EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO RAILWAY NOISE - A COMPARISON BETWEEN AREAS WITH AND WITHOUT VIBRATION

This paper presents some of the results of field investigations on eff ects of exposure to noise and vibration from railway traffic. Effects on annoyance, sleep disturbances and psycho-social well-being as well as disturbance of different activities were evaluated by a postal ques tionnaire. Fifteen different sites located near railway lines in Swede n were investigated. The study covered areas with different number of trains per 24 hours in areas with strong vibration caused by the railw ay traffic exceeding 2 mm/s as measured in the buildings as well as ar eas without vibration, or vibration weaker than 1 mm/s. 2833 persons b etween 18 and 75 years of age participated in the study. This paper pr esents only the results from two areas with and without vibration and a high number of trains per 24 hours. The results show that railway no ise is experienced as more annoying in areas where there is simultaneo us exposure to vibration from railway traffic. Disturbance of communic ation was the most frequently mentioned annoyance reaction, outside an d inside the dwelling. To ensure an acceptable environmental quality w here less than 5% of the exposed population is rather or very annoyed by railway noise, these noise levels must be below 80 L-Amax and below 55 L-Aeq in areas without vibration. In areas with simultaneous expos ure to strong vibration, action against vibration or a longer distance between houses and the railway line is needed, corresponding to a 10 dB(A) lower noise level than in areas without vibration. (C) 1997 Acad emic Press Limited.