Perception of noise in suburban and urban areas

Abstract

This work analyses, using a comparative approach, the environmental noise perception in the daily lives of inhabitants of a residential area, with that of a mixed (residential and commercial) area (downtown), in a large Latin America city. The goal was to confront an ideal urban environment with one acoustically polluted, as function of noise descriptors. Concomitant with the evaluation of noise perception (subjective analysis), noise levels were measured (objective analysis) in both areas. The single average equivalent noise level (Leq) found for downtown was 73 dB(A), and 53 dB(A) for the residential area. A random sample of the populations of both areas was taken, through a questionnaire. Questionnaire data was treated statistically through a factorial multivariate analysis. This analysis has generated three statistical indicators: time perception, atypical noise perception, and sources and disturbances. Over 50% of both populations sampled have the perception that high frequency noise levels are gradually increasing, with higher contribution from traffic noise. The dominant organic effects reported were irritability and loss of concentration ability, these last being precursors of hearing loss.

Assessment of Road Traffic Noise in Selected Urban Residential and Construction Areas

“…Since the construction activities of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) had been carried out near Jalan Putra Permai roads, therefore a lot of heavy vehicles including trucks, backhoe loaders, cement lorries, and bulldozers being used as well as passing by Jalan Putra Permai roads. These heavy vehicles contributed to a high noise level at Jalan Putra Permai due to the loud engine sound of the heavy vehicles These findings also are in line with the study conducted by [13], [14], and [15]. the traffic composition in terms of type of vehicle during weekend morning and evening sessions in both studied areas.…”

Modelled exposure to motor vehicle generated noise at schools and early childhood centres.

“…The lowest noise levels were in the airport (note: excludes aircraft noise), conservation, and rural areas. The variation in noise levels across the Wellington Territorial Authority is expected and follows noise patterns in other cities (Alías & Socoró, 2017;Paz & Zannin, 2008). Though, for schools, there was no difference in noise levels when examined by their land use zone.…”

“…Urban-suburban differences have been reported for noise measurements across Curitiba, Brazil (Paz & Zannin, 2008), and multiple cities in Italy (Alías & Socoró, 2017), while Toronto, Canada reported a relationship with proximity to high volume roads (Zuo et al, 2014). Central areas are destinations for work, shopping, and leisure.…”