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Environmental Factors and Health

13 Noise

Noise is the environmental factor that affects most people. Many people complain about noise and noise is given great attention in the public.

Since the first Environmental Act came into force in 1974, actions to reduce noise have been part of Danish legislation.

13.1 Human exposure to environmental noise

13.1.1 Environmental factors

Several sources contribute to environmental noise. The physical properties of environmental noise can be described by:

	the frequency content of the sound
	the overall sound pressure level
	the duration of the sound
	the variation of these with time

Environmental noise can consist of e.g. continuous noise, tonal noise, impulsive noise and low frequency noise from various sources.

Different frequency weightings and time weighting constants are used in noise measurement to obtain a measure that relates to the human perception of the noise. Usually a long-term average of the A-weighted¹⁰³ sound pressure level, LAeq, is used to describe environmental noise.

13.1.2 Sources

A number of sources contribute to the environmental noise in the community. The most important sources are:

Road traffic, especially on major urban roads in built up areas. All roads with an average annual traffic volume about 1,000,000 vehicles may cause noise impact above current guideline values

Railway traffic

Plant and machinery on industrial and commercial premises

Airports

Shooting ranges and motor racing tracks

Wind turbines

District heating stations and power plants

Construction sites

13.1.3 Human exposure

Recent environmental noise mappings show that ½-1 million people out of a total population in Denmark of approximately 5 million are suffering from high noise impact. As traffic noise is the main source of annoyance, much effort has been spent on mapping and evaluating possible actions to limit the number of people annoyed by traffic noise. In 1993, the Danish government decided that the number of housing units exposed to more than 65 dB(A) from traffic should be decreased from 130,000 to 50,000 before 2010.

In 1993, a national noise mapping study related to criteria values was carried out showing that

approximately 485,000 housing units were exposed to more than 55 dB(A) from road traffic and hereof 145,000 to more than 65 dB

approximately 40,000 housing units exposed to more than 60 dB from rail traffic, hereof 14,000 to more than 65 dB. Half of the housing units are located in the Copenhagen area and the rest along the 1,100 km of the main railway network

approximately 40,000 housing units exposed to more than 55 dB(A) around airports, hereof 3,000 to more than 65 dB. The main part is located around Copenhagen Airport Kastrup.

Similar figures are not available on noise from other sources. A best estimate from the DEPA on exposure from other sources will be:

approximately 40,000 housing units are exposed to levels above the limit values for noise from industrial plants etc.

approximately 40,000 housing units are exposed to levels above the criteria values for noise from other commercial premises such as workshops, shops, restaurants etc.

approximately 15,000 housing units are exposed to levels above the criteria values for noise from leisure time activities such as shooting ranges and motor sport ranges

13.2 Level of protection

Environmental noise in Denmark is usually so low that it is not likely to cause serious human damage like hearing impairment. However, environmental noise is annoying and may have adverse effects such as:

	interference with speech communication,
	performance and productivity,
	disturbance of rest and sleep and
	physiological and mental health effects like stress, hypertension, ischemic heart disease

In the 1970s and the early 1980s, dose and effect studies have been carried out in Denmark on a national scale, which show the relationship between the level of annoyance and the average noise.

Different kinds of noise have different kinds of effects, as annoyance is subjective. Noise annoyance is highly dependent on different noise sources, frequency spectrum, and relation to the noise source and on personal expectations. Many people living in down town areas in big cities like Copenhagen do not expect tranquillity. Even the duration and variation over time of noise is important when transforming sound propagation into annoyance.

Until now focus has been on annoyance, but also sleep disturbance shall be included in future regulation.

Danish examples of criteria values for road traffic noise are summarised in the following table.

Table 13.1
Danish examples of criteria values for road traffic noise (LAeq, 24h)

(Ref.: Guideline no. 3/1984 on noise from road traffic)

Present guidelines and criteria values for traffic noise express a compromise between high quality of life and socio-economic considerations (technical, economical and community aspects), accepting that a minor part of the public (typical the 10% most noise sensitive people) might still feel highly annoyed.

The purpose of the present guideline values is to ensure satisfactory environmental conditions.

Increasing attention is put on preserving areas where people can still experience silence and tranquillity. In local and regional planning, focus shall be on preserving such areas.

13.3 Regulation and strategies

13.3.1 Objectives and principles

In the objects clause of the Danish Environmental Act is stated, among other things, that the act shall prevent and abate noise impact on the public.

Sufficient scientific evidence on noise annoyance is still lacking for some types of noise.

No Danish research on dose and effect relationship has been carried out recently. DEPA did carry out investigations in 1985 and 1995 on annoyance due to noise from railway traffic and shooting ranges respectively as part of the development of guidelines on these noise sources.

In mid-1990, a pilot study was carried out on noise from wind turbines as part of a common European Study.

DEPA has asked for analyses on current knowledge on annoyance due to activities on military fields and on annoyance due to impulse and low frequency noise. These investigations have not been finalised.

This year, both the European Commission and WHO have published state-of-the art on dose and effect relationship. The relevance of these studies for Danish conditions and their possible influence on Danish guideline values have not been investigated yet.

Knowledge on annoyance due to industrial noise is limited. Present guidelines are based on available investigations at the time the guidelines were published. However, present experience has shown that the guideline values seem fair.

Future dose/effect relationships are expected to be based on common European studies, possibly complemented by minor Danish studies to confirm European findings.

Part of the Danish approach to noise control and abatement is to deal with noise in most planning regulations i.e. the Danish Planning Act.

At the same time, environmental noise (e.g. from roads and railways) is an integrated part of Danish Building Regulations to ensure low noise impact inside dwellings in connection with construction of new buildings in noisy surroundings.

The main principle of the Danish Noise Abatement is the polluter pay principle. That means that all new enterprises within specific categories require environmental approval before initialisation. For public infrastructure, noise considerations have to be carried out as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment study. For new enterprises and public infrastructure, all costs regarding planning and construction of the necessary noise abatement is conducted by the polluter according to the above mentioned principles. There are no guidelines for noise abatement regarding traffic noise from existing roads and railways in existing urban areas. The consequence is that the majority of people annoyed by traffic noise are within housing areas in the bigger cities.

In July 2000, the Commission presented a proposal for a Directive on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise COM(2000) 468final. The main objective of the proposed new EU Noise Policy is to provide a basis for a coherent integrated EU noise policy. The idea is to make EU-wide noise maps based on common prediction methods and indicators. The maps shall be made available to the public and form the basis for development of action plans and strategies at local, national and EU levels to combat noise pollution.

13.3.2 Legislation on noise abatement

The EU regulations on noise deal with emission from a number of sources covering traffic vehicles, outdoor machinery etc. These regulations have been implemented in the Danish legislation.

Presently, the Danish approach to noise is to focused only on the source, but also on good land-use planning to ensure sufficient distance between noise sources and noise sensitive areas.

A number of Danish Guidelines provide criteria values on noise from most sources. The guideline values have been set to ensure that the majority of the public does not feel any nuisance unless these guideline values are exceeded. Furthermore, a number of best practice manuals are listed below.

Textbox 13.1
Acts and guidelines concerning The Danish Noise Requirements:

The Danish Road Safety and Transport Agency is responsible for legislation and enforcement on road traffic. The tasks include among other things:

	The planning of driver education and tests.
	Matters concerning driving licences, and road safety and development tasks in relation to road users.
	Matters concerning the technical design of vehicles.
	Type approval of vehicles.
	Regulations on vehicle inspection and the registration of vehicles

The Statutory order no. 366 of 10 May 1992 enables local environmental authorities to lay down regulations on the max time for idling of vehicles, on noise from household machinery and noise from ventilation units.

Presently a new EU Directive on outdoor noise sources is being implemented.

13.4 Instruments

13.4.1 Regulatory instruments

Reduction of environmental noise has as its main purpose to improve the public health and social well-being and avoid or minimise sleep disturbance and other annoyance.

The regulations on noise encompass the enforcement of acts, orders and guidelines by environmental approvals and injunctions.

Environmental approval of airports, industrial premises, shooting ranges and motor racing tracks are handled by the municipalities or counties. In special cases, DEPA is the authority for environmental approvals. As part of most environmental approvals, noise mapping at various levels is done to ensure that the noise regulations are met.

13.4.2 Planning instruments

The Danish Planning Act deals with noise considerations as an integrated part of new or changed land use and infrastructure planning. The objective of the Act is to ensure that no new noise problems arise.

National noise mapping has been carried out along the major roads by the Danish Road Directorate and for main railways by the Danish National Railway Agency (see figure 13.1).

Some major municipalities and cities and counties have made noise mapping for road traffic noise as part of their Environmental Action Plan.

	Mapping showing the amount and location of the main environmental noise problems
	Action planning, time schedules and priority
	Selection of abatement measure (and cost-effectiveness analyses)

The mapping has been followed by action planning to control present noise problems and set up noise impact areas, such as roads, railways, airports and industrial plants to avoid new noise sensitive land use, e.g. residential areas located too close to noise sources.

In developing new infrastructure, noise shall be considered as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with the county or the Danish government as the authority.

Figure 13.1
National noise mapping study showing noise impact in relation to the total number of exposed dwellings for Local Counties along the Danish Railways.

13.4.3 Economic instruments

The main principle is still the polluter-pay-principle. That means that abatement measures necessary to reduce noise from industrial or leisure time activities have to be carried out and paid by the one responsible for the actual noise sources.

Concerning noise from air traffic, the airport authorities are responsible for the environmental approval of the airport and the necessary measures to meet approved values. Furthermore, the airport authorities can put a noise fee on noisy aircraft as part of the landing fees.

For most other types of traffic noise funding for environmental noise abatement come from national and regional tax revenues. At local level, only a smaller amount of money has been used on noise abatement up till now.

The Road Safety and Transport Agency is responsible for development tasks concerning environmentally friendly technologies for vehicles and public transport. Since 1995, the Agency has administrated the part of the Ministry of Transport Road Traffic Pool used to develop and test environmentally friendly technologies.

13.5 Actors

A number of actors are sharing the responsibility to ensure a high noise standard (meaning low noise) in Denmark.

Table 13.2
Actors, roles and responsibilities concerning noise

13.6 Evaluation

Present guidelines and criteria values express a compromise between high quality of life and socio-economic considerations (technical, economical and community aspects), accepting that a minor part of the public (typically the 10% most noise sensitive people) might still feel highly annoyed.

The latest national noise mapping in Denmark in 1993 showed the following figures on houses exposed above the guideline values:

approx. 485,000 housing units are exposed to more than 55 dB(A) 24 hours equivalent level from road traffic, hereof 145,000 exposed to more than 65 dB(A)

approx. 40,000 housing units are exposed to more than 60 dB(A) 24 hours equivalent level from rail traffic, hereof 14,000 to more than 65 dB(A) approx. 40,000 housing units are exposed to more than 55 dB(A) DEN104 24 hours around airports, hereof 3,000 to more than 65 dB(A)

In addition, DEPA estimates based on a small number of mappings around major industrial plants show that approx. 40,000 housing units are exposed above the guideline values from industry. A similar number of housing units are exposed to noise above the guideline values from other commercial premises, bars and restaurants, shops etc. Finally, DEPA estimates that a minor number of houses are exposed to noise from leisure time activities like shooting ranges, motor sport ranges, etc.

It is evident that traffic is the main environmental noise source. Present legislation gives no obvious provisions to control or reduce traffic noise, except around airports that have to obtain an environmental approval before getting into operation.

This means that the only way to control and reduce traffic noise will be by good land use and infrastructure planning. Recently local authorities have carried out Traffic and Environmental Plans to manage traffic and reduce the environmental impact.

The European Union presents in short time a new "Directive on Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise" dealing with noise mapping and action planning, common indicators and information to the public. It is foreseen that this directive will put further focus on noise and the need for measures to control and reduce noise impact.

The future challenge will be to achieve real progress in noise control with increasing traffic and intensive use of outdoor machinery. In the cities, the use of the areas is changing. A Committee on Commercial, Industrial and Town Policy is developing policies on turning abandoned commercial areas into housing areas without creating further environmental problems and as part of that ensure that necessary considerations on noise are taken into account in urban planning.

New research has to be carried out. Among relevant studies investigations have to be made on dose and effect relationship, especially on noise from industry, and indicators have to be defined to describe silence and tranquillity for local and regional planning of relatively quiet areas. Another challenge to be faced in the future is an analysis of the implications of strengthened noise limits for the various sources, which would protect an even larger share of the population against annoyance and health effects due to environmental noise.

13.7 References

Lydteknisk Laboratorium (Technical Sound Laboratoty) Report no. 5, (1977) "Reactions to road traffic noise in correlation to the physical measures of the noise."

DEPA (1980): "Reactions to road traffic noise". Environmental project no. 23.

Vejdirektoratet (The Road Inspectorate) (1985): "Considerations to road traffic noise with planning and construction of new roads."

DEPA (1992): "Reactions to railway noise in Denmark, Environmental project no. 42 and paper in Journal of Sound and Vibration 1988."

Eystein Amtzen (1984): "Annoyance caused by shooting noise."

The Ministry of Transport (1993): "Traffic 2005."

WHO, Birgitta Berglund et al. (1999): "Annoyance caused by shooting noise, Guidelines for Community Noise."

The Environmental protection act, consolidated 1997.

The Danish Planning Act, Consolidated Act No 746 of 16 August 1994.

Proposal for a Directive on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise COM(2000)468final presented in Bruxelles 27 July 2000.

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