Source-based subjective responses to sleep disturbance from transportation noise. (July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Douglas, O.; Murphy, E.
• Is Part Of: Environment international. Volume 92/93(2016:Jul.)
• Page Start: 450
• Page End: 456
• Publication Date: 2016-07
• Subjects: Environmental protection -- Periodicals; Environmental health -- Periodicals; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental Monitoring -- Periodicals; Environnement -- Protection -- Périodiques; Hygiène du milieu -- Périodiques; Environnement -- Surveillance -- Périodiques; Environmental health; Environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Periodicals; 333.705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.04.030
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-4120

Abstract

Abstract: There is increasing evidence to suggest that the use of subjective responses to questions concerning night-time environmental noise exposure is a robust method of assessing sleep disturbance from road traffic noise. However, there have only been a few studies exploring this issue in a real world context beyond controlled laboratory settings. This paper presents results from such a study. It utilises 208 household questionnaire surveys to assess subjective responses to levels of night-time sleep disturbance and annoyance from four different residential sites. Each residential site is characterised by a dominant noise source – road, light rail, and aircraft – and these sites are compared to a control site that is relatively free from transportation noise. The results demonstrate the inadequacy of continuous equivalent noise level measures as indicators of night-time disturbance. Furthermore, they suggest that the use of these measures alone is likely to result in inaccurate appraisals of night-time sleep disturbance from transportation noise. Ultimately, the research implies that measurement data should be used in conjunction with subjective response data to accurately gauge the level of night-time disturbance from transportation noise. Highlights: We utilise 208 questionnaire surveys to assess subjective responses to levels of night-time sleep disturbance. Road, rail aircraft and control locations were chosen for comparative measurement and survey analysis. The results show that aircraft noise is most disturbing followed by road and rail noise respectively. There is a significant disjoint between the disturbance suggested by measured and subjective approaches. The results suggest that continuous noise indicators are poor predictors of subjective noise disturbance.