•Railway noise in an urban setting has been evaluated.•Noise levels assessed near two hospitals and an educational institution.•Noise mitigation was tested through noise mapping.•Simulated noise ...mitigation measures led to a reduction in noise levels.
The railroads that pass through the city of Curitiba played an important role in Brazil’s economic development. When the rail tracks were laid down, their route was consistent with the city’s layout, but today they are incompatible with its occupation and urban density. Due to its considerable presence in the urban grid, the railway track causes many problems to the population living in its proximities, such as noise pollution. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the noise levels generated by a railway that passes through an urban area of a large city and to evaluate possible steps that could be adopted to mitigate the noise levels. To this end, three possible alternatives were simulated to control the noise pollution generated by railway traffic: (1) exclusion of the train horn, (2) inclusion of acoustic barriers, and (3) removal of the railway tracks from the urban perimeter. Noise levels were assessed in the surroundings of two major hospitals and a large educational institution. Acoustic mapping revealed that the simulated noise mitigation measures led to a reduction of 2–12dB(A) in noise levels reaching the facades of the hospitals and school.
One of the major environmental problems of the modern world is noise. A health-related marker of environmental noise exposure that can be considered a predictor of annoyance is noise sensitivity. The ...aim of this study was to ascertain the correlation between levels of exposure to road traffic noise in residential areas and the resulting annoyance based on the perception and sensitivity reported.
The study involved noise assessment, with the creation of noise maps of the neighborhood in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and application of a questionnaire to ascertain the perception of the residents of the neighborhood, regarding the effects of this exposure.
The noise levels at all the measured points were found to exceed the critical level for the area, 55 dB(A). A total of 225 interviews were conducted. Noise-related annoyance was reported by 48.4% of the respondents. Associations were observed between living in areas exposed to traffic noise and feeling annoyed with this noise (p < 0.001).
These findings suggest the importance of reviewing and updating Brazilian public policies regarding environmental noise. We found a high prevalence of annoyance reports, as well as aspects indicative of sensitivity to noise exposure.
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•The noise levels at all the measured points were found to exceed the critical level for the area, 55 dB(A).•Traffic noise is considered to be an important environmental health problem.•Noise-related annoyance was reported by 48.4% of the respondents.•Noise annoyance is a subjective indicator of environmental exposure and affect.
It is believed that poor classroom acoustics leads to lower levels of student learning and exposes teachers vocal folds to greater physical wear and tear.
This study sought to compare the quality of ...life by World Health Organization (whoqol-bref) questionnaire of 61 teachers working at schools with different acoustic conditions.
This paper reports on a descriptive exploratory study aimed at ascertaining the following: (1) outdoor sound pressure levels in the immediate surroundings of two primary schools; (2) background noise levels inside classrooms; (3) reverberation times in classrooms; (4) the teacher's perception of noise in the work environment; (5) the teacher's vocal intensity in the classroom; and (6) the teacher's perceived quality of life.
It was found that the quality of life of teachers, as well as the major causes of acoustic discomfort, do not stem from a source outside the classroom, halls, and physical education classes. Instead, they originate inside the classroom and are caused by students during school hours; the teachers’ vocal intensity exceeds the limits of tolerability both in schools that provide acoustic comfort and in those that do not.
The basic conditions required to ensure the health of the participants in this study during their workday were found to be unsatisfactory.
Environmental noise in hospitals: a systematic review de Lima Andrade, Erik; da Cunha e Silva, Darllan Collins; de Lima, Eligelcy Augusta ...
Environmental science and pollution research international,
04/2021, Letnik:
28, Številka:
16
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Environmental noise has been growing in recent years, causing numerous health problems. Highly sensitive environments such as hospitals deserve special attention, since noise can aggravate patients’ ...health issues and impair the performance of healthcare professionals. This work consists of a systematic review of scientific articles describing environmental noise measurements taken in hospitals between the years 2015 and 2020. The researchers started with a consultation of three databases, namely, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The results indicate that for the most part, these studies are published in journals in the fields of medicine, engineering, environmental sciences, acoustics, and nursing and that most of their authors work in the fields of architecture, engineering, medicine, and nursing. These studies, which are concentrated in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, use as reference values sound levels recommended by the World Health Organization. L
eq
measured in hospital environments showed daytime values ranging from 37 to 88.6 dB (A) and nighttime values of 38.7 to 68.8 dB (A). L
eq
values for outdoor noise were 74.3 and 56.6 dB (A) for daytime and nighttime, respectively. The measurements were taken mainly inside hospitals, prioritizing more sensitive departments such as intensive care units. There is a potential for growth in work carried out in this area, but research should also include discussions about guidelines for improvement measures aimed at reducing noise in hospitals.
Graphical abstract
The purpose of this work was to investigate the sound environment of public parks using a soundscape study model that analyzes not only noise but also all the types of sound of a given area, as well ...as other environmental factors. To this end, acoustic measurements were made in the parks under study and interviews were held with their frequent visitors. Noise measurements were conducted in 55 points, and a total of 335 people were interviewed in the 4 parks studied. The parks selected for this study are located in areas very close to streets with intense vehicle flow, raising the hypothesis that this proximity impairs the acoustic comfort of their visitors. The findings confirm the strong influence of traffic noise on the soundscapes of the parks. Noise measurements showed that in all parks, between 50 and 100% of the points evaluated displayed sound levels above 55
dB(A), the level established by Curitiba's Municipal Law 10625 as the limit permitted for green areas during daytime. Other conditions in the parks' environments were also identified, which interfere jointly in the soundscape and in its perception, such as spatial factors of each park, the urban setting of its surroundings, and the sounds originating inside the parks.
A study was made of some of the main traffic hubs in a Latin American metropolis, in order to determine the presence or absence of noise by means of noise measurements and acoustic mapping. To ...characterize noise in the evaluated road stretches, 232 measurements were taken at different points. The Predictor software package was used for the noise mapping calculations. Noise sensitive areas, e.g., hospitals, were identified in the evaluated road stretches. Noise maps were calculated for two hospitals, showing the current levels of noise that reach their facades. Hypothetical scenarios were simulated by making changes in the composition of traffic and total number of vehicles, and an assessment was made of the potential influence of these modifications in reducing the noise levels reaching the facades of the buildings in question. The simulations indicated that a 50% reduction in total traffic flow, or a 50% reduction in heavy vehicle traffic flow, would reduce the noise levels by about 3dB(A).
Rail freight transport has grown worldwide and in Brazil as well, which increases people's exposure to railway noise. A promising tool to manage it is Strategic Noise Mapping (SNM), which has ...advanced around the world favoring a common and more accurate calculation method that requires more accurate measurements. This paper presents a framework to manage railway noise exposure in Brazil based on a case study carried out in the city with the longest stretches of railway tracks in urban areas. Background noise due to road traffic and train pass-by noise levels were measured for knowledge of noise sources and SNM calibration. Background noise predicted by the CNOSSOS-EU (Road) method reached an accuracy within ±2 dB(A) and was overestimated by the NMPB-96 method. The combination with railway noise using the SRM II and ISO 9613 calculation methods maintained the aforementioned accuracy, while the current best fit CNOSSOS-EU (Railway and Industry) configuration for the study area overestimated it. Although the study area is a quiet suburb, a quarter of its population is exposed to road traffic noise levels above those recommended by WHO, and more than 40% are affected by rail noise that is 5 dB(A) or higher than the background noise. The elimination of level crossings (LC) and the need to sound the train horn is more cost-effective than noise barriers. Therefore, the strategy to manage exposure to rail noise in Brazil should involve altering residential zoning of non-built-up areas next to the railways to repurpose them for other land uses and/or establish acoustic performance criteria for new buildings; federal government investing in reducing the number of LC or railway variants; and railway operators investing in the creation of an emission database for noise control at the source.
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•Railway noise was measured as specified by ISO 1996-2 and NBR 16425-4 standards.•A wide range of train pass-by noise levels were found for control at the source.•Background noise mapping with CNOSSOS-EU (Road) reached an accuracy of ±2 dB(A).•The CNOSSOS-EU (Railway) framework is promising but requires an emissions database.•SRM II and ISO 9613 may serve as interim methods for rail noise mapping in Brazil.
The acoustic comfort of classrooms in a Brazilian public school has been evaluated through interviews with 62 teachers and 464 pupils, measurements of background noise, reverberation time, and sound ...insulation. Acoustic measurements have revealed the poor acoustic quality of the classrooms. Results have shown that teachers and pupils consider the noise generated and the voice of the teacher in neighboring classrooms as the main sources of annoyance inside the classroom. Acoustic simulations resulted in the suggestion of placement of perforated plywood on the ceiling, for reduction in reverberation time and increase in the acoustic comfort of the classrooms.
•Assessment of noise levels and their impact on the population as a function of road traffic growth rates.•Noise pollution tends to increasingly correlate with the traffic flow.•Noise maps are an ...important tool for the assessment and prediction of noise pollution scenarios.
Developing countries are experiencing rapid urbanization that directly and negatively affects their acoustic environments due, in large part, to increased road traffic. Several studies have shown that noise is a public health problem that should be mitigated, given that the tardy implementation of control measures may render them ineffective. Noise mitigation projects often overlook long-term aspects, which reflects the transient morphology of urban centers, although this point is addressed in Directive 2002/49/EC. A methodology is proposed here to assess noise pollution in a subregion of Brazil, the city of Goiânia, which has a population of approximately 1.3 million, based on in situ measurements of equivalent sound pressure levels (Leq) and noise mapping. In addition, we sought to determine at what future time the Leq would be above 60 dB(A) at all the evaluated points. The aim is to evaluate the effect of increasing noise levels and their impact on the population as a function of road traffic growth rates. In 2016, the Leq was measured at 67 points distributed throughout the metropolis, and a count was made of the flow rate of light vehicles, heavy vehicles and motorcycles, and their stratified percentage. Spatiotemporal modeling was performed using Predictor® software to forecast the Leq in the years 2021, 2026 and 2036. The results indicated that the Leq in more than 90% of the region under study was higher than that specified by the Brazilian noise assessment standard NBR 10151:2019 and by the World Health Organization. Noise maps for the years 2021, 2026 and 2036 showed an average increase in noise levels of 0.28 dB(A)/year between 2016 and 2036. Moreover, after 2036, the Leq at 100% of the points assessed is expected to exceed 60 dB(A), which is the maximum allowed by current noise regulations.
Evaluation of Noise Pollution in Urban Parks Zannin, Paulo Henrique Trombetta; Ferreira, Andressa Maria Coelho; Szeremetta, Bani
Environmental monitoring and assessment,
07/2006, Letnik:
118, Številka:
1-3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The present study provides an evaluation of noise pollution in six Urban Parks located in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Equivalent noise levels (L eq) were measured in 303 points (each point measured ...during 3 min) spread throughout the Parks. Measured values were confronted with local legislation (Law 10625) allowed limits, and the Parks were thus classified as “acoustically polluted or unpolluted”. Measured values were also evaluated according to international legislation: Decree no. 12 of the City Council of Rome, DIN 18005 for German cities, the World Health Organization, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Urban parks in the downtown area of Curitiba, surrounded by roads of heavy traffic and in the midst of intense commercial activities, do not satisfy any of the standards used. The most noise-polluted parks in Curitiba were the Public Walk Park and the Botanical Garden Park, with measured L eq of 64.8 dB(A) and 67 dB(A).
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