Abstract
Noise pollution is the second most harmful environmental stressor in Europe. Portugal is the fourth European country most affected by noise pollution, whereby 23.0% of the population is affected. This article aims to analyze the effects of exposure to low frequency noise pollution, emitted by power poles and power lines, on the population’s well-being, based on a study of “exposed” and “unexposed” individuals in two predominantly urban areas in north-western Portugal. To develop the research, we used sound level (n = 62) and sound recording measurements, as well as adapted audiometric test performance (n = 14) and surveys conducted with the resident population (n = 200). The sound levels were measured (frequency range between 10 to 160 Hz) and compared with a criterion curve developed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The sound recorded was performed 5 m away from the source (400 kV power pole). Surveys were carried out with the “exposed” and “unexposed” populations, and adapted audiometric tests were performed to complement the analysis and to determine the threshold of audibility of “exposed” and “unexposed” volunteers. The “exposed” area has higher sound levels and, consequently, more problems with well-being and health than the “unexposed” population. The audiometric tests also revealed that the “exposed” population appears to be less sensitive to low frequencies than the “unexposed” population.
Highlights
At an international level, there are many studies on health impacts due to occupational and environmental exposure to noise
It should be emphasized that the analysis focused on the most important variables that were most closely related to noise pollution
The data shows that the “exposed” group revealed being used to low frequency noise, and corroborates the results shown in Figure 6; Figure 7, which clearly illustrates
Summary
There are many studies on health impacts due to occupational and environmental exposure to noise. This article aims to analyze the impacts of low frequency sound pollution, emitted by power poles and power lines, in two predominantly urban areas of the municipality of Guimarães (north-western Portugal), from the objective approaches (noise level and sound recording measurements) and the subjective assessment of noise discomfort (distributing surveys to the resident population and adapted audiometric test performance). It considers objective evaluation parameters (noise level measurement), but it takes into account the perception of discomfort obtained from the surveys and the audiometric tests adapted to low frequencies This type of study can contribute to the formulation of public policies in terms of installing power poles and power lines in residential areas.
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