Investigating Urban Traffic Noise Pollution carried out at Higher Learning Institutions in Windhoek, Namibia

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-128
Author(s):  
SA Onjefu ◽  
E Ejembi ◽  
LA Onjefu
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Urban Traffic ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Higher Institutions

Noise pollution adversely affects human health. Higher institutions of learning situated in urban areas can be affected by noise pollution. In this study, noise pollution levels were measured in three institutions of higher learning in Windhoek [International University of Management-(IUM), Triumphant College-(TC) and International Training College LINGUA-(ITC)]. The mean noise pollution values were higher than the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)s’ recommended limit of 45 dB (A) for silence zones. The mean noise level equivalent (L) variation and the mean percentile eq noise indices of the three institutions were all above the recommended standards for educational institutions. The mean value of noise climate (NC) was found to be 18.4, 17.9 and 16.3 (IUM, TC and ITC-Lingua) and the traffic noise index (TNI) for all the locations were higher than the WHO's traffic noise recommended limit of 45 (dB). The results of the research indicate that the higher institutions of learning studied are noisy particularly because of vehicle noise. In order to reduce noise pollution within the campuses some useful suggestions were presented.

Traffic Noise Pollution in a Historical City Center - Case Study Project within Environmental Engineering Field of Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 289-296
Author(s):  
Valentin Petrescu ◽  
Rodica Ciudin ◽  
Claudiu Isarie ◽  
Lucian Ionel Cioca ◽  
Victor Nederita
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
City Center ◽  
Road Surfaces ◽  
Asphalt Road ◽  
Traffic Related Pollution ◽  
Behavior Frequency

AbstractNoise reduction for urban areas, especially noise generated by traffic is one of the major problems in today’s European cities. This paper is focused on more aspects that are addressing to traffic noise, like pavement, driver’s behavior, frequency of stops, pick hours, traffic agglomerations, etc. Research leading to this paper was conducted within the project “Adaptation to the Climate Change” developed in partnership with Environmental protection Agency Sibiu, focusing for this case study on traffic related pollution in a historical city center of Sibiu. Were considered three types of pavements (cobblestones, streets covered with dense asphalt, and graded asphalt road surfaces), three types of vehicles (small passenger car, family car and SUV), and testing’s were done using 3M Quest SoundPro Sonometer. Higher noise levels were registered for cobblestone and dense asphalt surfaces. Acoustic measurements and maps emphasizing studied are presented, and the identified parameters considered to be related to the traffic noise are given.

Osseointegrated Implants: A Comprehensive Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30
Author(s):  
Matheus Marquez Cruvinel Santos ◽  
◽  
Flávio Barros da Silva ◽  
Idiberto José Zotarelli-Filho ◽  
Elias Naim Kassis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dental Implants ◽  
Pharmacological Action ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Density Level ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
Osseointegrated Implants ◽  
Bone Mineral Density Level ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Normal Women

The most common bone disorder found by implant dentists is osteoporosis, which is a systemic skeletal disorder associated with aging, which is characterized by loss of bone mass, making bones fragile and more susceptible to fractures. The World Health Organisation has defined osteoporosis as a bone mineral density level greater than 2.5 standard deviations below the mean of young normal women. After 60 years of age, a third of the population have this disorder, it occurs twice as often in women than in men. It is estimated that 1.3 million fractures and 133,000 all hip fractures occur every year as a result of osteoporosis. This study aimed to discuss aspects of the pharmacological action of Bisphosphonates (BP) and their influence on the bone tissue when associated with treatment with dental implants. There are several types of treatments that prevent or prevent the progression of osteoporosis. So, BP, such as alendronate, are inhibitors of bone resorption. Act as controlling the development of osteoporosis by increasing the process of bone density and decrease its reabsorption, often acting as supporting the process of osseointegration of dental implants.

scholarly journals Salt intake and blood pressure in Iranian children and adolescents: a population-based study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hassan Emamian ◽  
Hossein Ebrahimi ◽  
Hassan Hashemi ◽  
Akbar Fotouhi
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Population Based ◽  
World Health ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Salt Consumption ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of hypertension in Iranian students, especially in rural areas. The aim of this study was to investigate the daily intake of salt in students and its association with high blood pressure. Methods A random sub-sample was selected from the participants of the second phase of Shahroud schoolchildren eye cohort study and then a random urine sample was tested for sodium, potassium and creatinine. Urine electrolyte esexcretion and daily salt intake were calculated by Tanaka et al.’s formula. Results Among 1455 participants (including 230 participants from rural area and 472 girls), the mean age was 12.9 ± 1.7 year and the mean daily salt intake was 9.7 ± 2.6 g (95% CI 9.5–9.8). The mean salt consumption in rural areas [10.8 (95% CI 10.4–11.2)] was higher than urban areas [9.4 (95% CI 9.3–9.6)], in people with hypertension [10.8 (95% CI 10.3–11.3)] was more than people with normal blood pressure [9.4 (95% CI 9.3–9.6)], and in boys [9.8 (95% CI 9.7–10.0)] was more than girls [9.3 (95% CI 9.1–9.6)]. Higher age, BMI z-score, male sex and rural life, were associated with increased daily salt intake. Increased salt intake was associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion Daily salt intake in Iranian adolescents was about 2 times the recommended amount of the World Health Organization, was higher in rural areas and was associated with blood pressure. Reducing salt intake should be considered as an important intervention, especially in rural areas.

scholarly journals The Safety Assessment of Toxic Metals in Commonly Used Herbs, Spices, Tea, and Coffee in Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5779
Author(s):  
Grażyna Kowalska
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Hazard Quotient ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Target Hazard Quotient ◽  
Plant Materials

The presented study was aimed at the determination of the level of contamination with heavy metals (Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) in 240 samples of plant materials, i.e., herbal raw materials, spices, tea, and coffee. Moreover, a probabilistic risk assessment (noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks) was estimated by models including target hazard quotient (THQ) and cancer risk (CR). The samples were subjected to microwave mineralisation with the use of HNO3 (65%), while the determination of the content of the elements was performed with the use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP–MS) and a mercury analyser. The element which was characterised by the highest level of accumulation in the analysed samples was lead (from 0.010 to 5.680 mg/kg). Among the heavy metals under analysis, the lowest concentration was noted in the case of mercury (from 0.005 to 0.030 mg/kg). A notably higher level of contamination with heavy metals was noted in the analysed samples of herbs and spices (0.005–5.680 mg/kg), compared to samples of tea and coffee (0.005–0.791 mg/kg). According to the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO) concerning the limits of contamination of samples of herbal raw materials with heavy metals, lead levels exceeding the limits were only noted in 24 samples of herbs (18%). In all of the analysed samples of spices, tea, and coffee, no instances of exceeded limits were noted for any of the analysed heavy metals. The values of TTHQmax (in relation to the consumption of the analysed products) were as follows: up to 4.23 × 10−2 for spices, up to 2.51 × 10−1 for herbs, up to 4.03 × 10−2 for China tea, and up to 1.25 × 10−1 for roasted coffee beans. As the value of THQ ≤1, there is no probability of the appearance of undesirable effects related to the consumption of the analysed group of raw materials and products of plant origin. The CR value for As (max. value) was 1.29 × 10−5, which is lower than the maximum acceptable level of 1 × 10−4 suggested by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

scholarly journals Noise Events Monitoring for Urban and Mobility Planning in Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany

Environments ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Alsina-Pagès ◽  
Robert Garcia Almazán ◽  
Marc Vilella ◽  
Marc Pons
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
City Life ◽  
The Impact

Noise pollution is a critical factor and it has an important impact on public health, with the relationship between road traffic noise (RTN) and several illnesses in urban areas of particular concern. Andorra is currently developing a national strategy regarding noise pollution in their urban environments. The Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Sustainability is trying to to identify, monitor, map and model the effects of noise pollution and design mitigation policies to reduce the impact in certain priority areas. This analysis should take into account the existence of different types of anomalous noise events (ANEs) present in the street, e.g., horns, people talking, music, and other events that coexist with RTN, to characterize the soundscape of each of the locations. This paper presents a preliminary analysis considering both the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and the duration of the ANEs to evaluate their presence in urban areas in the three different locations in Andorra la Vella and Escaldes-Engordany. The experiments conducted required a 10-h recording campaign distributed in the three locations under study, which was evaluated on two different days, one during the week and the other on the weekend. Afterwards, the data were carefully labeled and the SNR of each event was evaluated to determine the potential impact of the four categories under study: vehicles, works, city life and people.

scholarly journals Long-Term Assessment of Air Quality and Identification of Aerosol Sources at Setúbal, Portugal

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Viana Silva ◽  
Cristina M. Oliveira ◽  
Nuno Canha ◽  
Ana Isabel Miranda ◽  
Susana Marta Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Urban Traffic ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Guideline Values ◽  
Health Organization

Understanding air pollution in urban areas is crucial to identify mitigation actions that may improve air quality and, consequently, minimize human exposure to air pollutants and their impact. This study aimed to assess the temporal evolution of the air quality in the city of Setúbal (Portugal) during a time period of 10 years (2003–2012), by evaluating seasonal trends of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO, NO2 and NOx) measured in nine monitoring stations. In order to identify emission sources of particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 were characterized in two different areas (urban traffic and industrial) in winter and summer and, afterwards, source apportionment was performed by means of Positive Matrix Factorization. Overall, the air quality has been improving over the years with a decreasing trend of air pollutant concentration, with the exception of O3. Despite this improvement, levels of PM10, O3 and nitrogen oxides still do not fully comply with the requirements of European legislation, as well as with the guideline values of the World Health Organization (WHO). The main anthropogenic sources contributing to local PM levels were traffic, industry and wood burning, which should be addressed by specific mitigation measures in order to minimize their impact on the local air quality.

scholarly journals Review of recent EU funded research projects from the perspective of urban sound planning: do the results cope with the needs of Europe’s noise policy?

Noise Mapping ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Alves ◽  
Joachim Scheuren ◽  
Beate Altreuther
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Relevant Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Action Programme ◽  
Funding Support ◽  
Dissemination Of Results ◽  
The Eu

AbstractNoise pollution is one of the major environmental problems affecting European citizens in urban areas. Although the Environmental Noise Directive is in force since 2002, there is still a gap between defined objectives and outcomes. The EU Seventh Environment Action Programme attempts to achieve the reduction of noise pollution by means of more effective European noise policies. This must be coupled with providing assistance to local administrations on dealing with existing noise problems, for example through Urban Sound Planners. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a systematic review of European projects addressing urban sound planning topics and furthermore an overview of the most relevant research results that can be applied by practitioners. In order to understand the European funding strategy, the most valued research topics (number of projects and funding support) are assessed. A key finding of this review is the disagreement between air traffic noise research funding and its importance on overall noise exposure. Another finding is that the scientific knowledge for urban sound planning exists but it requires adequately dissemination of results, among the policy makers and local authorities, who are usually responsible for policy implementation.

scholarly journals Assessment of Radon in groundwater and associated human risk from Sankarabarani River Sub Basin, Southern India

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kanna R ◽  
Srinivasamoorthy K ◽  
Ponnumani G ◽  
Gopinath S ◽  
Prakash R
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Southern India ◽  
World Health ◽  
Contamination Level ◽  
Human Risk ◽  
Groundwater Environment ◽  
Aquifer Systems ◽  
Groundwater Samples ◽  
Radon Monitoring

Radon (222Rn) and associated human risk assessment in groundwater from quaternary shallow aquifers of Sankarabarani River sub basin, Southern India has been attempted by considering 41 groundwater samples and analysed for 222Rn using scintillation Radon monitoring system. The Radon ranges between 0.140±0.01 Bq l-1 to 7.869±0.33 Bq l-1 with an average of 1.797±0.12Bq l-1 and found to be within the maximum contamination level of Environmental Protection Agency (11.1 Bq l-1). The doses of ingestion and inhalation calculated for radon varies between 0.709 µSv y-1 to 39.933µSv y-1 with an average of 9.121µSv y-1which is within the prescribed dose limit of 100µSv y-1 by World Health Organisation. Uranium speciation attempted suggests saturated Haiweeite and Soddyite as sources for uranium/radon into the aquifer systems. The Eh-pH diagram suggests uraninite solubility within the pH ranges 6 to 8 within the groundwater environment.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Noise Pollution in Sari’s Educational Hospitals in 2015-16

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Alizadeh ◽  
Fatemeh Taghavi ◽  
Jamshid Yazdani Charati
Keyword(s):  
Noise Control ◽  
Night Shift ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Estimating Equation ◽  
Sound Level ◽  
World Health ◽  
Engineering Controls ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction: Noise is one of the most important pollutants in worksites. Hospitals are imposed to noise pollution.  Considering lack of research in Sari educational hospitals and applicability of noise control by engineering controls and education, we proposed this research to evaluate the sound pressure level (SPL) in three educational hospitals of Sari, Iran. Methods: In a descriptive-analytical study, the SPL of three hospitals was evaluated using sound level meter (model; CACELLA CELL-490, made in England). The evaluation was performed in 1.5 meter height, in three shifts, and in three days of the week. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic methods and SPSS software version 24.  For assessing the rate of effective factors, the GEE (Generalized estimating Equation) methods were used. Results: According to the results, the mean SPL was 63.30 ± 7.33 dB and a significant difference was observed between the mean SPL and the standard (35 dB) (p <0.001). Moreover, the highest mean of sound in hospitals was observed in Fatemeh Al-Zahra Hospital. Considering the week days, Saturday and among shifts, the night shift had the highest mean SPL. Conclusion: The findings showed that SPL was higher than the Iranian National Construction Regulations and World Health Organization (WHO) standards in all evaluated places. So, the noise control programs should be considered seriously.

scholarly journals Anxiety, worry and perceived stress in the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, March 2020. Preliminary results

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosario Sinta Gamonal Limcaoco ◽  
Enrique Montero Mateos ◽  
Juan Matías Fernández ◽  
Carlos Roncero
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Relative Volume ◽  
World Health ◽  
Fast Method ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Affective Symptoms ◽  
The World ◽  
The Mean

AbstractIntroductionSince the beginning of the outbreak in China, ending 2019, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread subsequently to the rest of the world causing an on-going pandemic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 “a public health emergency of international concern.” Taking into consideration the lockdown and quarantine situation, a research team of doctors from the Hospital of Salamanca, decided to do an evaluation of the current emotional state on the general population with a web-based survey in English and in Spanish, which was considered a useful and fast method that could help us determine how people perceived stress and worry due to the COVID-19.MethodsThe survey included a 22 items, gathering information in 3 sections: Sociodemographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) by Cohen and additional queries that assessed the current worry and change of behaviours due to this pandemic.ResultsThe survey received 1091 respondents from 41 countries, from March 17 to the 1st of April, 2020. The mean age of the respondents was 43.1 (14.2) years old, and more than two thirds were women. 21.1% were health personnel. The mean of the PSS-10 score was 17.4 (6.4). Significantly higher scores were observed among women, youth, students, and among those who expressed concern and those who perceived increased susceptibility to the COVID-19. In contrast, no significant differences were observed between the health professionals and the general population. A weak correlation was observed between mean relative volume RSV of the last 28 days and the number of cases reported (rho = 0.31, p <0.001) and deaths (rho = 0.28, p <0.001).DiscussionWith these results the researchers describe an increase of affective symptoms due to the COVID-19. This pandemic is raising the anxiety levels. The findings of the study show the affective and cognitive alterations people are going through. This survey is the first attempt to measure the psychological consequences this pandemic is having, in order to be able to provide the support to confront this global issue, addressing the mental health care that will be needed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document