Assessment of noise pollution from electricity generators in a high-density residential area

Abstract

Noise pollution associated with household electricity generators is an emerging environmental degradation in many developing nations. The aim of this study is to evaluate noise pollution from the use of household electricity generators in a high-density residential area. A survey was conducted with 302 households who participated as respondents, and the procedure adopted noise measurements and a descriptive survey. Measured noise levels were compared with levels allowed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The average noise level of 97.60 dB obtained exceeded the WHO value of 50 dB allowed for residential areas. There was a significant test difference (p < 0.05) in the means and variances of the noise level in the study area and the WHO standard. A principal component analysis (PCA) version of factor analysis was used to assess the respondents’ attitudes on the machines’ usage. There was a significant Bartlett's sphericity test difference (p < 0.05) in the residents’ perceptions. The respondents identified various factors arising from noise pollution to include social and health effects, awareness of the impact of noise pollution from electricity generating sets, and the need for government intervention, among others. This makes it imperative for the environmental regulatory authorities to be proactive on compliance and to create awareness on noise pollution control programmes. Increased power generation is also sought to reduce the use of electricity generators and thus lower noise pollution from this source.