Abstract
Low-frequency noise may create specific perceptions, which might cause various health effects. The present study aimed to identify exposure–response relationships between low-frequency noise and perceptions by re-analysing an experimental study. We investigated the predominant perceptions of ‘feeling bothered’ and ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’ using multivariate logistic regression analysis. A significant interaction between 1/3 octave-band sound pressure level and frequency was indicated for ‘feeling bothered’ but not ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’, suggesting that the ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’ does not originate in cochlear. A mathematical model indicating resonance at approximately 50 Hz fitted the results well. A frequency weighting derived from the mathematical model could be applied to broad-band low-frequency noise to evaluate the perception and health effects. However, further investigations on the weighting for the perception are necessary because the results were obtained only from the existing study.
Highlights
The health effects of environmental noise containing predominant low-frequency components are of great importance in public health.[1]
The leading health effect caused by the low-frequency noise is sleep disturbance, which is quite different from awakening reactions led by intermittent and loud noise events often from transportation sources.[2,3]
By employing multivariate logistic regression for existing experimental results, we demonstrated relationships among the 1/ 3 octave-band sound pressure level, frequency and the predominant perceptions of ‘feeling bothered’ and ‘feeling of pressure and/or vibration’ due to low-frequency noise
Summary
The health effects of environmental noise containing predominant low-frequency components (low-frequency noise) are of great importance in public health.[1] An increasing number of sound sources such as wind turbines, fans, and compressors that emit low-frequency noise have been introduced in recent years to effectively utilise energy, because of which, more and more residents around the noise sources complain of health problems characterised as sleep disturbance, headache, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus and nausea. Studies on the effects of wind turbine noise on sleep using objective outcomes have suggested that it is less severe for subjects who have already slept,[4,5] while a metaanalysis on subjective sleep disturbance identified a significant relationship between noise exposure and sleep disturbance.[6] studies on relationships between wind turbine noise, annoyance and sleep disturbance have suggested that sleep disturbance caused by the noise is mediated by annoyance.[7] Sleep disturbance, which can lead to mild environmental sleep disorder,[8,9] should be separated from mere psychological effects such as annoyance; subjective outcomes
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