Topic
Noise pollution
About: Noise pollution is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4455 publications have been published within this topic receiving 67192 citations.
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TL;DR: It is concluded that environmental factors, and urban noise in particular, influence the onset and development of occupational acoustic trauma, and that those working in the country are significantly less affected than those in the city.
Abstract: The aim of the study is to investigate how environmental factors, associated with exposure to industrial noise, affect the development of chronic noise-induced hearing loss. The study was conducted on 186 male subjects working in two bottling plants, situated respectively in a small farming community, and in a medium-sized city with significant levels of noise pollution. Levels of occupational exposure were the same for the two groups. The subjects were selected by means of a preliminary medical examination, and exposed to tonal hearing tests and acoustic impedance tests. Statistical analysis was performed on hearing threshold values obtained at the frequencies of 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz. The comparison between the thresholds obtained in the two groups showed a statistically significant difference, especially at the frequency of 4000 Hz and for occupational exposure exceeding 17 yr. The results led us to conclude that environmental factors, and urban noise in particular, influence the onset and development of occupational acoustic trauma, and that those working in the country are significantly less affected than those in the city. Since occupational exposure was the same for both groups, their different responses must therefore be interpreted as due to differences in non-occupational exposure, in turn dependent on different opportunities for rest from noise and different levels of exposure to noise pollution.
38 citations
TL;DR: The statistical approach of the methodology under development and the results of its preliminary application to a limited sample of roads in the city of Milan look promising to optimize the spatial sampling of noise monitoring toward a description of the noise pollution due to complex urban road networks more efficient than that based on the legislative road classification.
Abstract: Road traffic in urban areas is recognized to be associated with urban mobility and public health, and it is often the main source of noise pollution. Lately, noise maps have been considered a powerful tool to estimate the population exposure to environmental noise, but they need to be validated by measured noise data. The project Dynamic Acoustic Mapping (DYNAMAP), co-funded in the framework of the LIFE 2013 program, is aimed to develop a statistically based method to optimize the choice and the number of monitoring sites and to automate the noise mapping update using the data retrieved from a low-cost monitoring network. Indeed, the first objective should improve the spatial sampling based on the legislative road classification, as this classification is mainly based on the geometrical characteristics of the road, rather than its noise emission. The present paper describes the statistical approach of the methodology under development and the results of its preliminary application to a limited sample of roads in the city of Milan. The resulting categorization of roads, based on clustering the 24-h hourly L Aeqh, looks promising to optimize the spatial sampling of noise monitoring toward a description of the noise pollution due to complex urban road networks more efficient than that based on the legislative road classification.
38 citations
TL;DR: The audiometric results revealed that amongst workers being exposed to the noise pollution in the Spinning and Weaving Workshops there is a distinct increase in the number of cases of hearing loss at high frequencies, which could be attributed to presbycusis.
Abstract: In order to assess the risks associated with worker's hearing loss, due to exposure to noise pollution, at the Boroujerd Textile Factory a cross sectional study was conducted. 60 workers from the Spinning and Weaving workshops and official staff were randomly selected as case and control groups and their hearing were tested by audiometry. The audiometric results revealed that amongst workers being exposed to the noise pollution in the Spinning and Weaving Workshops there is a distinct increase in the number of cases of hearing loss at high frequencies. There also appears to be a slight bias towards hearing loss in the left ear, in preference to the right in addition, those who have worked for longer than 16 years are subjected to hearing loss even at low frequencies conversely, the office workers (the control group) seem to suffer little or no hearing loss at low frequencies at all, but after approximately 10 years of service there may be some hearing loss, but only at higher frequencies, which could be attributed to presbycusis. Also, the t-test (statistical hypothesis test) results verified the significant difference among both groups at high frequencies. The questionnaire results indicated that workers feel symptoms such as headache, no sense centralization, excitement, nervousness, vertigo. Hence, controlling procedures seem to be essential to protect workers from noise disorders.
38 citations
TL;DR: The neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) can be a serious methodological problem that leads to erroneous assessments when studying mobility-dependent exposures (e.g., air or noise pollution) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP) can be a serious methodological problem that leads to erroneous assessments when studying mobility-dependent exposures (e.g., air or noise pollution...
38 citations
TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors evaluated the traffic noise pollution based on noise maps and found that the noise level of the city is higher during off-peak hours than during rush hours, probably due to the faster speed and larger traffic volume during off peak hours.
Abstract: Traffic noise pollution has become a major environmental issue that plagues urban residents. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the traffic noise pollution based on noise maps. Twenty-four-hour noise maps of the Chancheng District in Foshan, China were developed for this study, and the results analyzed. The study area is divided into four types, based on the land use requirements for the acoustic environment, and the calculated noise value is compared to the noise limits of each class of the area. The average equivalent sound pressure level of the entire study area indicates the noise pollution is modest, but further analysis of the noise data in various types of areas shows a high magnitude of noise and long-lasting noise pollution near street-front buildings as well as the areas where quietness is required. It was also found that the noise level of the city is higher during off-peak hours than during rush hours, probably due to the faster speed and larger traffic volume during the off-peak hours. It is urgent to develop effective noise reduction measures to mitigate traffic noise pollution at night, based on the evaluation results.
38 citations