Abstract
Urban noise pollution is an emerging public health concern in growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but the sound environment in SSA cities is understudied. We leveraged a large-scale measurement campaign to characterize the spatial and temporal patterns of measured sound levels and sound sources in Accra, Ghana. We measured sound levels and recorded audio clips at 146 representative locations, involving 7-days (136 locations) and 1-year measurements between 2019 and 2020. We calculated metrics of noise levels and intermittency and analyzed audio recordings using a pre-trained neural network to identify sources. Commercial, business, and industrial areas and areas near major roads had the highest median daily sound levels (LAeq24hr: 69 dBA and 72 dBA) and the lowest percentage of intermittent sound; the vice-versa was found for peri urban areas. Road-transport sounds dominated the overall sound environment but mixtures of other sound sources, including animals, human speech, and outdoor music, dominated in various locations and at different times. Environmental noise levels in Accra exceeded both international and national health-based guidelines. Detailed information on the acoustical environmental quality (including sound levels and types) in Accra may guide environmental policy formulation and evaluation to improve the health of urban residents.
Highlights
Urban noise pollution is an emerging public health concern in growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but the sound environment in SSA cities is understudied
The median daily A-weighted equivalent continuous sound level (LAeq24hr) across the GAMA was 62 dBA (interquartile range (IQR): 58, 67) and 66 dBA (IQR: 61, 70) in Accra Metropolitan Area (AMA) from measurements conducted at 136 locations for weeklong periods
We found that the median Intermittency Ratio in the GAMA, which expresses the amount of intermittent sound in a defined period of time, was ~ 50% for both the day and night-time (Table 1), when a fixed cutoff of Scientific Reports | (2021) 11:11113 |
Summary
Urban noise pollution is an emerging public health concern in growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but the sound environment in SSA cities is understudied. Though urban living can remarkably improve livelihood and health through increased access to urban infrastructure, technology, and services, environmental exposures in cities can erode these health benefits and worsen the quality of life of urban residents 2 This is the case in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), currently the world’s fastest urbanizing region 1. In SSA urban settings where there are potentially diverse sources of community sound, information about daily, weekly, and seasonal patterns will help identify appropriate interventions to mitigate noise and promote acoustic environments that can enhance health and well-being (e.g., nature sounds) 25–28. We combined sound level measurements with audio recordings to descriptively characterize the levels and diversity of sound sources over spatial and temporal strata in the West African city of Accra, Ghana, with a large-scale and comprehensive field campaign from combined weeklong (136 ‘rotating’ sites) and yearlong (10 ‘fixed’ sites) measurements. This work was nested within the “Pathways to Equitable Healthy Cities” study (http://equitablehealthycities.or.g/), which aims to identify and put into action equitable and healthy urban development and revitalization pathways in six cities on four continents
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