On the integration of noise annoyance and sleep disturbance estimations in an effective and sustainable system for managing urban noise

Abstract The significant growth in traffic density in Slovakia, combined with the country’s economic change, has resulted in new environmental noise issues, particularly in road traffic noise. The objective of this study was to assess and evaluate the impact of environmental noise on the psychosocial well-being of young healthy individuals in the two main Slovak cities of Bratislava and Kosice. To assess noise annoyance, interference with activities, and sleep disturbance, the ICBEN (The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise) anonymous validated “Noise annoyance questionnaire” was applied; noise levels were objectified by direct measurements using a sound level analyzer with a frequency analysis module. Young individuals between the ages of 20 and 30 were interviewed in Bratislava (533 respondents, 155 males) and Kosice (355 respondents, 111 males). The majority of the respondents in both cities were exposed to medium levels of road traffic noise LAeq ≥ 60 dB. In Bratislava, 27.82 % of respondents resided in the higher noise exposure category LAeq ≥ 70 dB, while in Kosice, 39.9 % resided in the lower noise exposure category LAeq < 50 dB. Road traffic noise annoys respondents in the higher noise exposure category in Bratislava 63.51 %, and even in the lower noise exposure category in Kosice, it interferes with reading and mental work, sleep and falling asleep 46.51 %. The study has identified traffic noise as an environmental issue in large cities, emphasizing the need for vulnerable individuals to be protected, particularly at night.

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Industrial Noise Pollution and Its Impact on the Hearing Capacity of Workers: A Case Study of Gujranwala City, Pakistan

International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology ◽

10.46660/ojs.v10i2.261 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 45-49

Author(s):

Nafeesa Maqsood ◽

Isma Younes ◽

Muhammad Nasar-u- Minallah

Keyword(s):

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

Noise Pollution ◽

Speech Communication ◽

Chi Square ◽

Industrial Noise ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Noise Annoyance ◽

Protection Devices

The main purpose of this study was to analyze and evaluate the impacts of industrial noise pollution onhearing of workers in Gujranwala. Noise pollution levels were measured at fifty locations with the help of sound levelmeter, which was placed at a height above 1.2 meters from the ground. Two hundred workers were interviewed throughquestionnaire method. Different statistical tests correlation and chi-square were applied to analyze the noise pollutionlevel in Gujranwala city. Impacts of industrial noise pollution on hearing of workers were shown in different mapsusing interpolation and buffers. The present study concluded that noise pollution levels were exceeding the WHOpermissible limit of noise pollution at all sample locations. Workers of factories were suffering from annoyance,hypertension, irritation, interference with speech communication and sleep disturbance. Thus, it is necessary to possessa hearing discussion program in factories. One of its main parts is education to raise the consciousness of workers aboutnoise risks and techniques of prevention. Lastly, the issues of noise annoyance should be included in all future studieson the usage of hearing protection devices.

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Industrial Noise Pollution and Its Impact on the Hearing Capacity of Workers: A Case Study of Gujranwala City, Pakistan

International Journal of Economic and Environmental Geology ◽

10.46660/ijeeg.vol10.iss2.2019.261 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 45-49

Author(s):

Nafeesa Maqsood ◽

Isma Younes ◽

Muhammad Nasar-u- Minallah

Keyword(s):

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Statistical Tests ◽

Noise Pollution ◽

Speech Communication ◽

Chi Square ◽

Industrial Noise ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Noise Annoyance ◽

Protection Devices

The main purpose of this study was to analyze and evaluate the impacts of industrial noise pollution onhearing of workers in Gujranwala. Noise pollution levels were measured at fifty locations with the help of sound levelmeter, which was placed at a height above 1.2 meters from the ground. Two hundred workers were interviewed throughquestionnaire method. Different statistical tests correlation and chi-square were applied to analyze the noise pollutionlevel in Gujranwala city. Impacts of industrial noise pollution on hearing of workers were shown in different mapsusing interpolation and buffers. The present study concluded that noise pollution levels were exceeding the WHOpermissible limit of noise pollution at all sample locations. Workers of factories were suffering from annoyance,hypertension, irritation, interference with speech communication and sleep disturbance. Thus, it is necessary to possessa hearing discussion program in factories. One of its main parts is education to raise the consciousness of workers aboutnoise risks and techniques of prevention. Lastly, the issues of noise annoyance should be included in all future studieson the usage of hearing protection devices.

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A virtual perception method for urban noise: The calculation of noise annoyance threshold and facial emotion expression in the virtual noise scene

Applied Acoustics ◽

10.1016/j.apacoust.2015.06.004 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 99 ◽

pp. 125-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Baoxiang Huang ◽

Zhenkuan Pan ◽

Binsen Zhang

Keyword(s):

Emotion Expression ◽

Facial Emotion ◽

Urban Noise ◽

Noise Annoyance

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Analysis of Spanish adjectives to develop a Likert scale useful for studies of urban noise annoyance

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America ◽

10.1121/1.4779662 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 112 (5) ◽

pp. 2377-2378

Author(s):

Rosendo Vílchez‐Gómez ◽

Juan Miguel Barrigón‐Morillas ◽

Valentín Gómez‐Escobar ◽

Juan Antonio Méndez‐Sierra ◽

José Manuel Vaquero‐Martínez

Keyword(s):

Likert Scale ◽

Urban Noise ◽

Noise Annoyance

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Noise annoyance predicts symptoms of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance 5 years later. Findings from the Gutenberg Health Study

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 487-492 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Manfred E Beutel ◽

Elmar Brähler ◽

Mareike Ernst ◽

Eva Klein ◽

Iris Reiner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sleep Disturbance ◽

Mental Distress ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Health Study ◽

Gutenberg Health Study ◽

Noise Annoyance ◽

New Onset

Abstract Background Cross-sectional studies have shown that noise annoyance is strongly associated with mental distress, however, its long-term effects on mental health is unknown. We therefore investigated whether noise annoyance predicts depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance in a large, representative sample 5 years later. Methods We investigated longitudinal data of N = 11 905 participants of the Gutenberg Health Study, a population-based, prospective, single-centre cohort study in mid-Germany (age at baseline 35–74 years). Noise annoyance was assessed at baseline and 5-year follow-up (sources: road traffic, aircraft, railways, industrial, neighbourhood indoor and outdoor noise; and day vs. nighttime). Depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2. Participants suffering from depression, anxiety or sleep disturbance at baseline were excluded from the respective multivariate analyses of new onset at follow-up. Results General noise annoyance remained stable. Daytime noise annoyance predicted new onset of depressive, anxiety symptoms (also nighttime annoyance) and sleep disturbance (beyond respective baseline scores). Additional predictors were female sex, lower age and low socioeconomic status (SES). Regarding specific sources, daytime baseline aircraft annoyance predicted depression and anxiety. Sleep disturbance was most consistently predicted by neighbourhood annoyance (baseline and follow-up) and follow-up annoyance by aircraft (night) and road traffic (day and night). Conclusions We identified current and past noise annoyances as risk factors for mental distress and sleep disturbance. Furthermore, women, younger adults and those with lower SES are particularly susceptible to noise annoyance. Our results indicate the need to provide regulatory measures in affected areas to prevent mental health problems.

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