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Amplitude-modulated noise from a single wind turbine is considered. The time-varying modulation depth Dm and the short time-average sound level LAeq, τ; (with τ = 20 s) are measured at the reference distance d* Due to amplitude modulation, a penalty has to be added to LAeq, τ. The paper shows how to calculate the corrected long-term time-average sound level LAeq;,Τ (with Τ >> 20 s), which accounts for amplitude modulation at any distance d ≠ d* from the wind turbine. The proposed methodology needs to be tested by research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess (i) which acoustic characteristics of snoring sounds are associated with the annoying nature of snoring sounds; (ii) whether listeners' heart rates correlate with their perceived annoyance; and (iii) whether perceived annoyance is different between listeners with different experiences with their bedpartners' snoring sounds. Six snoring epochs with distinct acoustic characteristics (viz., reference, high pitch, high intensity, short interval, irregular intensity, and irregular intervals) were collected from snoring patients. Twenty physicians and technicians were involved in the healthcare of snoring patients, and were divided into three groups based on personal experience with their bedpartners' snoring sounds (viz., non-snoring, snoring but not annoying, and snoring and annoying). The test subjects listened to each epoch and rated its level of annoyance. Listeners' heart rates were also recorded during the test using a finger plethysmograph. Within the limitations of this study, it was found that, compared with other snoring sounds, snoring sounds with high intensity and irregularity were associated with higher perceived annoyance. However, higher perceived annoyance of snoring sound was not reflected in heart rate-related parameters. In addition, listeners' personal experiences do not seem to affect their perceived annoyance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health issues of citizens due to road traffic noise are becoming a serious concern in different cities in India. In this study, we have assessed the annoyance effect of road traffic noise in Kanpur city concerning the impact on their health, and daily activities. The degree of annoyance and other health issues and daily activities were assessed through a questionnaire survey. A random face-toface interview was conducted at the respondent's dwelling with a sample of 512 respondents, and hourly noise measurement by Sound level meter (01 dB) for 34 locations of different land-use in Kanpur city and compared with prescribed by CPCB, New Delhi. Noise exposure levels in different land-uses residential zone (52.6-103.6 dB (A)), commercial zone (53.5-103.5 dB (A)), industrial (50.7-104.3 dB (A)), and silence zone (51.3-104.1 dB (A)). The socio-demographical, health factors, daily activity (like sleep, rest, during the study etc.), and other factors (window and bedroom orientation) responses were collected in standard scale by questionnaire survey. Respondents (about 95%) reported highly annoyed due to traffic noise. There appeared to be an age bias with respect to community response to road traffic noise, with the younger age groups reporting less annoyance and disruption of various daily activities by traffic noise. In this study, we assessed the relationship between annoyance and different health factors. Furthermore, window orientation in the living room and bedroom affected sleep and other activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dental anxiety is significantly influenced by the fear and annoyance brought on by the sound of a dental drill. As a result, the welcoming atmosphere at pediatric dental offices is likely to entice young children to come in for examination and treatment. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the masking effect of dental drill noise with the sound maskers on the annoyance rate of pediatric dental patients. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the stimuli in the annoyance experiment, 40 children (20 boys and 20 girls) were enlisted. As masker sounds, dragonfly and whistle sounds were chosen, and the functioning dental drill noise was blended with the original sound level. The participants rated each audio stimulus signal delivered to them in a random order, with the level of annoyance indicated by a color scale corresponding to the intensity of their psychological sense. The mean comparison between the acoustic stimuli was made using the Friedman's test. Based on gender, the mean comparison between acoustic stimuli was made using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: The mean annoyance rate of dental drill noise dragonfly sound and whistle sound was 4.83, 1.15, and 3.82, respectively. Gender has a significant effect on masking effect in nonacoustic factor outcomes. Conclusion: The dragonfly sound had the best impact and the most significant reduction in annoyance compared to the sound of the drill. Typically, girls felt more at ease around the dragonfly sound than boys did. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Airports, especially international ones, within the urban context should have a specific consideration so they do not affect human lives. The planes fly a few hundred meters above these urban fabrics, and when they are landing, they fly slightly over 20–40 m above the ground. This paper aims to measure aircraft noise, conduct a survey on the subjective reaction of residents to aircraft noise, and present primary data necessary to secure the acoustic performance of residential buildings neighboring an international airport. The methodology used a field survey for six buildings neighboring Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, analyzed building/window material, and a subjective reaction survey. The result showed that the average equivalent noise level (Leq) was 66.4 dB(A), and the average maximum noise level (Lmax) was 73.3 dB(A). The indoor noise of the target buildings was found to be in the range of NC-35 to NC-53, exceeding NC-30, the permissible noise standard. The average noise level difference between indoors and outdoors was 13.6–30.5 dB(A). It was statistically proven that aircraft noise is a significant source of sound pollution and occurs all day throughout the year, regardless of the season. The response rate for loudness and noisiness was found to be very high. Regarding the disturbance in daily life due to annoyance, aircraft noise is significantly affected in the order of telephone calls, conversations, listening to TV and radio, sleep disturbance, concentration disturbance, and rest disturbance. This study will serve as primary data to present basic data necessary to secure an optimum acoustic performance of a residential building against aircraft noise.

Wind energy in Europe is expected to grow at a steady, high pace, but opposition from residents to local wind farm plans is one of the obstacles to further growth. A large body of evidence shows that local populations want to be involved and respected for their concerns, but in practice, this is a complex process that cannot be solved with simple measures, such as financial compensation. The visual presence and the acoustic impact of a wind farm is an important concern for residents. Generally, environmental noise management aims to reduce the exposure of the population, usually based on acoustics and restricted to a limited number of sources (such as transportation or industry) and sound descriptors (such as Lden). Individual perceptions are taken into account only at an aggregate, statistical level (such as percentage of exposed, annoyed or sleep-disturbed persons in the population). Individual perceptions and reactions to sound vary in intensity and over different dimensions (such as pleasure/fear or distraction). Sound level is a predictor of the perceived health effects of sound, but explains only part of the reaction. The positive or negative perception of and attitude to the source of the sound is a better predictor of its effects. This article aims to show how the two perspectives (based on acoustics and on perception) can lead to a combined approach in the management of a wind farm aimed to reduce annoyance, not only on a sound level. An important aspect in this approach is what the sound means to people, leading to the following questions: is it associated with the experience of having no say in plans, does it lead to anxiety or worry and is it appropriate? The available knowledge will be applied to wind farm management, including planning as well as operation.

While urbanization provides many opportunities to those arriving in thriving urban areas, a greater number of residents necessitates the expansion of housing and infrastructure. This is often achieved through densification, which can lead to increased noise, particularly through increased road traffic. A key challenge of promoting healthy urban planning is to understand potential health effects, especially on the local level. The aim of the present study is, therefore, to estimate and compare the health impacts of road traffic noise exposure for various urban densification scenarios within a neighborhood (Lorensborg) in Malmö, Sweden. The three scenarios include 1) Present-day, representing the study area as it is presently organized; 2) Planned municipal strategy (the city of Malmö’s own densification plans) and 3) Health-centred, which involves major structural alterations and reflects an effort prioritize a health-centred approach. Noise was modelled using the Nordic prediction method for road traffic. Health outcomes included noise annoyance, adverse sleep disturbance, ischemic heart disease (IHD) incidence and mortality. Within all scenarios, a large proportion of the study population was exposed above the WHO’s health-based guideline value (Lden 53 dB): >80% for Present-day and Planned municipal strategy scenarios, and almost 50% in the Health-centred scenario. Still, densifying Lorensborg (population ≈9,600) according to the Health-centred scenario could prevent 549 cases of highly annoyed, 193 cases of adverse sleep disturbance, 4.7 new cases of IHD (8.9% of total cases), and 1.5 deaths due to IHD (17.8% of IHD mortality) annually. The results demonstrated that it is possible to considerably lower the health impact with a more health-centred densification strategy. Important co-benefits for public and environmental health include air pollution reduction and green space creation, although their health effects were not quantified in the present study. Urban planning initiatives must be more ambitious in order to create healthy, sustainable cities.

Aim of the study was to asses noise annoyance in relation to psychoacoustic metrics of sound in an office environment. The Vienna Test System was used for this purpose. Virtual office acoustic environments were developed with sources of different psychoacoustic parameters (loudness, sharpness, fluctuation strength, roughness) but with a constant A-weighted sound pressure level of 55 dB - sound environment with conversations, sound environment with office equipment (computers, printers, telephones) and sound environment with all office noise sources together. The reference environment was a quiet office room with no additional noise sources. Recorded real noise sources were transferred to a virtual 3D sound environment and converted into binaural sound, which was then played back on headphones. During the exposure to each of the acoustic environments, the subjects performed the ALS test (work performance series) and COG test (measurement of attention and concentration) and then assessed the given environment using a questionnaire. The paper presents the results of the statistical analysis - despite different psychoacoustic metrics of office noise sources in the examined acoustic environments, no statistically significant differences were observed in the results of psychological tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and population growth, as well as the movement of diverse vehicles on urban roadways, all contribute to excessive noise in the urban acoustic environment. Annoyance, cardiovascular disease, dementia, hypertension, stress, sleeping problem, irritation, hair‐fall, headache, are the most common reported problems due to traffic noise exposure. The "Structural Equation Modeling–Artificial Neural Network Model" was used in the current study to predict traffic noise induced annoyance among 100 vendors whose shops are located from Khandagiri to Baramunda along the National Highway 16 of the smart city Bhubaneswar Odisha. Due to the movement of large number of heavy vehicles as well as medium and light weight vehicles, these roadways remain noisy throughout the day. Moreover, the annoyance questionnaire was developed in compliance with ISO/TS 15666 criteria for assessing annoyance level. The combination of SEM and ANN is rarely seen in acoustics, especially in noise studies. However, in this study, both SEM and ANN are used to predict annoyance using various noise indices. Moreover, the SEM model revealed a significant association between "Equivalent Noise Level" (Leq) and annoyance (p‐value = 0.031), "Minimum Noise Level" (LMin) and annoyance (p‐value = 0.049), "Background Noise Level" (L90) and annoyance (p‐value = 0.047), "Noise Pollution Level" (NPL) and annoyance (p‐value = 0.038). These associations indicate that Leq, LMin, L90 and NPL have a significant effect on annoyance. Furthermore, the PLS algorithm output from the measurement model verified a 47 percent variance in annoyance level. The ANN model confirmed that NPL is the most significant predictor of noise annoyance, followed by LMin, Leq, and L90. Moreover, the ANN model can predict annoyance with an accuracy of 68.5 percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased urbanization, industrialization, transportation, and infrastructural development in cities have resulted in an increase in noise level at an alarming rate. Traffic noise is one of the major sources of environmental noise pollution in urban areas. It reduces the wellbeing elements for the urban population. Exposure to excessive noise reduces the overall psychological and physiological wellbeing. The psychological physiological impacts are sleep disturbance, annoyance, irritation, headache, loss of concentration, sleeplessness, low work performance, hearing disability, impaired cognitive ability, hypertension, and much more. In this experimental study, the assessments and analysis of traffic noise in Berhampur, India, have been done. Its impact on socio-health has been studied. The key locations covering the entire city were chosen for traffic noise assessment. Also, the wellness and health of the affected people have been studied and statistical validation has been made. The study reveals that traffic noise levels and its effects are at an alarming state in the city.

Amplitude modulation increases the annoyance caused by wind turbine noise. One gets the improved annoyance when a penalty is added to the measured or calculated time-average sound level. The amplitude modulated wind turbine noise consists of pulses. Each of them could be characterized by the short timeaverage sound level and the modulation depth. The latter determines the pulse penalty. This paper shows how to calculate the improved annoyance of amplitude modulated wind turbine noise, when the short time-average sound level and the penalty for each pulse are known. A special case of identical pulses is discussed. The proposed methodology needs to be tested by research.

For formulating and implementing noise policies, it becomes necessary to assess resident's responses and reactions to community noise. For valid comparison of socio acoustic survey results, a harmonized questionnaire has been designed and developed in accordance with guidelines of International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) for Ahmedabad city in the Gujarat state of India. The survey was performed through online platforms and through personal interviews. Total 396 responses were analysed for estimating resident's exposure and annoyance to traffic noise. The result of study showed that the percentage of highly annoyed people at home was less than moderately annoyed respondents. Lower responses were observed for highly annoyed as well as for moderately annoyed in the numeric scale compared to the verbal scale for given exposure category. However, the results showed that 55.1 % people are highly annoyed when they are commuting.

In vehicles, noise and seat vibrations can be perceived by the driver, depending on their signal properties, as annoying or unpleasant. Because perception is a complex process, it is necessary to consider both types of stimuli at the same time to assess annoyance in such situations. A perception experiment was carried out to investigate the interaction between simultaneous noise and seat vibrations, as well as the influence of seat vibration frequency in vehicle situations. For the experiment, acoustic and optical stimuli such as seat vibrations were recorded in a mini excavator and a refuse collection vehicle from the view of the driver. The recordings were prepared for plausible reproduction in a laboratory experiment. The participants of the experiment were presented with two different vehicle scenes with simultaneous noise, seat vibrations and visuals. The average total levels of vibration and noise, as well as the vibration frequency ranges of the various vehicle scenes, were varied. The results suggest that an interaction effect between noise and vibration should be accounted for when assessing total annoyance in such situations. Models for the prediction of the relative total annoyance causes of variations in noise and vibration levels were developed.

• Land use problems led the city to develop over-track buildings. • Noise exposure measurements and Subjective questionnaire survey were conducted. • Airborne noise and structure-borne noise were identified in over-track buildings. • Correlation between structure-borne noise and floor vibrations exhibits a pronounced coherence. The noise generated by trains running beneath these buildings significantly impacts residents and has garnered growing attention. To evaluate the influence of trains running under buildings on internal noise levels, this study conducted subjective questionnaire surveys and field measurements for noise and vibrations in two buildings located in Wuhan and Shenzhen, China. The subjective annoyance of noise was investigated through a survey conducted with a total of 152 participants. The measurement points were positioned at the 2nd-floor level in close proximity to the building's support structures, as well as on the various floors. The contribution of airborne noise and structure-borne noise to the acoustic environment was identified, elucidating their respective impacts on the overall soundscape. Furthermore, an investigation was conducted to examine the correlation between structure-borne noise and floor vibrations, which was then compared with the guidelines provided by FTA (Federal Transit Administration). The results found that the indoor noise within the over-track building, resulting from train operations, mainly stems from structure-borne noise characterized by a frequency-dependent correlation among floor vibrations. This phenomenon is predominantly observed below 200 Hz with prominent peaks specifically at 40 Hz. The utilization of the FTA (Federal Transit Administration) recommended formula for predicting structure-borne noise levels based on velocity levels may result in an underestimation of the noise impact, particularly with regard to noise energy above 100 Hz. These findings hold significant implications for the design and construction of similar over-track buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• White noise is more suitable as an anchor than pink noise in standard sample method. • Construct a decision function to automatically match the optimum standard sample. • Propose a matched standard sample method to conduct accurate subjective assessment. • Provide a reliable assessment scale for quantitative analysis of noise annoyance. Subjective noise assessment, expressing people's feelings about noise qualitatively or quantitatively, plays a crucial role in noise control and management. Among established methods for assessing sound perception characteristics, the anchor rating scale stands out for its low requirements for participants, moderate workload, and high accuracy. However, inconsistencies in anchor selection can lead to incommensurability between subjective assessment results obtained from various sample sets. While the standard sample method (SSM) addresses this issue, its assessment accuracy relies on the noise characteristics being assessed. This paper seeks to remedy this limitation by conducting comparative listening tests for three versions of SSM that compare their performance to the anchor rating scale and proposing a reliable engineering application guideline. The comparative study demonstrated that white noise outperformed pink noise in assessing noise annoyance. Furthermore, both pure tone and white noise presented different advantages in assessing the noises with prominent perceptual difference, which is related to the inherent characteristics of the noise samples themselves. To ensure the selection of the appropriate standard sample type for obtaining accurate subjective results when employing the standard sample as the anchor to assess annoyance caused by a group of noise, the matched standard samples method (MSSM) was proposed. A decision function was developed based on psychoacoustic parameters like sharpness, roughness, tonality, etc. The MSSM automated the selection of the most appropriate standard sample type for a tested noise set, utilizing a decision function as the judgment basis. Within the chosen standard sample type, the one with a sound level closest to the median of the tested noises was the optimum standard sample for annoyance assessment of the noise set. This "matched" identified an optimum standard sample for a specific noise set, ensuring close alignment with the tested noise's annoyance-generating mechanism and median sound level. The listening test confirmed that the MSSM exhibited a superior correlation with the anchor rating scale method and higher accuracy compared to the SSM. The MSSM solidifies the scientific basis of standard sample selection and offers a reliable guideline with as few uniform scales as possible for assessing noise auditory perception in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lockdown in Spain due to COVID-19 caused a strong decrease in the urban noise levels observed in most cities, clearly followed in the case that these cities had acoustic sensor networks deployed. This fact had an impact on people’s lives, who, at that time, were mainly locked at home due to health reasons. In this paper, we present a qualitative analysis of the subjective vision of the citizens participating in a data-collecting campaign during the COVID-19 lockdown in Girona, a Catalan city, named ‘Sons al Balcó’. The alignment of the subjective data gathered was too scarce to conduct final conclusions, but already giving a bias of the results indicates that the objective LAeq measurements, which showed a clear decrease in noise in the streets during the lockdown, were supported by the fact that new sounds found during the lockdown were not very annoying. Former existing noise sources, such as road traffic noise or leisure noise, are depicted as annoying but their decrease during the lockdown improved the soundscape of many homes. This paper’s goal is to show the possibility of gathering both objective and calibrated data with perceptive approximation for the first time in ‘Sons al Balcó’, and how this supports our conclusions, in survey with a limited number of participants conducted during the 2020 lockdown period in Catalonia.

We are exposed to noise on a daily basis, and noise pollution is increasingly becoming more intense, especially with more people living in the urban areas. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and of global public health concern. Preventing and treating CVDs requires a better understanding of the associated risk factors. There is emerging evidence that noise pollution, especially related to the various forms of transport, is likely a contributor to the pathogenesis and aggravation of CVDs. We review key epidemiological data that address the link between excessive noise exposure and CVDs in humans and present proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this association.

Background: Noise sensitivity moderates the association between environmental noise exposure and annoyance and health outcomes. Methods: In normally hearing adults, we measured noise sensitivity in three ways: using the noise sensitivity questionnaire, a 3-point self-rating, and the loudness discomfort level (LDL; mean reported discomfort level for tone bursts). We then presented recordings of a 15-second 80 dBLAeq aeroplane overflight and participants rated the annoyance and loudness they experienced. Results: The three measures of noise sensitivity were not well correlated with each other, and only the overall LDL was associated with the ratings of loudness and annoyance in response to the aeroplane sounds. Conclusions: This implies that our current measures of noise sensitivity may only capture parts of the underlying construct, and therefore underestimate effects due to it on the association between environmental noise and annoyance and health outcomes. We developed a theoretical model to describe the set of factors that may influence a person’s sensitivity to noise and propose that interaction between the systems described is the basis for noise sensitivity. This paradigm alters the focus of noise research from the annoyance caused by the sound, to the sensitization to noise that may occur as a result of the interplay of many factors. We hope that our model will allow research to explore the sensitizing factors for noise more easily and systematically.

This study presents comprehensive active cancellation of booming noise caused by the engine and the driveline inside a passenger car. In modern noise control systems for vehicles, booming noise caused by engine harmonics could be effectively suppressed by employing active noise control. However, practical attempts or studies for the active suppression of driveline booming noise are scarce. One of the reasons may be that since the booming noise caused by the driveline is not harmonic with the engine speed, reference signals cannot be generated conventionally. Thus, passive approaches are generally employed to improve the driveline noise. To address this limitation, we propose a method for generating reference signals from engine revolution speed to suppress the driveline noise, such as propeller shaft and tire noise. Reference signals for driveline noise suppression were generated using the information from the torque converter, gear ratio, and final drive ratio. A practical active noise control system was implemented in a six-cylindered large sedan to validate the proposed method. The experimental results showed that the engine firing order was suppressed by 8.0 dB. Moreover, the first order of the propeller shaft and the second and third orders of the tires were suppressed by 5.5 dB, 3.9 dB, and 2.3 dB for entire seat positions. Furthermore, the results presented in this study were considered effective for improving annoyance perception through subjective evaluation.

The objective of this paper is to estimate percent of the human population in the City of Novi Sad (CNS) annoyed by road traffic noise according to two methods (ISO 1996-1: 2016, and National norm from 2010). 24-hour noise measurements data in the area of the city center and city roads in the CNS from 2012 to 2016 are obtained from the Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina (IPHV). Both methods show similar results, although with varying precision within the different noise range. Night noise stands out as a problem due to the fact that the expert recognize it as a significant factor responsible for the non-auditory effects of noise on human health and because the results of measurements of the IPHV confirm that the night-time noise is increased by 98% of measurements in the city traffic area.

Noise control technology based on sound energy reduction uses sound pressure level as an evaluation index, and the addition control technology proposed in recent years uses annoyance as an evaluation index. However, no method has been proposed to link the change in sound pressure level with the change in annoyance. In this paper, three types of transformer substation noise are selected as the target sounds, natural sounds and synthetic sounds are selected as the controllable sound, and the pure tone annoyance and combined noise annoyance evaluation experiments are carried out using the standard sample method, and the curve of the decrease value of annoyance and the equivalent sound pressure level change value is obtained. And the effect of audio injection annoyance control is quantitatively analyzed, aiming to build a bridge between addition control and subtraction control. The research results show the effect of controllable sound on the annoyance of substation noise. This study provides new ideas for quantitative analysis of noise control effects and substation noise control.

Background: The city of Zurich progressively pursuits a strategy of reducing road traffic noise by lowering the speed limit to 30 km/h on street sections that exceed the legal noise limits.Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the reduced speed limit on noise levels (Lday and Lnight), noise annoyance, self-reported sleep disturbance, perceived road safety, and in particular, to elucidate if the reduced speed limit leads to a shift of exposure–response relationships towards lower effects. Methods: We surveyed about 1300 randomly sampled inhabitants, in a repeated measures study, before and after the speed rule changeover from 50 km/h to 30 km/h along 15 city street sections, by postal questionnaire. Concurrently, individual noise exposure calculations based on traffic counts and on-site speed measurements were carried out before and after the changeover. Results: Road traffic noise Leq's at the loudest façade point dropped by an average of 1.6 dB during day and 1.7 dB at night. A statistically significant decrease of noise annoyance and of self-reported sleep disturbances was observed, as well as a moderate but significant increase of perceived road safety. Most importantly, the exposure–response relationships for annoyance and sleep disturbance were shifted towards lower effects in the 30 km/h condition by, depending on receiver point, between about 2 dB and 4 dB during the day and about 4 dB at night, indicating lower effects at the same average level. This is a hint that, in addition to lower average exposure levels alone, other factors related to the lower driving speed additionally reduce noise annoyance and sleep disturbance. Conclusions: City dwellers probably benefit from traffic speed reductions to a greater degree than would be expected from the reduction in average level attained by the lower driving speed alone.

Background: Environmental noise is a pervasive pollutant that is one of the greatest environmental threats to mental, physiological and psychological well-being and has a significant global health burden associated with it. Many epidemiological studies indicate long-term relationship of noise pollution with wide range of metabolic, cardio-vascular and respiratory disorders and diseases. Objective: The goal of this study was to thoroughly analyse available literature on public health implications and various underlying biological mechanisms associated with ambient noise exposure, taking into account both objective and subjective measures of noise exposure. Methods: A search of literature for review on environmental noise and associated cardiovascular, mental health and metabolic implications on human health was done using Web of Science, Google Scholar and PubMed databases. Discussion: Experimental studies indicate that noise exposure leads to endocrine effects, increased incidence of diabetes, impairment of cognitive performance, sleep disturbance and annoyance. Epidemiological evidence indicates that high levels of noise, particularly at night, may cause arterial hypertension and endothelial dysfunction due to higher level of stress hormones and oxidative stress. An increased incidence of cardio-vascular diseases like myocardial infarction, heart rate, ischemic heart disease, stroke and heart failure is associated with noise-induced mental stress. Furthermore, psychological and mental health issues like anxiety and depression are also related with exposure to noise pollution. Conclusion: This article summarises a comprehensive and systematic knowledge established in recent noise research with the spotlight on cardiovascular, metabolic and mental health disorders of environmental noise, providing unique understanding into underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are exposed to noise on a daily basis, and noise pollution is increasingly becoming more intense, especially with more people living in the urban areas. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and of global public health concern. Preventing and treating CVDs requires a better understanding of the associated risk factors. There is emerging evidence that noise pollution, especially related to the various forms of transport, is likely a contributor to the pathogenesis and aggravation of CVDs. We review key epidemiological data that address the link between excessive noise exposure and CVDs in humans and present proposed pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospital noise can adversely impact nurses' health, their cognitive function and emotion and in turn, influence the quality of patient care and patient safety. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict the contributing roles of exposure to hospital noise, staff noise-sensitivity and annoyance, on the quality of patient care. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out among nurses in an Iranian hospital. To determine nurses' noise exposure level, the noise was measured in 1510 locations across the hospital in accordance with ISO 9612 standards using KIMO DB 300/2 sound level meter and analyzer. An online survey was used to collect nurses' individual data. Study questionnaires included demographics, Weinstein noise sensitivity scale, noise annoyance scale, and quality of patient care scale. Finally, to analyze the data, Bayesian Networks (BNs), as probabilistic and graphical models, were used. Results: For the high noise exposure state, high noise sensitivity, and high annoyance, with the probability of 100%, the probability of delivering a desirable quality of patient care decreased by 21, 14, and 23%, respectively. Moreover, at the concurrently high noise exposure and high noise sensitivity with the probability of 100%, the desirable quality of patient care decreased by 26%. The Bayesian most influence value was related to the association of noise exposure and annoyance (0.636). Moreover, annoyance had the highest association with the physical aspect of quality of care (0.400) and sensitivity had the greatest association with the communication aspect (0.283). Conclusion: Annoyance induced from environmental noise and personal sensitivity affected the quality of patient care adversely. Moreover, noise and sensitivity had a separate direct adverse effect upon the quality of patient care, and their co-occurrence reduced the potential for delivering quality patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy in Europe is expected to grow at a steady, high pace, but opposition from residents to local wind farm plans is one of the obstacles to further growth. A large body of evidence shows that local populations want to be involved and respected for their concerns, but in practice, this is a complex process that cannot be solved with simple measures, such as financial compensation. The visual presence and the acoustic impact of a wind farm is an important concern for residents. Generally, environmental noise management aims to reduce the exposure of the population, usually based on acoustics and restricted to a limited number of sources (such as transportation or industry) and sound descriptors (such as Lden). Individual perceptions are taken into account only at an aggregate, statistical level (such as percentage of exposed, annoyed or sleep-disturbed persons in the population). Individual perceptions and reactions to sound vary in intensity and over different dimensions (such as pleasure/fear or distraction). Sound level is a predictor of the perceived health effects of sound, but explains only part of the reaction. The positive or negative perception of and attitude to the source of the sound is a better predictor of its effects. This article aims to show how the two perspectives (based on acoustics and on perception) can lead to a combined approach in the management of a wind farm aimed to reduce annoyance, not only on a sound level. An important aspect in this approach is what the sound means to people, leading to the following questions: is it associated with the experience of having no say in plans, does it lead to anxiety or worry and is it appropriate? The available knowledge will be applied to wind farm management, including planning as well as operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of tonal noise and task difficulty on electroencephalography (EEG) and cognitive performance. Methods. Twelve healthy volunteers participated in the present study. Four noise signals were generated by four prominence tone levels (0, 2, 5 and 9) at background noise levels of 55 dBA and frequency of 500 Hz using the Test Tone Generator from Esser Audio (USA). The participants were asked to perform the tasks with low, moderate and high levels of difficulty while exposed to the noises in an acoustics laboratory. The values of reaction time, correct rate and missed numbers were recorded during each step. Moreover, the EEG signals were measured. Results. The results showed that higher tone level and more task difficulty significantly decreased the correct rate, and increased the miss numbers. However, no significant effect was observed on reaction times. Furthermore, tone level and task difficulty significantly increased activity of the θ and β bands and decreased activity of the α band. Conclusion. Task difficulty and tone level could significantly affect the parameters of performance and the activity of EEG bands. Therefore, noise control can help sustain appropriate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban noise pollution poses significant challenges to public health and environmental sustainability, particularly in rapidly developing tourist destinations. Noise pollution and associated annoyance level in five major intersections of Cox's Bazar City, Bangladesh, was assessed in this study during the peak tourist season. Noise measurements were conducted using various indices (L 10 , L eq , and TNI) across morning, midday, and afternoon time slots. TNI scores were compared with Mean Dissatisfaction Score (MDS) standards to assess traffic-induced noise annoyance levels. Additionally, a survey of 675 respondents was conducted to assess their perceptions of noise pollution. Statistical analyses included linear regression for noise indices, multinomial logistic regression for TNI-related dissatisfaction, and ordinal logistic regression for respondents' perceived annoyances. Results revealed significant noise pollution issues, with L eq scores consistently exceeding national guidelines across all intersections and time periods, particularly on weekends during afternoon timeslots. TNI values frequently surpassed standard dissatisfaction regulations, with 19 out of 105 time slots exhibiting extreme dissatisfaction levels. Link Road and Kolatoli Circle intersections consistently showed higher noise levels and dissatisfaction. Over 95% of survey respondents perceived increased noise pollution during peak tourist seasons, with 87.11% describing it as "extremely" or "very" noisy. Longer exposure duration and awareness of health risks were significantly associated with reported perceived annoyance levels. Respondents reported various health impacts, including annoyance (84.44%), headaches (62.37%), and cognitive impairment (44.44%). This comprehensive study provides valuable insights for policymakers, city planners, and environmentalists to develop sustainable urban strategies that balance the acoustic environment with the well-being of residents and tourists alike., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: Noise sensitivity moderates the association between environmental noise exposure and annoyance and health outcomes.Methods: In normally hearing adults, we measured noise sensitivity in three ways: using the noise sensitivity questionnaire, a 3-point self-rating, and the loudness discomfort level (LDL; mean reported discomfort level for tone bursts). We then presented recordings of a 15-second 80 dBLAeq aeroplane overflight and participants rated the annoyance and loudness they experienced.Results: The three measures of noise sensitivity were not well correlated with each other, and only the overall LDL was associated with the ratings of loudness and annoyance in response to the aeroplane sounds.Conclusions: This implies that our current measures of noise sensitivity may only capture parts of the underlying construct, and therefore underestimate effects due to it on the association between environmental noise and annoyance and health outcomes. We developed a theoretical model to describe the set of factors that may influence a person's sensitivity to noise and propose that interaction between the systems described is the basis for noise sensitivity. This paradigm alters the focus of noise research from the annoyance caused by the sound, to the sensitization to noise that may occur as a result of the interplay of many factors. We hope that our model will allow research to explore the sensitizing factors for noise more easily and systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term Movida takes its name from the evening and night life of the city for their liveliness and animation. During the Movida, noise is one of the problems in the city centers due to the negative effects on the resident population. This paper reports the effects of noise due to the Movida phenomenon within the city center in southern Italy. Along the roads affected by the Movida phenomenon, the values of sound levels in dBA were measured both with fixed stations with a sound level meter and with mobile stations by wearing a noise dosimeter a participant of Movida. The measured noise levels are between 85 dBA to 90 dBA. The noise levels show that the Movida phenomenon generates disturbing conditions on the resident population with consequent conflict between club managers, patrons and residents.

Background: Chronic mental stress is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that noise annoyance-induced stress is associated with changes in renal hemodynamics. Methods: Renal hemodynamic parameters were measured using steady-state input clearance with infusion of para-aminohippuric acid and inulin in individuals with normal, high normal, and elevated blood pressure. All individuals ranked subjective annoyance due to noise in everyday life on a 7-grade Likert scale. The median of all rankings was used as a cutoff point to divide the group into noise-annoyed and non-noise-annoyed individuals. Different renal hemodynamic parameters were calculated based on the Gomez equation. Results: Noise-annoyed individuals (n = 58) showed lower renal plasma flow (599 ± 106 vs. 663 ± 124 mL/min, p = 0.009), lower renal blood flow (1,068 ± 203 vs. 1,172 ± 225 mL/min, p = 0.047), higher filtration fraction (22.7 ± 3.3 vs. 21.3 ± 3.0, p = 0.012), higher renal vascular resistance (88.9 ± 25.6 vs. 75.8 ± 22.9 mm Hg/[mL/min], p = 0.002), and higher resistance of afferent arteriole (2,439.5 ± 1,253.4 vs. 1,849.9 ± 1,242.0 dyn s−1 cm−5, p = 0.001) compared to non-noise-annoyed individuals (n = 55). There was no difference in measured glomerular filtration rate (133 ± 11.8 vs. 138 ± 15 mL/min, p = 0.181), resistance of efferent arteriole (2,419.4 ± 472.2 vs. 2,245.8 ± 370.3 dyn s−1 cm−5, p = 0.060), and intraglomerular pressure (64.0 ± 3.1 vs. 64.6 ± 3.5 mm Hg, p = 0.298) between the groups. After adjusting for age, renal plasma flow, renal blood flow, and renal vascular resistance remained significantly different between the groups, with a trend in increased afferent arteriolar resistance and filtration fraction. Conclusion: In this study, noise annoyance was associated with reduced renal perfusion attributed to increased renal vascular resistance predominantly at the afferent site. Long-term consequences of this renal hemodynamic pattern due to noise annoyance need to be investigated.

The first aim of this paper was to determine the variability in the signal characteristics and psychoacoustic data of canister-type vacuum cleaners. Fifteen vacuum cleaners with different sound power levels, provided by the manufacturers, were selected as test units to calculate their acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters. The selection of the devices was based on an even distribution of the reported sound power levels. The investigated variability in the acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters on different vacuum cleaners was discussed to derive the common characteristics of canister-type vacuum cleaner noise. The derived common characteristics were compared with the those in the available literature on the noise generation mechanisms of vacuum cleaners. Based on these characteristics, prototypical vacuum cleaner noise was defined. The second aim of this paper was to understand the annoyance perception of vacuum cleaner noise. Annoyance assessments were obtained from two sets of listening experiments. The first listening experiment was conducted to find the correlates of annoyance evaluations. Loudness, sharpness and tonal components at lower and higher frequencies were found to be dominant correlates of vacuum cleaner noise annoyance estimations. In the second listening experiment, a possible interaction between loudness and sharpness was investigated in different listening test methods. The selected loudness and sharpness values for this experiment were consistent with the observed ranges in the first part. No significant interaction between loudness and sharpness was observed, although each separately correlated significantly positively with annoyance.

Road traffic noise is one of the most prominent sources of urban noise pollution. Recently, as a result of the electrification of vehicles, lower noise levels are expected in urban areas at speeds below 50 km/h. The commonly used physical descriptor, the A-weighted sound pressure level, does not sufficiently characterize the perceived annoyance of either combustion engine or electric passenger car pass-by noises. Psychoacoustical descriptors are advantageous for characterization purposes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perceived annoyance caused by the noise from internal combustion engine, electric, and hybrid passenger cars using psychoacoustical properties. To achieve this objective, the following steps were conducted. First, the binaurally recorded sounds of 40 cars from different brands with different motorization were presented to the subjects who indicated the intensity of their perceived annoyance on a quasi-continuous scale. Second, the signal and psychoacoustical properties of the recorded sounds were analyzed. Third, a new annoyance index was developed, based on annoyance judgments and signal and psychoacoustical properties, to characterize the annoyance caused by pass-by noises. One of the novel aspects of this study is the consideration of not only the pass-by sounds of the internal combustion engine passenger cars, but also the pass-by sounds of hybrid and electric passenger cars. An acceleration from idle to a target speed of 50 km/h was selected as a traffic pass-by situation, which differs from those considered in previous studies. The results of the study show that psychoacoustical properties, such as loudness, tonality, roughness, and fluctuation strength, are very useful to characterize the annoyance perception, which is caused by single passenger car pass-by sounds in the above mentioned traffic situation. The developed index, which is a weighted combination of chosen psychoacoustical properties, can be very useful for traffic planning and traffic noise prevention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise as an environmental stressor becomes of increasing importance in our industrialized world, and especially traffic noise from the environment represents a potential novel neurodegenerative risk factor, as well as for hearing loss. A significant number of studies have been suggested that the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has a complex role in stimulation of pathologic events. Experimental studies upon molecular pathways of traffic noise exposure proposed that it increased the level of stress hormones and mediated the inflammatory and oxidative stress (OS) pathways resulting in endothelial and neuronal dysfunction. Studies have shown that neurons are especially sensitive to OS due to high polyunsaturated fatty acids content in membranes, high oxygen uptake, and weak antioxidant defense. However, OS induces the necrotic and apoptotic cell deaths in the cochlea. Chronic noise is one of the many overall reasons of obtained sensorineural hearing loss which destroys cognitive functions in human and animals, as well as suppresses neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Nevertheless, behavioral disorders caused by noise are mainly accompanied with oxidative stress, but the clear molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration due to disruption of the pro- and antioxidant systems is still not fully understood. This paper aims to highlight the down-stream pathophysiology of noise-induced mental disorders, including hearing loss, annoyance, anxiety, depression, memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease, describing the underlying mechanisms of induction of inflammation and oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at investigating aircraft noise exposure levels, their annoyance, and potential health effects among communities living within airport catchment areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both field measurements and an online survey approach were used to investigate aircraft noise exposure levels, annoyance, and general health effects among residents living near Muscat International Airport (MCT) in Muscat, Oman, amid the COVID-19 period. The study found a drastic decline in aircraft noise levels due to the introduction of COVID-19 intervention measures such as lockdowns, social distancing, and closure of airports. In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, average daily aircraft noise levels of LAeq (39.9 dB(A)) and Lmax (49.7 dB(A)) was observed compared to the previous year (April–May 2019) of 58.5 and 76.8 dB(A), indicating aircraft noise reductions level of 32% and 35%, respectively. The results of the online social survey among 187 participants showed that most (58.8%) of the respondents did not feel that the level of noise produced by aircraft causes annoyance. During the day, the vast majority of the interviewees did not complain of any annoyance during the morning (45.5%), afternoon (39.6%), and evening (31%) with only < 4% of residents have reported a very high degree of annoyance of during COVID-19 pandemic period. Very few people (17%) did complain of experiencing general health problems while 29% did not know of any potential health effects that could be attributed to aircraft noise exposures. Aircraft noise annoyance complaints among the As-Seeb residents during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic periods were reported to be extremely high reaching about 84% compared to 41% during this current COVID-19 pandemic period. These findings support the need to develop future sustainable noise mitigation policies in order to help reduce noise exposures and improve human health during post-COVID-19 pandemic periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is a cross-sectional comparative study conducted on 528 residents in the slum and non-slum areas of Pokhara, Nepal. Of the total number of respondents, 90.2% in the slums and 63.3% in the non-slums indicated the existence of a main source of noise, and 80.7% in the slums and 66.0% in the non-slums replied that they had been highly annoyed by noise. The indoor noise levels measured for 24 h were higher in slums than in non-slums, ranging from 59 to 78 dBA and from 51 to 69 dBA, respectively. The Mann–Whitney U test showed a significantly poorer status of slum dwellers in four health domains. Logistic regression analysis identified that living in a slum was a significant predictor (OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.35–4.09) of a low level of health. Meanwhile, a high level of noise annoyance was a good determinant (OR, 6.71; 95% CI, 3.13–14.36) of low quality of life among slum dwellers revealing a distinguishing negative effect of the high level of noise annoyance in the slum areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Hypersensitivity to sound and tinnitus are often co-morbid and can influence emotional well-being, hearing, sleep, concentration, cause anxiety, and interfere with speech perception in noise. Purpose: A clear measure of sensitivity to sound is important as there is dearth in standard protocol for evaluating hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus. Although there are a few questionnaires to assess hyperacusis, a direct application of these questionnaires in the Indian context would be unfavorable. Objectives: The study attempts to develop and validate an indigenous Hyperacusis Handicap Questionnaire (HHQ) for individuals with tinnitus associated with hyperacusis. Method: A total of 25 questions were considered for validation. Further, 21 questions were subdivided into three sections of seven questions each, tapping, ‘Functional,’ ‘Social,’ and ‘Emotional’ aspects of the condition. It was administered on 77 individuals with tinnitus associated with hyperacusis in the age range of 20–55 years for further validation. A total score was obtained by adding all the three sub-scales. Results: The internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined by Cronbach’s Alpha (α) was α = 0.85; and, α = 0.83 for Functional, α = 0.81 for Social, α = 0.7 for Emotional subscales suggesting that the questionnaire can be used for the assessment of handicap associated with hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus. Also, no significant difference in terms of gender and duration of tinnitus comparisons were seen. Conclusions: The obtained results suggest that HHQ will aid in the characterization and quantification of the handicap associated with hyperacusis in individuals with tinnitus.

Background: Road traffic is the main source of environmental noise in European cities and one of the main environmental risks to health and wellbeing. In this study we aimed to provide an in-depth assessment of available road traffic noise data and to estimate population exposure and health impacts for cities in Europe. Methods: We conducted the analysis for 724 cities and 25 greater cities in 25 European countries. We retrieved road traffic strategic noise maps delivered under the Environmental Noise Directive (END) or available from local sources. We assessed noise exposure using the 24 h day-evening-night noise level indicator (Lden) starting at exposure levels of 55 dB Lden – based on data availability – for the adult population aged 20 and over (n = 123,966,346). For the adults exposed to noise levels above 55 dB Lden we estimated the health impacts of compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of 53 dB Lden. Two primary health outcomes were assessed: high noise annoyance and Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), using mortality from IHD causes as indicator. Exposure Response Functions (ERFs) relating road traffic noise exposure to annoyance and IHD mortality were retrieved from the literature. Uncertainties in input parameters were propagated using Monte Carlo simulations to obtain point estimates and empirical 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Lastly, the noise maps were categorized as high, moderate and low quality following a qualitative approach. Results: Strategic noise map data was delivered in three distinct formats (i.e. raster, polygon or polyline) and had distinct noise ranges and levels of categorization. The majority of noise maps (i.e. 83.2%) were considered of moderate or low quality. Based on the data provided, almost 60 million adults were exposed to road traffic noise levels above 55 dB Lden, equating to a median of 42% (Interquartile Range (IQR): 31.8–64.8) of the adult population across the analysed cities. We estimated that approximately 11 million adults were highly annoyed by road traffic noise and that 3608 deaths from IHD (95% CI: 843–6266) could be prevented annually with compliance of the WHO recommendation. The proportion of highly annoyed adults by city had a median value of 7.6% (IQR: 5.6–11.8) across the analysed cities, while the number preventable deaths had a median of 2.2 deaths per 100,000 population (IQR: 1.4–3.1). Conclusions: Based on the provided strategic noise maps a considerable number of adults in European cities are exposed to road traffic noise levels harmful for health. Efforts to standardize the strategic noise maps and to increase noise and disease data availability at the city level are needed. These would allow for a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of the health impacts and further help local governments to address the adverse health effects of road traffic noise.

Hospital-noise levels can induce physiological responses and affect sleep quality, which could contribute to cardiovascular-related health problems. Till date, high-resolution hospital noise exposure assessment studies have not received much attention in Oman. This study aims at assessing sound pressure levels across hospital wards and intensive care unit (ICU) rooms to determine annoyance and potential health effects based on perception and risk estimates. An indoor exposure assessment using high precision noise sensors was conducted in a female medical ward (FMW), isolated ward (SLW), emergency ward (EMW), and intensive care unit (ICU) in a public hospital in Muscat city, Oman. Self-administered questionnaire was randomly distributed among respondents using both online and field survey approach to ascertain annoyance, health effects, and potential risks associated with exposure. The study found that 24-h noise levels (LAeq) ranged from 55.2 to 61.7 dB(A) in the hospital wards and ICU rooms, which exceeded WHO's hospital indoor rooms critical limit of 35 dB(A) by 58–76%. A total of 150 participants took part in the survey. Among the respondents, 53% reported moderate annoyance at the hospital wards, while 56% felt sensitivity to the noise levels. Noise annoyance was reported by the majority of the patients across the various wards and emergency rooms as causing slight annoyance (50%) and intermittent sleep disturbances (49%). The majority (73%) of the medical staff have complained that the current noise levels affect overall work performance (p = 0.004), while 70% of them have further complained of it as a cause of workplace distraction (p = 0.011). Logistic binary regression analysis has revealed that the complaint of noise sensitivity has a positive association with noise levels in VCW (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.92–2.58), and reported loss of concentration by the medical staff also associated with noise levels at the EMW (OR: 1.61; 95% CI: 0.65–4.01). Quantitative risk estimates showed that both the percentages of highly annoyed (HA) persons (16%), and highly sleep-disturbed (HSD) persons (9%) were very high in FMW, while ICU was found to have the lowest risk. However, the greater number of the respondents (87%) believed that there are possibilities of mitigating (p < 0.001) the current noise levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of urban rail transit, taking the metro train has become one of the main modes of transportation, and passengers have an increasing demand for the comfort of taking the metro trains. This paper mainly discusses the impact of noise and vibration caused by metro train on passengers. All 13 metro lines in Guangzhou, China, were selected to conduct the questionnaire survey on the subjective perception of 601 respondents. At the same time, noise and vibration measurements were carried out in the train. The results show that the distribution of noise and vibrations along the metro lines is not uniform, and 50.6% of the interviewees are disturbed by noise. Wheel-rail squeal was found to be the most annoying and disturbing noise source. Three dose-response relationships for noise, vertical vibration, and horizontal vibration are proposed, respectively. The proposed dose-response relationship can be applied to the evaluation of noise annoyance or vibration perception in an environment similar to metro lines. Once the noise or vibration level of a metro line is obtained, the noise disturbance or vibration perception can be estimated. As for the dose-response relationship of vibration perception, people's sensitivity to vibration is much lower than that to noise. Horizontal vibrations are more acceptable to passengers, while vertical vibrations are more disturbing to passengers. The results are helpful to predict the noise annoyance and vibration perception of train passengers between metro stations, and to achieve the purpose of designing effective noise and vibration reduction measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amplitude modulation increases the annoyance caused by wind turbine noise. One gets the improved annoyance when a penalty is added to the measured or calculated time-average sound level. The amplitude modulated wind turbine noise consists of pulses. Each of them could be characterized by the short timeaverage sound level and the modulation depth. The latter determines the pulse penalty. This paper shows how to calculate the improved annoyance of amplitude modulated wind turbine noise, when the short time-average sound level and the penalty for each pulse are known. A special case of identical pulses is discussed. The proposed methodology needs to be tested by research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to assess noise levels in selected outdoor and indoor microenvironments in a University community in Oman. The perception of noise levels within the Sultan Qaboos University campus was investigated through a survey study. Also, the effect of exposed noise levels on annoyance and sleep disturbance were predicted including their potential risk on cardiovascular health. Among all the measured parameters, it was found that outdoor (41.6%-50%) and indoor (38.5%-46.2%) microenvironments have exceeded the critical levels of 55 dB during morning and afternoon periods. The respondents (698 people) identified traffic and indoor building-related activities as the main sources of noise levels but the majority (44%) of them rated their impact as low. However, more than 30% of the respondents considered traffic as the main contributor to University noise levels. The percentage of highly annoyed persons was predicted to be high in outdoor areas especially in the residential (25%) and near the hospital (13%) areas. However, indoor environments including construction materials and structures labs (14%) showed similar annoyance rates. Also, the percentage of high sleep disturbed persons was found higher in residential areas (7.4%) areas compared to hospital areas (5.3%) locations. The study concluded that there might be an association between the exposed noise levels and the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This is the first study that has provided a high spatial variability noise exposure levels across a University environment in Oman, this will contribute to designing future sustainable mitigation strategies to improve the health and well-being of the exposed population. The study has provided a baseline knowledge needed for future epidemiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise annoyance is a sensitive indicator of adverse noise effects and by itself means that noise affects people's quality of life. In fact, the acoustic environment has been neglected during the education of building engineers and architects relative to the thermal and lighting aspects addressed in education programs. This study aimed to investigate various non-acoustic factors on the annoyance caused by environmental noise in residential apartments. The surveys were conducted in Iran, the city of Tabriz in October and November 2019. This research is descriptive-analytical and the type of research is correlational and causal. The statistical population of this study has formed the residents of different towers of Aseman-e Tabriz Residential Complex, which was selected as the sample size by using 373 Cochran's formula. The way of selecting the sample was simple random sampling. The validity of the questionnaire has been confirmed by the professors and the reliability of the questionnaire has been obtained using Cronbach's special alpha formula for the variables in total equal to 0.857, and the variables of the situational section 0.902. Among all variables of the study, only four variables of fear with the 12.93% of variance changes, sensitivity to noise with the 11.85%, health issues of the residents with the 12.25%, satisfaction with the quality of construction, and insulation with the 12.53% were the main factors influencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, noise pollution from substations in urban areas is becoming more and more serious. An annoyance evaluation of the noise emitted by urban substations is presented. First, the subjective evaluation is conducted on the noise samples from urban substations via the semantic differential method. Subsequently, according to the typical characteristics of urban substation noise, 14 acoustical metrics are used to describe the noise samples for objective evaluation. Then the correlation analysis and regression analysis between the objective and subjective evaluation results are carried out. Finally, a regression model for urban substation noise evaluation is established. Practical application shows that the regression model can correctly predict the subjective annoyance of urban substation noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factors related to the working environment (e.g. inadequate lighting, excessive noise, poor condition of premises) contribute to neglect in the work of medical personnel, while also causing health effects in their body. This article presents the results of the assessment of working conditions in workplaces at selected medical facilities in Poland. This assessment was based on survey results. The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire among more than 300 physicians, nurses and diagnostic laboratory staff. The average grading of noise annoyance in workplaces on a scale from 0 to 10 was 2.77, and therefore noise was assessed as a slight inconvenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Noise levels on intensive care units (ICUs) are typically elevated. While many studies reported negative effects of ICU ambient sounds on patients, only few investigated noise as a factor to influence well-being or performance in healthcare professionals. Methods An online survey in the German-speaking part of Switzerland was conducted to assess how ICU soundscapes are subjectively perceived by healthcare professionals. The questionnaire was answered by 348 participants. Additionally, effects of noise on working memory performance were evaluated in an experimental noise exposure setting. Twenty-six healthcare professionals and 27 healthy controls performed a 2-back object-location task while being exposed to either ICU or pink noise. Results Survey results demonstrate that a majority of participants was aware of heightened noise levels. Participants reported that mostly well-being, performance, and attention could be reduced, along with subjective annoyance and fatigue by ICU ambient sounds. Although no significant effects of noise exposure on working memory performance was observed, self-assessments revealed significantly higher stress levels, increased annoyance and distraction ratings as well as decreased confidence in performance after ICU-noise exposure. Conclusion Subjective assessments indicate that heightened noise levels on ICUs induce annoyance, with heightened stress levels, impaired well-being, and reduced performance being potential consequences. Empirical evidence with objective and physiological measures is warranted.