The Effect of Land-Use Categories on Traffic Noise Annoyance (original) (raw)
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Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 2014
Noise prediction models and noise maps are used to estimate the exposure to road traffic noise, but their availability and the quality of the noise estimates is sometimes limited. This paper explores the application of land use regression (LUR) modelling to assess the long-term intraurban spatial variability of road traffic noise in three European cities. Short-term measurements of road traffic noise taken in Basel, Switzerland (n = 60), Girona, Spain (n = 40), and Grenoble, France (n = 41), were used to develop two LUR models: (a) a "GIS-only" model, which considered only predictor variables derived with Geographic Information Systems; and (b) a "Best" model, which in addition considered the variables collected while visiting the measurement sites. Both noise measurements and noise estimates from LUR models were compared with noise estimates from standard noise models developed for each city by the local authorities. Model performance (adjusted R 2 ) was 0.66-0.87 for "GIS-only" models, and 0.70-0.89 for "Best" models. Shortterm noise measurements showed a high correlation (r = 0.62-0.78) with noise estimates from the standard noise models. LUR noise estimates did not show any systematic differences in the spatial patterns when compared with those from standard noise models. LUR modelling with accurate GIS source data can be a promising tool for noise exposure assessment with applications in epidemiological studies.
Background: In an early TNO-report (Miedema 1993) different exposure response curves were reported for highways and other road traffic. Other road traffic noise exposure showed less annoyance than noise from highways -but higher than railway noise exposure. In the later exposure response curves associated with the EU noise directive no separate account is made for other road traffic. Methods: Intensive traffic modeling, noise and survey information from two large studies in alpine valleys was used to generate enhanced exposure response curves. Further analyses were carried out by means of multiple logistic regression to explore the importance of modifying factors. Results: We found no uniform exposure response curves in the two valleys. Most important modifying factors were the relative position of the main road to the valley topography, settlement patterns, indicators of fluctuation/emergence, the number of heavy trucks and combined exposure (vibration, air). Conclusion: In complex situations (alpine topography, open settlement patterns, high signal to noise ratio) the accumulation of factors can in some cases lead to higher annoyance from main roads than from highways in a univariate perspective. Applying standard curves for Environmental health impact assessments may lead to misleading results. More inclusive approaches (soundscape, environmental health) are needed.
Regional Differences In Noise Annoyance Assessments
There is an increasing demand from politicians, lawmakers and community planners to have precise models for assessment of reactions to noise. The politician can set a limit for the negative influence a certain noise source may cause; for instance maximum IO percent of the population being high/y annoyed. This limit must be transformed by the acoustics specialist into a quantity that can be readily measured or calculated using physical input parameters such as noise levels, number of noise events, time of day, etc. Dose-response curves, i.e. diagrams that show the relationship between a certain noise exposure and the associate subjective reaction, are therefore vital instruments in all kinds of land use planning.
RELATION BETWEEN URBAN LAND USES AND NOISE. A CASE STUDY IN DUZCE, TURKEY
Noise pollution has become a significant factor, which affects human health living in urban areas. This study aims to explain the relation between noise and different urban land use types such as residential areas, commercial areas, industry areas, green spaces and correlate different samples with the use of urban area and to interpret the results. In this study totally 12 sample areas were sellected, which have different urban land uses and the size of each area is 100 × 100 m. In these areas, noise measurements were made along the year and the relation was examined between seasonal and annual average of noise level and urban land use. Further in 12 sample areas, 50 m intervals from the side of the road which is the noise source, 50 m from the road and 50 m intervals, 100 m from the road and 50 m intervals three measurements were made. It was investigated whether there is relationship between distribution quantities of the use of the sample area of the obtained amount of noise. Consequently, the amount of noise varies with the distance from the noise source. The distribution of the noise varies according to the amount of green area, building land and road. According to consequences, increase in the amount of road and building land leads to rise the noise level while increase in the amount of green spaces decreases the noise level.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
Noise legislation in Austria does not provide an assessment of the cumulative effect of noise from different sources. The desire of citizens for a total noise assessment is getting stronger. Within the pilot project “Gesamtlärmbetrachtung” (Total Noise Investigation) Innsbruck, data from 1031 face-to-face interviews were correlated with exposure data from road, rail and air traffic noise. The interviews were selected in clusters according to the exposure combinations of these three sources. In addition to exposure-response relationships, it has also been found that the annoyance response to air and rail traffic noise is independent of the background noise from road traffic. The total noise annoyance response shows a cumulative effect in each source considered. From the source specific exposure-response relationships, a total noise assessment model based on the annoyance equivalents model was developed. This model is more suitable than the dominant source model and thus also consider...
People exposed to traffic noise in european agglomerations from noise maps. A critical review
Noise Mapping, 2014
Two of the main objectives of the European Directive on environmental noise are, firstly, to unify acoustic indices for assessing environmental noise and, secondly, to standardize assessment methodologies. The ultimate goal is to objectively and comparably manage the impact and evolution of environmental noise caused both by urban agglomerations and by traffic infrastructures (roads, rails and airports). The use of common indices and methodologies (together with five-year plan assessment required by the authorities in charge) should show how noise pollution levels are evolving plus the effectiveness of corrective measures implemented in the action plans. In this paper, available results from numerous European agglomerations (with particular emphasis on Spanish agglomerations) are compared and analysed. The impact and its evolution are based on the percentage of people exposed to noise. More specifically, it demonstrates the impact caused by road traffic, which proves to be the main noise source in all agglomerations. In many cases, the results are extremely remarkable. In some case, the results are illogical. For such cases, it can be concluded that either assessment methodologies have been significantly amended or the input variables to the calculation programs have been remarkably changed. The uncertainty associated with the results is such that, in our opinion, no conclusions can be drawn concerning the effectiveness of remedial measures designed within the action plans after the Directive's first implementation Phase.
Road Traffic Noise and Annoyance: A Quantification of the Effect of Quiet Side Exposure at Dwellings
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2013
Previous studies indicate that residents may benefit from a "quiet side" to their dwellings. The influence of the level of road traffic noise exposure at the least exposed side on road traffic noise annoyance was studied in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Road traffic noise exposure was assessed at the most and least exposed faç ade (L den,most and L den,least respectively) of dwellings for subjects in a population based survey (N = 1,967). It was investigated if and to what extent relative quietness at the least exposed faç ade affected the level of road traffic noise annoyance by comparing two groups: (1) The subgroup with a relatively quiet faç ade; (2) the subgroup without a relatively quiet faç ade (large versus small difference in exposure between most and least exposed faç ade; DIF ≥ 10 dB and DIF < 10 dB respectively). In addition, it was investigated if and to what extent L den,least affected the level of road traffic noise annoyance. Results indicate a significantly lower road traffic noise annoyance score at a given L den,most , in the subgroup with DIF ≥ 10 dB versus DIF < 10 dB. Furthermore, results suggest an effect of L den,least independent of L den,most . The estimated size of the effect expressed in an equivalent change in L den,most approximated 5 dB for both the difference between the two subgroups (DIF ≥ 10 dB and DIF < 10 dB), and for a 10 dB change in L den,least .
Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, 2013
Digital noise maps produced according to the European Environmental Noise Directive (END) could provide valuable exposure information in noise and health research. However, their usefulness in epidemiological studies has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to apply and evaluate Swedish END maps for assessments of residential traffic noise exposure. END maps from three Swedish cities were used to assess residential traffic noise exposure for a population sample of 2496 men and women included in a national Environmental Health Survey. For each subject, we assessed noise levels manually and automatically at three geographical points, using survey data to locate dwellings within buildings. Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) was used to assess agreement between the noise estimates. To evaluate the maps, we compared the observed and predicted proportions of annoyed residents as a function of noise exposure using survey data and already established exposure-response relationships. The root mean square deviation (r.m.s.) was used to assess the precision of observed estimates. The agreement between the noise estimates ranged from k ¼ 0.4 to 0.8. Generally, there was a high correspondence between observed and predicted exposure-response relationships for noise annoyance, regardless of method and if data on dwelling location within building were used. The best precision was, however, found when we manually corrected the noise level according to the location of the dwelling within buildings (r.m.s. ¼ 0.029). Noise maps based on the END appear useful for assessing residential traffic noise exposure, particularly if combined with survey data on dwelling location.
Proceedings 2019
According to the Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise, a road traffic noise evaluation should end with an estimation of the exposed population. Based on this, further actions can be implemented in order to diminish the effect the environmental noise has on people within urban areas. The road traffic generated noise is one of the four main noise sources that are currently being under study; the others being the rail network, aviation and industrial areas. The current paper estimates the population exposure to the road traffic noise in an area comprising 9.87% of the total population of Vaslui town, NorthEastern Romania. The methodology followed in the first place a pattern for the noise levels generation. In order to accomplish this, a spatial database was created including the buildings and the road network of the study area. These features were assigned specific attributes being mandatory for the current study, like population size per building, building types, traffic volume etc. The noise simulation was then performed by the opeNoise plugin of QGIS Brighton 2.6.1. The result was a grid of points with different noise levels for two noise indexes: Lday-evening-night and Lnight. After the grid interpolation, the noise layers were used to calculate the impacted population size, implementing a method arisen from the European Commission recommendations.