Noise mapping in urban environments: A Taiwan study

This study analyzed the spatial characteristics of urban environmental noise by using noise maps produced at 345 noise monitoring stations in Tainan, Taiwan. Noise data were collected at varying intervals: morning, afternoon, and evening in both summer and winter. The spatial distributions of the noise levels during each time interval were evaluated and visualized by geographic information systems. The analytical results indicated that the highest and lowest average noise levels were 69.6 dB(A) and 59.3 dB(A) during summer mornings and winter evenings, respectively. Comparison of monitored noise levels with regulatory standards revealed that noise standard violations, which usually occur on summer evenings, are as high as 23 dB(A). Furthermore, the results of noise exposure analysis showed that over 90% of the Tainan City population are exposed to unacceptable noise as defined by US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The findings of this study show that noise maps can be useful for investigating noise in urban environments.