High Annoyance Research Articles

Warning sound generation system of an electric vehicle system

Electric Vehicles (EV) generate sound pressure lower than internal combustion engines(ICE) at low speed. Pedestrians familiar with internal combustion engines are difficult to recognize such a quite vehicles. Therefore, an additional warning sound generator is required. The warning sound must have high detectability and low annoyance to pedestrians, while complying with legislation for warning sound of various countries. In this paper, we design the electric sound with detectability and low-annoyance. An active generation system is also designed based on active sound design and in attached in the electeic vehicle to generate this sound. The sound is validated with subjective test in the running condition on the road.

Some practical difficulties in assessing community response to low-amplitude sonic booms

NASA Langley Research Center has been engaged for several years in planning tests of public acceptance of exposure to low-amplitude sonic booms that will be created by its Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) X-plane design. Estimation of a dosage-response relationship for the prevalence of high annoyance with sonic booms is a key part of this testing. The need to credibly assess prompt, single-event responses within carpet boom corridors extending along hundreds of miles of flight tracks and their linkage to sonic boom sound levels at respondents' homes is a large part of the challenge of establishing such a relationship. As many as tens of thousands of contact attempts and thousands of completed interviews must be achieved within short time periods. Conventional social survey approaches to measuring cumulative noise exposure and the prevalence of high annoyance in airport environs are ill-suited to such purposes. ADS-B-based, Internet-enabled flight tracking and impulse noise measurement, as well as high speed interviewing methods, are currently under investigation as potential solutions to difficulties in synchronizing interviews with arrival times of shock waves at residences of exposed populations.

The effects of neighborhood views containing multiple environmental features on road traffic noise perception at dwellings.

The importance of non-acoustical factors including the type of visual environment on human noise perception becomes increasingly recognized. In order to reveal the relationships between long-term noise annoyance and different types of neighborhood views, 2033 questionnaire responses were collected for studying the effect of perceptions of different combinations of views of sea, urban river, greenery, and/or noise barrier on the annoyance responses from residents living in high-rise apartments in Hong Kong. The collected responses were employed to formulate a multivariate model to predict the probability of invoking a high annoyance response from residents. Results showed that views of sea, urban river, or greenery could lower the probability, while views of noise barrier could increase the probability. Views of greenery had a stronger noise moderation capability than views of sea or urban river. The presence of an interaction effect between views of water and views of noise barrier exerted a negative influence on the noise annoyance moderation capability. The probability due to exposure to an environment containing views of noise barriers and urban rivers would be even higher than that due to exposure to an environment containing views of noise barriers alone.

How Children Perceive the Acoustic Environment of Their School.

Objective:Children’s own ratings and opinions on their schools sound environments add important information on noise sources. They can also provide information on how to further improve and optimize children’s learning situation in their classrooms. This study reports on the Swedish translation and application of an evidence-based questionnaire that measures how children perceive the acoustic environment of their school.Study Design:The Swedish version was made using a back-to-back translation. Responses on the questionnaire along with demographic data were collected for 149 children aged 9–13 years of age.Results:The Swedish translation of the questionnaire can be reduced from 93 to 27 items. The 27 items were distributed over five separate factors measuring different underlying constructs with high internal consistency and high inter-item correlations. The responses demonstrated that the dining hall/canteen and the corridors are the school spaces with the poorest listening conditions. The highest annoyance was reported for tests and reading; next, student-generated sounds occur more frequently within the classroom than any sudden unexpected sounds, and finally, road traffic noise and teachers in adjoining classrooms are the most frequently occurring sounds from outside the classroom. Several demographic characteristics could be used to predict the outcome on these factors.Conclusion:The findings suggest that crowded spaces are most challenging; the children themselves generate most of the noise inside the classroom, but it is also common to hear road traffic noise and teachers in adjoining classrooms. The extent of annoyance that noise causes depends on the task but seems most detrimental in tasks, wherein the demands of verbal processing are higher. Finally, children with special support seem to report that they are more susceptible to noise than the typical child.

Annoyance due to railway noise before and after the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line

The development of the Shinkansen railway network in Japan has continued since 1964; however, associated noise and vibration have seriously affected communities located beside the lines. The Kyushu Shinkansen Line (KSL) was opened in 2011 and a second temporary conventional railway line (STL) was operated in 2012. The purpose of this study was to compare community responses to railway noise and vibration before and after the opening of these two lines. Socio-acoustic surveys were performed in Kumamoto from 2009 to 2012, where the conventional and Shinkansen lines are adjacent. The noise and vibration exposures were increased slightly after the opening of the KSL but decreased slightly after the opening of the STL. When multiple logistic regression analysis was applied using highly annoyed/annoyed as the dependent variable and using day–evening–night sound level (Lden) and a dummy variable of before or after the opening of the KSL as independent variables, high annoyance was not changed significantly but moderate annoyance decreased significantly following the opening. There was no significant difference in either high or moderate annoyance between the periods before and after the opening of the STL.

Study on Noise Characteristics of Facility Equipment and Subjective Responses

For a house to maintain the standards of a quiet residential environment, it is necessary to reduce not only inter-floor noise delivered from neighboring houses but internal noise sources as well. Currently, noise measures on facility and equipment have been established in apartment houses in South Korea. This study aimed to provide foundational data needed to provide institutional standards on facility noise in apartments. Thus, this study analyzed noise level and acoustical parameters (loudness, sharpness, and roughness) with regard to noises from hoods and boilers in kitchens. This study also studied an annoyance rating, which was a subjective response to the noise, using 36 subjects. It also quantified a subjective response by calculating a %HA (percentage of highly annoyed) according to the maximum noise level from a boiler and kitchen hood, and a mean value of annoyance. No significant difference between the two rating scales was found.

Short-term annoyance reactions to stationary and time-varying wind turbine and road traffic noise: A laboratory study.

Current literature suggests that wind turbine noise is more annoying than transportation noise. To date, however, it is not known which acoustic characteristics of wind turbines alone, i.e., without effect modifiers such as visibility, are associated with annoyance. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate and compare the short-term noise annoyance reactions to wind turbines and road traffic in controlled laboratory listening tests. A set of acoustic scenarios was created which, combined with the factorial design of the listening tests, allowed separating the individual associations of three acoustic characteristics with annoyance, namely, source type (wind turbine, road traffic), A-weighted sound pressure level, and amplitude modulation (without, periodic, random). Sixty participants rated their annoyance to the sounds. At the same A-weighted sound pressure level, wind turbine noise was found to be associated with higher annoyance than road traffic noise, particularly with amplitude modulation. The increased annoyance to amplitude modulation of wind turbines is not related to its periodicity, but seems to depend on the modulation frequency range. The study discloses a direct link of different acoustic characteristics to annoyance, yet the generalizability to long-term exposure in the field still needs to be verified.

Exposure to wind turbine noise: Perceptual responses and reported health effects.

Health Canada, in collaboration with Statistics Canada, and other external experts, conducted the Community Noise and Health Study to better understand the impacts of wind turbine noise (WTN) on health and well-being. A cross-sectional epidemiological study was carried out between May and September 2013 in southwestern Ontario and Prince Edward Island on 1238 randomly selected participants (606 males, 632 females) aged 18-79 years, living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from operational wind turbines. Calculated outdoor WTN levels at the dwelling reached 46 dBA. Response rate was 78.9% and did not significantly differ across sample strata. Self-reported health effects (e.g., migraines, tinnitus, dizziness, etc.), sleep disturbance, sleep disorders, quality of life, and perceived stress were not related to WTN levels. Visual and auditory perception of wind turbines as reported by respondents increased significantly with increasing WTN levels as did high annoyance toward several wind turbine features, including the following: noise, blinking lights, shadow flicker, visual impacts, and vibrations. Concern for physical safety and closing bedroom windows to reduce WTN during sleep also increased with increasing WTN levels. Other sample characteristics are discussed in relation to WTN levels. Beyond annoyance, results do not support an association between exposure to WTN up to 46 dBA and the evaluated health-related endpoints.

Estimating annoyance to calculated wind turbine shadow flicker is improved when variables associated with wind turbine noise exposure are considered.

The Community Noise and Health Study conducted by Health Canada included randomly selected participants aged 18-79 yrs (606 males, 632 females, response rate 78.9%), living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from operational wind turbines. Annoyance to wind turbine noise (WTN) and other features, including shadow flicker (SF) was assessed. The current analysis reports on the degree to which estimating high annoyance to wind turbine shadow flicker (HAWTSF) was improved when variables known to be related to WTN exposure were also considered. As SF exposure increased [calculated as maximum minutes per day (SFm)], HAWTSF increased from 3.8% at 0 ≤ SFm < 10 to 21.1% at SFm ≥ 30, p < 0.0001. For each unit increase in SFm the odds ratio was 2.02 [95% confidence interval: (1.68,2.43)]. Stepwise regression models for HAWTSF had a predictive strength of up to 53% with 10% attributed to SFm. Variables associated with HAWTSF included, but were not limited to, annoyance to other wind turbine-related features, concern for physical safety, and noise sensitivity. Reported dizziness was also retained in the final model at p = 0.0581. Study findings add to the growing science base in this area and may be helpful in identifying factors associated with community reactions to SF exposure from wind turbines.

Work Related Stress and Work - Family Interference as a Predictor of Support from Work and Home: A Study amongst Women Employees of Indian Railways

Work Related Stress and Work - Family Interference (WRS & WFI) gives high annoyance to work life and family life. In these circumstances Support from Work and Home (SWH) is vital for working people. This study aims at determining and establishing a relationship between WRS & WFI and SWH among women employees in Indian southern railways. The study employs the, Carlson - Perrew's WRS, Carlson - Kacmar - Wayne's WFI and Nora Madjar - Greg - Oldham and Michael G. Pratt ‘s SWH inventories to quantify WRS & WFI and SWH levels respectively. The sample consists of 172 women employees in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India. Various statistical implements have been used to interpret the data. The study finds that there is a positive relationship between SWH and factors that constitute the WRS & WFI.

Annoyance Caused by Noise and Air Pollution during Pregnancy: Associated Factors and Correlation with Outdoor NO2 and Benzene Estimations.

This study aimed to describe the degree of annoyance among pregnant women in a Spanish cohort and to examine associations with proximity to traffic, NO2 and benzene exposure. We included 2457 participants from the Spanish Childhood and Environment study. Individual exposures to outdoor NO2 and benzene were estimated, temporally adjusted for pregnancy. Interviews about sociodemographic variables, noise and air pollution were carried out. Levels of annoyance were assessed using a scale from 0 (none) to 10 (strong and unbearable); a level of 8 to 10 was considered high. The reported prevalence of high annoyance levels from air pollution was 11.2% and 15.0% from noise; the two variables were moderately correlated (0.606). Significant correlations between NO2 and annoyance from air pollution (0.154) and that from noise (0.181) were observed. Annoyance owing to noise and air pollution had a low prevalence in our Spanish population compared with other European populations. Both factors were associated with proximity to traffic. In multivariate models, annoyance from air pollution was related to NO2, building age, and country of birth; annoyance from noise was only related to the first two. The health burden of these exposures can be increased by stress caused by the perception of pollution sources.

Health and well-being related to wind turbine noise exposure: Summary of results

This paper summarizes the results of the Health Canada Wind Turbine Noise and Health Study. One participant between the ages of 18–79 years was randomly selected from each household. The final sample included 1238 participates (606 males) living between 0.25 and 11.22 km from wind turbines. The response rate was 78.9% and did not significantly vary across sampling strata or between provinces. Wind turbine noise (WTN) exposure was not found to be related to hair cortisol concentrations, resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, or any of the measured sleep parameters. Self-reported results obtained through an in-person questionnaire do not provide support for an association between increasing WTN levels and self-reported sleep disturbance, use of sleep medication, or diagnosed sleep disorders. Similarly, no significant association was found between WTN levels and self-reported migraines, tinnitus, dizziness, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, perceived stress, or any measure of quality of life. Statistically significant exposure-response relationships were observed between increasing WTN levels and an increase in the prevalence of long term high annoyance towards several wind turbine features, including: noise, shadow-flicker, visual impacts, and vibrations. The influence of background noise on annoyance and the association between WTN annoyance and other reported and measured outcomes is presented.

State resistance of the mosquito Culex pipiens towards temephos central Morocco

In Morocco, Culex pipiens plays a role in the high annoyance experienced by most urban cities, suburban and rural areas, especially since it was strongly suspected as the most likely vector in the transmission of West Nile virus epidemics that have hit Morocco in 1996. Chemical insecticides are generally the way in which they use the programs against harmful mosquitoes and disease vectors. However, the repeated and excessive use of these products regularly led to the emergence of the phenomenon of insect resistance. At the center of Morocco, information on the susceptibility or resistance to insecticides in mosquitoes (larvae and adults) vectors of diseases or pests, are almost nonexistent. This article reports the results of studies conducted between 2007 and 2010 with sensitivity tests WHO on larvae local populations of Culex pipiens collected in three lodging in the city of Fez, towards the insecticide mostly used by hygienic services: temephos. Five concentrations of insecticide (0.0025 mg/l, 0.005 mg/l, 0.0125 mg/l, 0.025 mg/l, 0.0625 mg/l) in addition to control, were used to determine the LC50 and LC 90 of Culex pipiens species towards temephos. Sensitivity tests were carried out at the entomology unit and monitoring of insect sensitivity towards insecticides installed at the Regional Diagnostic Laboratory Epidemiological and Environmental Hygiene (LRDEHM), Fez, under the Regional Directorate of Health in Fes Boulemane Region. The LC50 and LC90, concentrations corresponding to 50 and 90% mortality were determined graphically, by the linear relationship between the decimal logarithm of insecticide concentrations (x-axis) and the percentage of mortality transformed into probit values (ordinate) on logarithmic gausso paper. Resistance rates were determined on the basis of the sensitivity of a reference strain (S-Lab). The bioassay results affirmed the presence of resistance in larvae Culex pipiens towards temephos and that this species has also equally developed resistance levels similar and comparable in the three lodging studied, resistance rates recorded varying between 12.17 and 14.34. Facing such a situation, the surveillance of susceptibility of mosquitoes to insecticides used in mosquito control and anti-malarial fight has become imperative. This would undoubtedly allow a good management of the products available and consequently to adopt suitable measures for the best management of this resistance which must be an integral part of any program of vector control.

Calculation model of road traffic noise annoyance rate in urban areas

This paper presents a calculation model for road traffic annoyance based on traffic flow counting, road traffic noise emission measures and public surveys held in the urban area of inner Budapest, Hungary. Based on the research results a new model for the rate of highly annoyed of road traffic noise annoyance was determined, the subjective response of a person to road traffic noise emissions. Exposure to high road traffic noise may deteriorate everyday life and human well-being especially in urban areas with high traffic flow. With the model developed the rate of high annoyance can be predicted for urban traffic circumstances, for a given noise level. This prediction may help authorities to decide whether a road traffic noise complaint is justified or not and whether further measurements are necessary.

Railway noise annoyance: exposure-response relationships and testing a theoretical model by structural equation analysis.

In some regions the exposure to railway noise is extremely concentrated, which may lead to high residential annoyance. Nonacoustical factors contribute to these reactions, but there is limited evidence on the interrelations between the nonacoustical factors that influence railway noise annoyance. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine exposure-response relationships between long-term railway noise exposure and annoyance in a region severely affected by railway noise and (2) to determine a priori proposed interrelations between nonacoustical factors by structural equation analysis. Residents (n = 320) living close to railway tracks in the Middle Rhine Valley completed a socio-acoustic survey. Individual noise exposure levels were calculated by an acoustical simulation model for this area. The derived exposure-response relationships indicated considerably higher annoyance at the same noise exposure level than would have been predicted by the European Union standard curve, particularly for the night-time period. In the structural equation analysis, 72% of the variance in noise annoyance was explained by the noise exposure (L(den)) and nonacoustical variables. The model provides insights into several causal mechanisms underlying the formation of railway noise annoyance considering indirect and reciprocal effects. The concern about harmful effects of railway noise and railway traffic, the perceived control and coping capacity, and the individual noise sensitivity were the most important factors that influence noise annoyance. All effects of the nonacoustical factors on annoyance were mediated by the perceived control and coping capacity and additionally proposed indirect effects of the theoretical model were supported by the data.

Noise annoyance due to construction worksites.

Noise pollution can contribute to adverse health effects in humans. Noise annoyance and related problems, caused by noise emission during the progress of building construction, have become increasingly important. These problems can influence the exposed workers, as well as vicinity residents. The goal of the present study was to assess the noise annoyance due to noise from construction worksites among residents of Hamadan City (west of Iran). In this cross-sectional study, 20 construction worksites and 140 near vicinity residents were selected. The main sources of construction worksite noise were diesel power generators, cutting and welding processes, heavy machinery (such as trucks) and transport of materials. Ambient noise levels were measured using a calibrated sound level meter, at each home of the residents included in the study. A noise annoyance questionnaire was employed for annoyance assessment. The majority of subjects had very high annoyance (87.1%). The mean and SD of ambient levels were 74.57±7.12 dB (A) which exceeded the acceptable recommended level for residential areas. The most common problems among the participants were disturbance in sleep, difficulty in reading and distraction. Results showed significant relationship between noise annoyance and some factors including residing which floors had highest annoyance (F=13.22, P<0.001) and ambient noise (F=11.313, P<0.001). High levels of noise annoyance among near vicinity residents who are affected by construction activities. This means that construction activities and other noise related sources should be regarded as the major source of ambient noise leading to noise annoyance.

Relationships among near-real time and end-of-day judgments of the annoyance of sonic booms

A recent social survey of the annoyance of low amplitude sonic booms included both prompt and delayed-response questions about the annoyance of sonic booms heard by respondents in the home over the course of two weeks. Interviews were conducted via smartphone with 49 voluntary test participants. Most of the prompt annoyance judgments were made within about a minute of notice of a sonic boom. The delayed response judgments were solicited in the evening, at a time of the respondent’s choosing. Prior analyses showed that dosage-response relationships between the prevalence of high annoyance and sonic boom amplitude were well predicted by CTL analysis. The current analyses investigated how individual, within-day, prompt annoyance judgments were related to end-of-day judgments of the annoyance of sonic booms. Preliminary analyses suggest that end-of-day annoyance judgments are not simply a linear sum or averaging of the annoyances of individual sonic booms.

Soziale Ungleichheit von Lärmbelästigung und Straßenverkehrsbelastung

To study the associations of annoyance to noise and exposure to residential traffic with sociodemographic, socioeconomic and regional characteristics as well as housing conditions, a population-based sample of 7,988 adults 18–79 years of age was studied in the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Adults (DEGS1). Annoyance to noise and exposure to residential traffic were assessed by self-administered questionnaires. A total of 6.3 % of the participants reported a high to very high exposure to residential traffic noise, 3.7 % to neighbourhood noise and 2.1 % to aircraft noise. An excessive exposure to residential traffic was reported by 21.3 % of the participants. A high annoyance to traffic and neighborhood noise was associated with a lower equivalised disposable income and poor housing conditions. Additionally annoyance to neighborhood noise was associated with low socioeconomic and occupational status. A high annoyance to aircraft noise was only associated with a low equivalised disposable income and living in apartment blocks. Exposure to residential traffic was associated with all investigated indicators. At present in Germany environmental exposures are social unequally distributed and may lead to negative health consequences in social disadvantaged groups. An English full-text version of this article is available at SpringerLink as supplemental.

Annoyance evaluation and the effect of noise on the health of bus drivers

In the present study, we evaluated annoyance and the effects of noise on the health of bus drivers. For that, 200 bus drivers from a public transport company participated in a cross-sectional study. Annoyance and effects on health was measured with analog scale: Sleep quality, occurrence of tinnitus, headache, irritation, and annoyance from bus engine, traffic, and passengers. Data of age and working time of bus drivers also were obtained. For noise exposure, LA eq was evaluated in 80 buses. Statistical analysis consisted of mean, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum, Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Dunn, one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results indicate three groups of bus drivers (not annoyed: (N.A.), a little annoyed (L.A.) and highly annoyed (H.A.)). The group H.A. was younger and with less working time in relation to others, with a significant difference only for age. Regarding sleep quality, there was no significant difference. For results on the occurrence of tinnitus, headache and irritation after work, group H.A. had significantly higher means. Result of annoyance to the bus engine was significantly higher in H.A. than in L.A. and N.A. Annoyance to traffic and passengers, no significant differences were found, but the highest results were found for L.A., followed by H.A. and N.A. Equivalent sound pressure level in buses was above of the limit for occupational comfort. It was concluded that bus drivers has considerable level of noise annoyance and some health effects are perceived. The noise is a factor discomfort ergonomic that may cause effects on health of bus drivers. This study aims to evaluate annoyance and the effects of noise on the health of bus drivers. Cross-sectional study with buses and bus drivers. For that, 200 bus drivers from a public transport company participated in a cross-sectional study. Annoyance and effects on health was measured with analog scale: Sleep quality, occurrence of tinnitus, headache, irritation and annoyance from bus engine, traffic, and passengers. Data of age and working time of bus drivers also were obtained. For noise exposure, LA eq was evaluated in 80 buses. Statistical analysis consisted of mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum, Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Dunn, one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results indicate three groups of bus drivers (N.A., a L.A. and H.A.). The group H.A. was younger and with less working time in relation to others, with a significant difference only for age. Regarding sleep quality, there was no significant difference. For results on the occurrence of tinnitus, headache and irritation after work, group H.A. had significantly higher means. Result of annoyance to the bus engine was significantly higher in H.A. than in L.A. and N.A. Annoyance to traffic and passengers, no significant differences were found, but the highest results were found for L.A., followed by H.A. and N.A. Equivalent sound pressure level in buses was above of the limit for occupational comfort. It was concluded that bus drivers has considerable level of noise annoyance and some health effects are perceived.

Survey of blackfly (Diptera: Simuliidae) annoyance levels and abundance along the Vaal and Orange Rivers, South Africa

Blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) are pests in the livestock and labour-intensive farming systems along the major rivers in South Africa. Since 1995, blackflies have been controlled in the Orange River with the larvicide Bacillus thuringienses var. israelensis (Bti). During 2006-2007, the views of livestock farmers concerning blackfly annoyance were determined by means of questionnaires. The results of the questionnaires were substantiated by seasonal abundance surveys of the sub-adult stages of blackflies, conducted in 2007 at 13 sites in the Orange River and 11 sites in the Vaal River. More than half (52%) of the 39 participating farmers along the Orange River and 79% of the 52 participating farmers along the Vaal River stated that they experienced severe blackfly problems. The majority of farmers were unaware of the availability of products that could be used to protect their animals against blackfly attacks and were willing to be involved in blackfly research. High numbers of blackfly sub-adult stages found in both rivers supported the high annoyance levels reported by the respondents. Simulium chutteri, Simulium damnosum s.l., Simulium hargreavesi, Simulium adersi and Simulium alcocki were identified at Christiana and Delportshoop on the Vaal River, whilst S. chutteri, S. damnosum s.l., S. adersi, S. alcocki and Simulium gariepense were identified at Marksdrift and Ses Bridge on the Orange River. Despite the extensive control of blackflies, farmers still experience problems and this contention is supported by surveys conducted along the rivers.