Noise Indicators for Size Distributions of Airborne Particles and Traffic Activities in Urban Areas

Jin Yong Jeon, Joo Young Hong, Sung Min Kim and Ki-Hyun Kim
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Jin Yong Jeon: Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Joo Young Hong: School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
Sung Min Kim: Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Ki-Hyun Kim: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among the particle number concentration (PNC), noise, and traffic conditions. Field measurements were conducted to measure the temporal variabilities of the noise levels and PNC over 24 h in a location adjacent to three main traffic roads in Seoul, Korea. The PNC was measured in the range of 0.3 to 10 µm. The noise data was measured by utilizing both the overall levels and spectral characteristics. Traffic data including volumes and speeds of vehicles on the roads were also collected. The results showed that the correlations among the three key parameters varied depending on changes in the noise frequency and particle size. The noise levels at 100–200 Hz were positively correlated with traffic volume and submicron particles. In contrast, they exhibited inverse correlations with the traffic speed and the number of larger particles (>2.5 µm). Compared to noise levels at 100–200 Hz, noise levels at 1–2 kHz exhibited reverse relationships between the traffic and PNC. Submicron particles (0.3–1.0 µm) tended to be more strongly associated with noise levels during the daytime, while those greater than 2.5 µm maintained relatively stable correlations with the noise throughout the day. The findings address the importance of temporal and spectral-specific monitoring of air and noise pollutants for a better understanding of the exposure of the community to air and noise pollution.

Keywords: noise pollution; air pollution; particle number concentration; traffic; diurnal pattern; urban built environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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