Highway noise, its effects on human health and protection
Noise; "An acoustic event due to the combination of non-harmonic vibrations" or "Generally undesirable disturbing sounds". Some researchers call noise as daily terror. Noise can damage our ability to hear, either immediately or for a long time in a noisy environment, depending on its level.
Noise is known to adversely affect human body and mental health. Elevated blood pressure in terms of physical health, depression and stomach ulcers are the main negative consequences, and the psychological effects can be considered to make communication difficult, create fear, make people aggressive, prevent creative occupations, fatigue, create stress, prevent sleep time, reduce the value of resting time.
Definition of noise and noise enhancing elements
Sound can be music for one person and noise for the other. It is written that there was torture with noise in history. Nowadays, people are in some way punished by the intense noise caused by irregular and unhealthy urbanization. According to the classification; Noise between 30-65 dB (decibel) is disturbing in some cases. However, the shape and size of the condition is very diverse. Insomnia starts at 45-50 dB. Some reactions occur in the nervous system between 65-90 dB. Noise between 90-120 dB starts to damage the hearing organs. Severe hearing impairments and deafness (loss of hearing) may occur if sounds in this dB persist for a long time.
The most obvious form of noise pollution is traffic noise. General elements to increase noise;
· Increase in population density.
· Mechanization as a result of technological development and industrialization process.
· The development of the transportation network, increasing the number, speed and tonnage of vehicles.
· Expansion of settlement areas, unplanned and irregular urbanization.
· The ignorance and lack of education of the city people.
· Inadequacy in building and health services (acoustic property and inadequate sound insulation).
· Lightening and prefabrication that increase sound transmission in building technology
· They are economic factors that prevent prevention.
Noise control and measures to reduce noise
Noise control is possible on three levels. These; the reduction of the noise generated, preventing the access of the noise to the exposed ones (isolation of the source) and protection of the exposed ones. The first of the measures covers the measures to be taken in the buildings of industrial establishments and in residential areas. The second is to make use of the noise reduction properties of (biological) plants. The third one is to protect the individual with ear noise plugs. City planning, separation of housing-industry-transportation places are the most important contemporary solution against noise.
Article 14 of the environmental law protects human health against noise. In addition, in Article 183 of the Turkish Penal Code, digitized penalties are provided for causing noise.
Highway noise and noise curtains
The elements that can be applied as highway noise prevention / reduction techniques are;
· Afforestation and greening, using noise curtains
· Exhaust noise control and speed control of vehicles
· Giving priority to noise-free public transport
· Road construction material and road quality to reduce noise
· Acoustic standardization of building materials to ensure sound insulation in buildings
· Preventing unnecessary horns of motor vehicles
· Awareness raising of the public and drivers
In developed countries; natural and / or artificial noise curtains are used in order to reduce the noise that affects the residential areas negatively on highways with heavy traffic. Curtains formed with natural plant species are more durable and economical than those made with artificial materials. In addition, plant species feed ecological and biological wealth.
At the beginning of June 2009, noise measurements were made in Erenler area of Sapanca region on TEM Ankara-Istanbul highway. Roadside settlement as well as many points gave values above 65 dB. This level of noise; Increased blood pressure on people, heart rate in high rhythm, breathing changes, such as will cause / negatively.
Since 2006, the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Environment and Forestry and General Directorate of Highways have been contacted with regard to TEM highway noise. It was reported that the citizens living in houses constructed before (and after) the TEM motorway were extremely disturbed by noise (and emissions). The measurements and some determinations made for the Sapanca lane were also forwarded to the General Directorate of Highways through the Sakarya Governorate. Unfortunately, this important problem concerning human and environmental health has not been solved yet. On 23.8.2010, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Environment and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu wrote a letter to explain the subject and its importance. On 9.12.2010, the General Directorate of Highways was briefed and the meeting was held (with Deputy General Manager İhsan Akbıyık). At this point, two options remain for the construction of noise curtain (sound wall): a) Local authorities (Special Provincial Administrations and municipalities) can make noise curtain. b) While TEM motorways are being privatized (possibly January 2011), articles regarding the necessity of sound wall construction may be included in the transfer contract and the contractor organizations are given responsibility. It is stated by Mr. Akbıyık that this second option can be operated. Total TEM quality highway length in our country is 2.3 million meters. Since a sound wall is only required for residential areas, the cost of building a noise curtain would be reasonable and not frightening.
Result
Today; population increase, heavy traffic, ongoing migration from village to city and irregular urbanization have significantly increased the noise problem effect.
Istanbul - Ankara TEM highway is a heavy traffic type and has a high noise level. According to international criteria, measures should be taken for residential areas. Traffic noise from the TEM motorway passing through residential areas (such as Sapanca) impairs human health. It is urgently necessary for administrative power and social stakeholders to implement natural or artificial noise curtains. The biological barrier (plant curtains) is the most suitable option.
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