Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine,Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University
Abstract
Noise is unwanted sound. Community (environmental) noise is defined as noise emitted from all sources except noise at the work place. Sources include road traffic; rail and air traffic; industry; construction; public works and neighbourhood noise. LAeq,T is the energy average equivalent level of the A-weighted sound over period T. Hazardous effects of community noise have been known for ages, however, noise problems of the past are not to be compared with those of modern society. Studies in the European Union have indicated that noise is one of the major sources of coronary heart disease. In Egypt, as in other developing countries, community noise is a serious problem. Health effects of community noise include hearing impairment; effects on speech intelligibility; sleep disturbances; effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and other physiological functions; effects on performance and on mental health; behavioural effects and annoyance. Control of noise in Egypt is regulated by environmental law 4/1994 and its executive regulations. A study of community noise in the three Governorates of Greater Cairo indicated that the sound pressure levels in most of the studied areas were above the Egyptian standards. In and around schools, sound pressure levels exceeded the Egyptian standards. On Cairo streets community noise was found to be related to the width of the street, number of lanes and traffic density as well as the behaviour of drivers. Standard sound pressure levels for special environments were also referred to. Sources of community noise in the Egyptian environment were discussed. Control of community noise included measures related to the means of transportation, urban planning, architectural design of buildings, social activities and government actions.
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