scholarly journals Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on noise pollution levels in an Indian city-A case study of Kanpur

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anirudh Mishra ◽  
Sanhita Das ◽  
Deepesh Singh ◽  
Akhilesh Kumar Maurya
Keyword(s):  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Noise Mitigation ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Hormonal Dysfunction ◽  
Indian City

Abstract Noise pollution is an emerging environmental threat, prolonged exposure of which can cause annoyance, sleep disturbance, hypertension, psychiatric disorders and also hormonal dysfunction. Among all the sources of noise pollution, the noise generated by road vehicle traffic significantly affects the quality of urban environments. Concerning the recent imposition of COVID-19 societal lockdown, this study attempts to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on the changes in noise pollution levels before, during and after lockdown phase in different residential, commercial, industrial and silence zones of the city of Kanpur, India. Although a significant reduction in the noise levels was observed during lockdown, except for commercial zone all other monitoring stations had reported sound levels quite higher than the recommended noise limits set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India. Results further indicated that prominent improvements in health benefits could be observed in the lockdown period, much better than the pre-lockdown and unlock phase. Several noise mitigation strategies are also proposed, which may indeed pave the way for devising noise control measures in the local and regional level.

A case study of noise pollution levels during the restrictions period due to COVID-19.

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (6) ◽  
pp. 206-214
Author(s):  
David Montes-González ◽  
Juan Miguel Barrigón-Morillas ◽  
Ana Cristina Bejarano-Quintas ◽  
Manuel Parejo-Pizarro ◽  
Guillermo Rey-Gozalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to the need for drastic control measures around the world to reduce the impact on the health of the population. The confinement of people in their homes resulted in a significant reduction in human activity at every level (economic, social, industrial, etc.), which was reflected in a decrease in environmental pollution levels. Studying the evolution of parameters, such as the level of environmental noise caused by vehicle traffic in urban environments, makes it possible to assess the impact of this type of measure. This paper presents a case study of the acoustic situation in Cáceres (Spain) during the restriction period by means of long-term acoustic measurements at various points of the city.

The effects of activity-related contexts on individual sound exposures: A time–geographic approach to soundscape studies

2020 ◽  
pp. 239980832096524
Author(s):  
Lirong Kou ◽  
Mei-Po Kwan ◽  
Yanwei Chai
Keyword(s):  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Context Aware ◽  
Noise Mitigation ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Soundscape Studies ◽  
Recorded Activity

Noise is an ever-growing problem in cities. Conventional noise mitigation approaches may not necessarily control noise pollution, since whether a sound is perceived as noise is largely influenced by its specific contexts. Based on an activity-centric framework, this study examines the effects of activity-related contexts and measured sound levels based on individuals’ sound evaluations as they undertake daily activities at different geographic locations and times. Data for the study were collected from 33 participants in Chicago (USA) using Global Positioning System-equipped mobile phones, portable sound sensors, and activity diaries. Multilevel logistic modeling was used to examine the relationships among measured sound levels, sound evaluations, and activity-related contexts for each recorded activity of the participants. The results indicate that activity-related contexts significantly influence individuals’ sound evaluations as they perform their daily activities. When activity-related contexts are taken into account, the measured sound levels that individuals experienced when performing an activity are no longer significant in influencing their sound evaluations. These results support the notion that sound is not only a physical feature but also a socio-psychological construct. It is crucial to adopt a human-centric and context-aware approach in urban planning through understanding the circumstances in which a sound is perceived as noise. Such an approach would help improve sound-related urban environments and construct livable and healthy cities.

scholarly journals Underwater Noise Emission Due to Offshore Pile Installation: A Review

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Apostolos Tsouvalas
Keyword(s):  
Wind Farm ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Offshore Wind ◽  
Underwater Noise ◽  
Noise Emission ◽  
Noise Mitigation ◽  
Power Generators ◽  
Pile Installation ◽  
Drastic Increase

The growing demand for renewable energy supply stimulates a drastic increase in the deployment rate of offshore wind energy. Offshore wind power generators are usually supported by large foundation piles that are driven into the seabed with hydraulic impact hammers or vibratory devices. The pile installation process, which is key to the construction of every new wind farm, is hindered by a serious by-product: the underwater noise pollution. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art computational methods to predict the underwater noise emission by the installation of foundation piles offshore including the available noise mitigation strategies. Future challenges in the field are identified under the prism of the ever-increasing size of wind turbines and the emerging pile driving technologies.

scholarly journals Proposition of an attenuating solution for noise pollution caused by telecommunications installations and systems in urban environments

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (71) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique Trombetta Zannin ◽  
Erik de Lima Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Cooling System ◽  
Residential Building ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Maximum Speed ◽  
Acoustic Environment ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Noise Measurements

This study evaluates the noise generated by metallic cabinets of telecommunications transmission stations, before and after the implementation of a sound attenuator. The first step consisted of installing the attenuating system, which consisted of a glass wool plate on top of a metal cabinet. Then, we compared the results with a cabinet without the installation of the system. The speeds of the cooling system of the cabinets were the average and maximum. Noise measurements followed the guidelines of NBR 10151, and the acoustic descriptor used was the mean equivalent level (Leq). After verifying the effectiveness of the installation of the system in sound attenuation, several cabinets were adapted in installations located in two cities in southern Brazil. One installation was located in a residential area, with houses on its surroundings, and the other on top of a residential building. The study showed that the attenuating system was effective in reducing the noise generated by the cabinets, both at average and at maximum speed, in both locations. Although the final sound levels did not reach those recommended by the national standard NBR 10151, of acoustic comfort for communities, residents close to the facilities reported an improvement in the local acoustic environment.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study on Noise Pollution Levels In Dhanmondi Area, Dhaka: A Geospatial Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-108
Author(s):  
Mahmuda Parvin
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Noise Level ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Geostatistical Analysis ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Comparative Study ◽  
Area Data

Noise pollution has been recognized as one of the most vital environmental pollutions that affecting urban area’s quality of life. Sound levels at different points of the study area have been recorded and presented spatially by geostatistical analysis. A comparison has been made between the study area data in 2019 and that of 2021. In 2021 the noise level was significantly higher despite the Covid 19 pandemic. The comparative study showed that the noise level of the study area in 2021increased significantly. Noise level data in the sample points of the study area on Friday (holiday) were also collected and found that it was higher than that of even working days, especially in the evening. J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 47(2): 99-108, December 2021

scholarly journals Wireless Sensor Networks for Long-Term Monitoring of Urban Noise

Sensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 3161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Peckens ◽  
Cédric Porter ◽  
Taylor Rink
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Sensor Networks ◽  
Sensor Networks ◽  
Data Processing ◽  
Data Transmission ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Wireless Sensor ◽  
Handheld Devices ◽  
Sound Levels

Noise pollution in urban environments is becoming increasingly common and it has potential to negatively impact people’s health and decrease overall productivity. In order to alleviate these effects, it is important to better quantify noise patterns and levels through data collection and analysis. Wireless sensor networks offer a method for achieving this with a higher level of granularity than traditional handheld devices. In this study, a wireless sensing unit (WSU) was developed that possesses the same functionality as a handheld sound level meter. The WSU is comprised of a microcontroller unit that enables on-board computations, a wireless transceiver that uses Zigbee protocol for data transmission, and an external peripheral board that houses the microphone transducer. The WSU utilizes on-board data processing techniques to monitor noise by computing equivalent continuous sound levels, LeqT, which effectively minimizes data transmission and increases the overall longevity of the node. Strategies are also employed to ensure real-time functionality is maintained on the sensing unit, with a focus on preventing bottlenecks between data acquisition, data processing, and wireless transmission. Four units were deployed in two weeks field validation test and were shown to be capable of monitoring noise for extended periods of time.

scholarly journals Development of Real-time IoT based Air and Noise Monitoring System

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 500-506
Author(s):  
Dharmaraj Sundaram ◽  
Ili Najaa Aimi Mohd Nordin ◽  
Nurulaqilla Khamis ◽  
Noraishikin Zulkarnain ◽  
Muhammad Rusydi Muhammad Razif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Gas Sensor ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Level Meter

Modernization has brought the world technological advancements, but it has also brought with it a slew of problems. In today's Malaysia, air and noise pollution are becoming more of a concern, along with a rise in occupational disease. A monitoring system is needed to address these issues. This paper describes the development of a real-time IoT-based air and noise pollution monitoring system that can provide monitoring and alert the user to the pollution levels. This monitoring system was built using IoT technology, which included the use of an ESP8266 Wi-Fi Module NodeMCU as a microcontroller to communicate with the chosen IoT analytics platform, ThingSpeak. A gas sensor MQ9 was used to measure carbon monoxide concentrations, and a sound sensor LM393 was used to measure noise levels in the surrounding area. The measured values were displayed on the Arduino software's serial monitor, then sent to the ThingSpeak server and graphically displayed in real time on a screen. The results of the electronic sensors were compared to the results of the stand-alone carbon monoxide meter and digital sound level meter for validation. The proposed monitoring system produced promising results, with 91.12 % and 97.86 % accuracy for gas and sound levels shown by the gas sensor MQ9 and sound sensor LM393, respectively. The framework also provides ThingSpeak server warning messages. When the calculated conditions exceeded the user's defined cap, the server sent the user an email update with the gas and noise limit status. This has made the system more useful and convenient.

scholarly journals Snoring: a source of noise pollution and sleep apnea predictor

SLEEP ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mudiaga Sowho ◽  
Francis Sgambati ◽  
Michelle Guzman ◽  
Hartmut Schneider ◽  
Alan Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Operating Characteristic ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Apnea Hypopnea Index ◽  
Sleep Study ◽  
Sound Levels ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Single Night ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Snoring is a highly prevalent condition associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep disturbance in bed partners. Objective measurements of snoring in the community, however, are limited. The present study was designed to measure sound levels produced by self-reported habitual snorers in a single night. Snorers were excluded if they reported nocturnal gasping or had severe obesity (BMI > 35 kg/m2). Sound was measured by a monitor mounted 65 cm over the head of the bed on an overnight sleep study. Snoring was defined as sound ≥40 dB(A) during flow limited inspirations. The apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and breath-by-breath peak decibel levels were measured. Snore breaths were tallied to determine the frequency and intensity of snoring. Regression models were used to determine the relationship between objective measures of snoring and OSA (AHI ≥ 5 events/h). The area under the curve (AUC) for the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to predict OSA. Snoring intensity exceeded 45 dB(A) in 66% of the 162 participants studied, with 14% surpassing the 53 dB(A) threshold for noise pollution. Snoring intensity and frequency were independent predictors of OSA. AUCs for snoring intensity and frequency were 77% and 81%, respectively, and increased to 87% and 89%, respectively, with the addition of age and sex as predictors. Snoring represents a source of noise pollution in the bedroom and constitutes an important target for mitigating sound and its adverse effects on bed partners. Precise breath-by-breath identification and quantification of snoring also offers a way to risk stratify otherwise healthy snorers for OSA.

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