Noise and Vibrations

Abstract
Background: Sound produced by the passing traffic contributes to noise pollution. Noise pollution affects the residents
of both city and suburban areas. The noise produced does not only disturb the community living nearby the
main road during the day but becomes worse during the night. The purpose of the study is to perform noise level
measurement and subjective evaluation on the noise produced at night in a residential area along Paka Road, Dungun,
Terengganu.
Methods: Data of the noise level produced at night in the residential area were taken at three different locations using
SoundTrack LxT sound level meter. These locations determined the effect of distances to the noise being heard. Data
were recorded to produce LAeq, Lmax, L10 and L90. Noise pollution levels (LNP) and traffic noise index (TNI) were also
reported. A subjective evaluation was conducted to investigate residents' perception of the effects of traffic noise at
night in their daily life routine. This study employed a questionnaire specially constructed for the study based on related
literature review.
Results: The noise levels inside and outside of the residences exceeded the noise level permitted by Department of
Environment (DOE) and World Health Organization (WHO). The noise level in the residence was 66.4 dBA which is
much higher than the level proposed by DOE. While the highest LAeq of the traffic noise measured inside the residence
was 57.5 dBA which is also considered as high. Moreover, the maximum noise level inside the residences could
reach up to 85.3 dBA at night during the weekends.This study also showed that from 114 respondents who were selected
randomly, 61% felt that their residential area is noisy at night.
Conclusion: The noise produced by the traffic at Paka Road, Dungun at night is considerably high and affects the
residents’ quality of life