Zusammenfassung
Noise annoyance is a growing global problem. Quantification of the
burden of disease from noise exposure lists noise annoyance as the
most prominent health impact from noise exposure together with sleep
disturbances. Road traffic is a pervasive noise source often accounting
for more than 70% of a country's noise annoyance problems. For all
major noise sources, well-developed relationships have been established
between noise exposure and the degree of population annoyance. However,
newer research initiatives criticize the quality of many of the underlying
aging data sets. Regional differences in noise reactions, nonnegligible
impacts from contextual modifiers, and results that differ qualitatively
and quantitatively from those predicted by standard static exposure–annoyance
curves have also been reported. In Europe, noise policies targeting
black areas where equivalent noise levels exceed 65 dB(A) have met
some success. Nevertheless, the number of noise-annoyed people has
increased steadily. This is due to the increase in gray urban areas
with intermediary equivalent noise exposure levels between 55 and
65 dB(A). More than two-thirds of European citizens exposed to noise
levels exceeding the norm of 55 dB(A) live in gray areas. Here an
extended research paradigm needs to supplement the traditional approaches
appropriate for targeting annoyance problems in the more easily identified
black areas. More precise noise (sound) metrics, improved attention
to modifying contextual factors such as quiet sides of apartments
and dwellings, multisource situations, neighborhood contexts, vibrations,
and other pollutants become important. Owing to the increased complexity
of such research, cooperation between traditional and newer noise
research initiatives, with researchers involved in air pollution
epidemiology and socio-vibrational research, becomes important. Extended
reporting for single-site studies and use of multisite, multi-exposure
studies and meta-analytical approaches controlling for important
contextual and individual modifying factors are thus also warranted.
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