Automated identification and assessment of environmental noise sources. Issue 1 (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Murovec, Jure; Čurović, Luka; Železnik, Anže; Prezelj, Jurij
• Is Part Of: Heliyon. Volume 9:Issue 1(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: Immission directivity -- Spatial filtering -- Noise source classification -- Environmental noise -- Microphone array -- Automatization of measurements; Research -- Periodicals; Medical sciences -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Periodicals; 507.2
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12846
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-8440

Abstract

Abstract: Noise pollution is one of the major health risks in urban life. The approach to measurement and identification of noise sources needs to be improved and enhanced to reduce high costs. Long measurement times and the need for expensive equipment and trained personnel must be automated. Simplifying the identification of main noise sources and excluding residual and background noise allows more effective measures. By spatially filtering the acoustic scene and combining unsupervised learning with psychoacoustic features, this paper presents a prototype system capable of automated calculation of the contribution of individual noise sources to the total noise level. Pilot measurements were performed at three different locations in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Equivalent sound pressure levels obtained with the device were compared to the results obtained by manually marking individual parts of each of the three measurements. The proposed approach correctly identified the main noise sources in the vicinity of the measurement points. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Inclusion of the spatial domain uncovers the acoustic environment in more detail. Automatic assessment of noise source contribution to the total L A, e q was achieved. The results of three measurements were compared with the conventional approach.