Ecological assessment of acoustic pollution of the city of Lviv and the effec-tiveness of noise measures

Abstract

Anthropogenic and functional heterogeneities of urban landscapes contribute to the formation of local noise load centers. In cities, the acoustic background is multifactorial, that is, it is covered by different types of noise sources. However, the growth of traffic in cities is the first reason for the increase in noise pollution. Real-time studies of the traffic load of selected areas of the city, their acoustic load and the effectiveness of implemented noise protection devices (installation of noise protection screens) were conducted. The areas where the noise load of urban landscapes of Lviv was determined were selected taking into account the combination of different types of noise (automotive, automotive-railway, industrial-automotive) and the evaluation of the effectiveness of noise protection devices implemented nearby. Environmental assessment of the noise load of urban landscapes of Lviv showed in most cases that the equivalent and maximum noise levels were exceeded. The greatest noise pollution was on the street. The source level at the time of train movement is 88.2 dBA. For sections 1 and 2 (Lypinsky Str.), where automobile noise dominates, the exceedance of acoustic norms was within 7.5–13.4 dBA. For these areas, the average daily traffic load was determined to be 436 and 302 cars/hour, with the share of passenger cars of 73.2 and 79.6 %, respectively, of the total traffic flow. Modern urban planning should take into account noise pollution on a par with other factors of anthropogenic influence and visual aesthetics, because the constant noise background determines the degree of suitability of the urban landscape for living. The most common noise protection measures in residential areas are the use of construction and acoustic means and the formation of a system of green spaces. On the Lypynskyi Str., the efficiency of the installed noise protection screen in the form of a polycarbonate wall was 20 %, while on the Grabovsky St. noise protection screen of the “Green Wall” type – 23 %. The use of green spaces is also effective, which reduced the noise background by 16% on site 2 (Lypinsky Str. – Chornovola Ave.). For the city of Lviv, there is a need to conduct noise monitoring of the city and create a noise map.