Open AccessRoad traffic noise, annoyance and community health survey - A case study for an Indian city
Author(s) -
Saurabh Agarwal,
B. L. P. Swami
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
noise and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1998-4030
pISSN - 1463-1741
DOI - 10.4103/1463-1741.82959
Subject(s) - annoyance , noise pollution , environmental health , noise (video) , respondent , eye irritation , population , environmental science , pollution , traffic noise , road traffic , statistics , medicine , geography , mathematics , audiology , transport engineering , irritation , engineering , computer science , noise reduction , biology , ecology , immunology , artificial intelligence , law , political science , image (mathematics) , loudness
The present study is aimed to investigate the impact of noise pollution on residents/community residing near roadside. The degree of annoyance was assessed by means of a questionnaire. It was found that among all noise-generating sources, road traffic was the major source of noise followed by factory/machines. A health survey reported about 52% of population was suffering by frequent irritation. 46% respondent felt hypertension, and 48.6% observed loss of sleep due to noise pollution. Common noise descriptors were also recorded at all the selected sites. It was found that the Leq values were higher (range 73-86) compared to the permissible values (65 dBA) prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi. Further, regression equations were developed between various noise indices and percentage of population highly annoyed, and a strong correlation was also observed.