasing effective duration of the ACF, τe, which represents the repetitive feature or tonal component of the source signal within the critical band.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the relationship between different noise indicators and subjective responses to aircraft noise, aiming at developing applicable noise indicators in areas for recreational purposes, and found that there is a correspondence between subjective responses, both immediate and total judgements and personal attitudes towards the noise source, but not with self reported noise sensitivity.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Based on a real case effects of long-term exposure of infrasound on man, a small heating plant was identified, which immitted into the house of the exposed people very low frequency airborne sound far below the common hearing thresholds.
Abstract: Based on a real case effects of long-term exposure of infrasound on man are outlined. Beside a description of the background of the case together with remarks on the occurred health problems, the main view lies on the proceeding in identifying the special kind of exposure just as possible technical causes. As a source of annoyance a small heating plant was identified, which immitted into the house of the exposed people very low frequency airborne sound far below the common hearing thresholds. The results show clearly the general deficit of research on the effects of low level infrasound on man.
TL;DR: The results suggest that self- reported annoyance generalized to both electrical equipment and smells is a better predictor of chemical intolerance than self-reported annoyance to smells only.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: This study investigated exposure- and subject-related determinants of annoyance and performance during the chemical odor provocation of healthy persons with self-reported environmental annoyance. METHODS: Persons with self-reported annoyance attributed to (i) chemicals or smells (smell-annoyed, SA, N=29), (ii) electrical equipment (electrically annoyed, EA, N= 16), and (iii) both smells and electricity (generally annoyed, GA, N=39) were, together with referents (N=54), challenged with n-butyl acetate in an exposure chamber at levels far below the threshold values for neurotoxic effects and trigeminal irritation. A sequence of three air concentrations, 0.37, 1.5, and 6 ppm (1.8, 7.1, and 28 mg/m3) was used, counterbalanced within groups, together with intermittent periods of room air between each exposure level. The response measures comprised ratings of annoyance and smell intensity and reaction-time tests. RESULTS: Only the GA group showed clearly elevated ratings of smell annoyance, mucous membrane irritation, and fatigue, as well as longer reaction times, compared with the referents, in response to the challenge. No group difference was found for the smell-intensity ratings. During intermittent periods without exposure, only the GA group maintained higher ratings for mucous membrane irritation and fatigue. Reaction time and all the rating dimensions showed a positive relationship with momentary n-butyl acetate concentration, while cumulative exposure had a more limited impact on the ratings and reaction time. A suggestion effect by the chamber environment before exposure could not be demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that self-reported annoyance generalized to both electrical equipment and smells is a better predictor of chemical intolerance than self-reported annoyance to smells only. (Less)
TL;DR: It might be expected that the sounds are equally annoying if the ASELs of the maglev-train passbys are at least 5 dB lower than those of the intercity train passbys, but the results of the present experiment do not support application of a railway bonus to the magLev-train sounds.
Abstract: In a laboratory study, the annoyance caused by the passby sounds from a magnetic levitation (maglev) train was investigated. The listeners were presented with various sound fragments. The task of the listeners was to respond after each presentation to the question: "How annoying would you find the sound in the preceding period if you were exposed to it at home on a regular basis?" The independent variables were (a) the driving speed of the maglev train (varying from 100 to 400 km/h), (b) the outdoor A-weighted sound exposure level (ASEL) of the passbys (varying from 65 to 90 dB), and (c) the simulated outdoor-to-indoor reduction in sound level (windows open or windows closed). As references to the passby sounds from the maglev train (type Transrapid 08), sounds from road traffic (passenger cars and trucks) and more conventional railway (intercity trains) were included for rating also. Four important results were obtained. Provided that the outdoor ASELs were the same, (1) the annoyance was independent of the driving speed of the maglev train, (2) the annoyance caused by the maglev train was considerably higher than that caused by the intercity train, (3) the annoyance caused by the maglev train was hardly different from that caused by road traffic, and (4) the results (1)-(3) held true both for open or closed windows. On the basis of the present results, it might be expected that the sounds are equally annoying if the ASELs of the maglev-train passbys are at least 5 dB lower than those of the intercity train passbys. Consequently, the results of the present experiment do not support application of a railway bonus to the maglev-train sounds. © 2004 Acoustical Society of America.