Noise pollution

About: Noise pollution is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4455 publications have been published within this topic receiving 67192 citations.

A field study of the exposure-annoyance relationship of military shooting noise.

Abstract: This article reports a field study on noise annoyance from military shooting with small, midsize, and heavy weapons that was carried out among 1002 residents living near eight different training grounds of the Swiss army. The goal of the study was to derive the exposure-annoyance relationship for military shooting noise in communities in the vicinity of average military training grounds. Annoyance was determined in a telephone survey by means of the 5-point verbal and 11-point numerical annoyance scale recommended by the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise. Exposure was calculated using acoustical source models of weapons and numbers of shots fired, as recorded by the army. Annoyance predictor variables investigated were LAE, LCE, LCE−LAE, number of shots above threshold, as well as individual moderators. Exposure-annoyance relationships were modeled by means of linear and logistic regression analyses. The sound exposure level LE of shooting noise better explained variations in annoyan...

Noise Pollution in Turkish Elementary Schools: Evaluation of Noise Pollution Awareness and Sensitivity Training.

Abstract: This study investigates noise pollution levels in two elementary schools. Also, “noise level awareness and sensitivity training” was given for reducing noise pollution, and the effects and results of this training were evaluated. ‘Sensitivity’ training was given to 611 students and 48 teachers in a private and a public school. Questionnaires, sound meter observations, and the reflections of the student teachers participating in the study were used for collecting data. The findings showed that noise levels measured in both schools were much higher than national and international upper limits. The data obtained through the first questionnaire indicated that students and teachers had little knowledge, understanding, sensitivity, and awareness of noise pollution. Sound meter measurements recorded after training showed no decrease in the noise levels of the schools. However, post-training observations, questionnaires, and reflections of the pre-service teachers demonstrated that the awareness and sensitivity of students and teachers about noise pollution in schools increased. A decrease occurred in their following perception: “that noise pollution in schools cannot be prevented”. Teacher reflections showed that positive change in the awareness and sensitivity about noise pollution manifested itself in the behaviors of the students and the teachers considerably. It was concluded that teachers and administrators must display sensitive behaviors in regard to the noise in particular, this issue should be emphasized during lessons and the training in schools should be given to students as of early ages.

Mining noise affects loud call structures and emission patterns of wild black-fronted titi monkeys

Abstract: Anthropogenic noise pollution is increasing and can constrain acoustic communication in animals. Our aim was to investigate if the acoustic parameters of loud calls and their diurnal pattern in the black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons) are affected by noise produced by mining activity in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We installed two passive acoustic monitoring devices to record sound 24 h/day, 7 days every 2 months, for a year; one unit was close to an opencast mine and the other 2.5 km away from it. Both sites presented similar habitat structures and were inhabited by groups of black-fronted titi monkeys. We quantified the noise at both sites by measuring the equivalent continuous sound level every 2 months for 1 year and quantified the emission of loud calls by titi monkeys through visual inspection of the recordings. The close site presented higher ambient noise levels than the far site. The quantitative comparison of loud calls of black-fronted titi monkeys between the two sites showed less calling activity in the site close to the mine than in the site further away. Approximately 20 % of the calls detected at the site close to the mine were masked by noise from truck traffic. Loud calls were longer at the site far from the mine and the diurnal patterns of vocal activity differed in the amount of calling as well as in the timing of peak calling activity between the two sites. Our results indicate that mining noise may constrain titi monkeys' long-distance vocal communication. Loud calls occupy a similar frequency band to mining noise, and an increase in ambient noise may be triggering black-fronted titi monkeys to adjust their long-distance communication patterns to avoid masking of their calls. Given that vocalizations are an important means of social interaction in this species, there are concerns about the impact of mining noise on populations exposed to this human activity.