Urban noise assessment in hospitals: measurements and mapping in the context of the city of Sorocaba, Brazil.

Noise pollution has become a public health problem in several countries worldwide. Noise maps are tools used in many cities, mainly on the European continent. In other regions, they are used in smaller areas, and few studies focus on hospital areas, considered noise-sensitive zones.

Environmental noise in hospitals: a systematic review.

Environmental noise has been growing in recent years, causing numerous health problems. Highly sensitive environments such as hospitals deserve special attention, since noise can aggravate patients' health issues and impair the performance of healthcare professionals. This work consists of a systematic review of scientific articles describing environmental noise measurements taken in hospitals between the years 2015 and 2020.

Framework to manage railway noise exposure in Brazil based on field measurements and strategic noise mapping at the local level.

Rail freight transport has grown worldwide and in Brazil as well, which increases people's exposure to railway noise. A promising tool to manage it is Strategic Noise Mapping (SNM), which has advanced around the world favoring a common and more accurate calculation method that requires more accurate measurements. This paper presents a framework to manage railway noise exposure in Brazil based on a case study carried out in the city with the longest stretches of railway tracks in urban areas.

Quality of Life and Acoustic Comfort in Educational Environments of Curitiba, Brazil.

Background: It is believed that poor classroom acoustics leads to lower levels of student learning and exposes teachers vocal folds to greater physical wear and tear.

Objective: This study sought to compare the quality of life by World Health Organization (whoqol-bref) questionnaire of 61 teachers working at schools with different acoustic conditions.

Methods: This paper reports on a descriptive exploratory study aimed at ascertaining the following: (1) outdoor sound pressure levels in the immediate surroundings of two primary schools; (2) background noise levels inside classrooms; (3) reverberation times in classrooms; (4) the teacher's perception of noise in the work environment; (5) the teacher's vocal intensity in the classroom; and (6) the teacher's perceived quality of life.

Exposure to road traffic noise: Annoyance, perception and associated factors among Brazil's adult population.

Background: One of the major environmental problems of the modern world is noise. A health-related marker of environmental noise exposure that can be considered a predictor of annoyance is noise sensitivity. The aim of this study was to ascertain the correlation between levels of exposure to road traffic noise in residential areas and the resulting annoyance based on the perception and sensitivity reported.

Noise annoyance through railway traffic - a case study.

This paper describes an assessment of noise caused by railway traffic in a large Latin American city. Measurements were taken of noise levels generated by trains passing through residential neighborhoods with and without blowing their horns. Noise maps were also calculated showing noise pollution generated by the train traffic.

Acoustic evaluation and adjustment of an open-plan office through architectural design and noise control.

Arranging office space into a single open room offers advantages in terms of easy exchange of information and interaction among coworkers, but reduces privacy and acoustic comfort. Thus, the purpose of this work was to evaluate the acoustic quality of a real open-plan office and to propose changes in the room to improve the acoustic conditioning of this office. The computational model of the office under study was calibrated based on RT and STI measurements.

Analysis and evaluation of soundscapes in public parks through interviews and measurement of noise.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the sound environment of public parks using a soundscape study model that analyzes not only noise but also all the types of sound of a given area, as well as other environmental factors. To this end, acoustic measurements were made in the parks under study and interviews were held with their frequent visitors. Noise measurements were conducted in 55 points, and a total of 335 people were interviewed in the 4 parks studied.

Urban daytime traffic noise prediction models.

An evaluation was made of the acoustic environment generated by an urban highway using in situ measurements. Based on the data collected, a mathematical model was designed for the main sound levels (L (eq), L (10), L (50), and L (90)) as a function of the correlation between sound levels and between the equivalent sound pressure level and traffic variables. Four valid groups of mathematical models were generated to calculate daytime sound levels, which were statistically validated.

Objective and subjective evaluation of the acoustic comfort in classrooms.

The acoustic comfort of classrooms in a Brazilian public school has been evaluated through interviews with 62 teachers and 464 pupils, measurements of background noise, reverberation time, and sound insulation. Acoustic measurements have revealed the poor acoustic quality of the classrooms. Results have shown that teachers and pupils consider the noise generated and the voice of the teacher in neighboring classrooms as the main sources of annoyance inside the classroom.

Evaluation of noise pollution in urban parks.

The present study provides an evaluation of noise pollution in six Urban Parks located in the city of Curitiba, Brazil. Equivalent noise levels (L(eq)) were measured in 303 points (each point measured during 3 min) spread throughout the Parks. Measured values were confronted with local legislation (Law 10625) allowed limits, and the Parks were thus classified as "acoustically polluted or unpolluted".

[Comparative study of the perception of urban noise].

Objective: To comparatively analyze the perception of daily urban noise between residents of an acoustically and a non-acoustically controlled area.

Methods: Two urban areas were selected through objective assessments of equivalent sound levels and defined as a non-acoustically and an acoustically controlled area. A random sample of each area was selected and a questionnaire was applied to its residents.

[Evaluation of noise pollution in the Botanical Garden in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil].

This study focuses on noise pollution in the Botanical Garden in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Equivalent noise levels (Leq) were measured at 21 points throughout the park, and interviews were conducted with park visitors. Some 47.

[Annoyance caused by urban noise to the citizens of Curitiba, Brazil].

The study describes people's reaction to environmental noise in Curitiba, a city of approximately 1.6 million inhabitants in Brazil. Data was collected using questionnaires randomly delivered to the city's residents.