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Research on effects and control of noise in Sweden
Journal of Sound and Vibration (1988) 127(3), 405-406
RESEARCH ON EFFECTS AND CONTROL IN SWEDEN
OF NOISE
R. RYLANDER Department of Environmental Hygiene, University of Gothenburg, Box 33031, 400 33 Gothenburg, Sweden
K. ANDERSSON
AND U. TORSMARK
National Environment Protection Board, 17125 Solna, Sweden
(Received
15
July 1988)
Research on environmental noise in Sweden was intensified in the late 1960s when the National Institute of Public Health initiated several programmes concerning the relationship between road traffic noise exposure and the extent of annoyance in exposed populations. Much of the methodology then used was derived from researchers active in Great Britain, and had been applied previously in a small study of aircraft noise which resulted in a recommendation for maximum noise levels in 1956. Through a series of studies around airports, a challenging concept developed as to the validity of the equal energy index. The first study designed to evaluate this problem was performed in the south of Sweden in 1969 around a local airport. As the hypothesis of the validity of the equal energy index could not be verified in that study, a larger aircraft noise annoyance study was started, which extended into the 1970s. This was followed by large scale studies on road traffic noise and research activities on psycho-social noise variables and effects on sleep. With the establishment of the National Environment Protection Board, a research foundation on the environment was created and part of its resources allotted to noise research. The group formed to run this programme has since sponsored a series of studies at various university departments as well as at the National Laboratory for Environmental Health (formerly part of the National Institute of Public Health) on various aspects of environmental noise. The present scenario of research includes one group active at the latter institute, mainly dealing with psycho-social scales to measure noise. Another group, located at the Department of Hygiene at the University of Gothenburg, deals with practical applications, such as methods to express the noise levels from various sources of noise-a programme which is carried out in close collaboration with the local health authorities. This group also has a programme on sleep disturbance. Another sleep project was initiated at the Department of Hygiene at the University of Lund in the late 1960s. The latter programme is mainly directed towards the electro-encephalographic registration of sleep events during noise. A new programme at the Department of Technology, University Hospital of Linkiiping deals with speech intelligibility in amplitude-variated noise. The Research Council of the Environment Protection Board has also long funded programmes in the field of outdoor sound propagation and measurements. At the Department of Meteorology, University of Stockholm, a group is studying meteorological effects on sound propagation. 405 0022-460X/88/240405+02
%03.00/O
@ 1988 Academic
Press Limited
406
R RYLANDER
ET AL.
Regarding legislation, the first attempt was made in the above mentioned recommendation regarding aircraft noise in 1956. A Royal Committee sat in the 197Os, elaborating standards for aircraft noise, road traffic noise and noise from pleasure craft boats in the many waters of Sweden. In spite of detailed suggestions, these were never accepted by the Parliament. After an interim period of about ten years, the National Environment Protection Board activated the noise control programme. A proposal for guidelines for road traffic noise was worked out and circulated for comments among researchers and authorities on national and local levels. The proposals have been redrafted according to the comments received and have now been introduced as long term goals and recommendations, but without statutory powers. Work is also in progress to develop guidelines for aircraft noise. Finally, mention should be made of work within the Nordic Noise Committee. This committee, with representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, regularly meets and sponsors research on noise effects. The group has also developed several models for the calculation of noise exposure, such as a Nordic model for calculating road traffic noise exposure. On the basis of recent evaluations of its research results and a series of international workshops, new directions for work on the effects of environmental noise will be developed.
RESEARCH ON EFFECTS AND CONTROL IN SWEDEN
OF NOISE
R. RYLANDER Department of Environmental Hygiene, University of Gothenburg, Box 33031, 400 33 Gothenburg, Sweden
K. ANDERSSON
AND U. TORSMARK
National Environment Protection Board, 17125 Solna, Sweden
(Received
15
July 1988)
Research on environmental noise in Sweden was intensified in the late 1960s when the National Institute of Public Health initiated several programmes concerning the relationship between road traffic noise exposure and the extent of annoyance in exposed populations. Much of the methodology then used was derived from researchers active in Great Britain, and had been applied previously in a small study of aircraft noise which resulted in a recommendation for maximum noise levels in 1956. Through a series of studies around airports, a challenging concept developed as to the validity of the equal energy index. The first study designed to evaluate this problem was performed in the south of Sweden in 1969 around a local airport. As the hypothesis of the validity of the equal energy index could not be verified in that study, a larger aircraft noise annoyance study was started, which extended into the 1970s. This was followed by large scale studies on road traffic noise and research activities on psycho-social noise variables and effects on sleep. With the establishment of the National Environment Protection Board, a research foundation on the environment was created and part of its resources allotted to noise research. The group formed to run this programme has since sponsored a series of studies at various university departments as well as at the National Laboratory for Environmental Health (formerly part of the National Institute of Public Health) on various aspects of environmental noise. The present scenario of research includes one group active at the latter institute, mainly dealing with psycho-social scales to measure noise. Another group, located at the Department of Hygiene at the University of Gothenburg, deals with practical applications, such as methods to express the noise levels from various sources of noise-a programme which is carried out in close collaboration with the local health authorities. This group also has a programme on sleep disturbance. Another sleep project was initiated at the Department of Hygiene at the University of Lund in the late 1960s. The latter programme is mainly directed towards the electro-encephalographic registration of sleep events during noise. A new programme at the Department of Technology, University Hospital of Linkiiping deals with speech intelligibility in amplitude-variated noise. The Research Council of the Environment Protection Board has also long funded programmes in the field of outdoor sound propagation and measurements. At the Department of Meteorology, University of Stockholm, a group is studying meteorological effects on sound propagation. 405 0022-460X/88/240405+02
%03.00/O
@ 1988 Academic
Press Limited
406
R RYLANDER
ET AL.
Regarding legislation, the first attempt was made in the above mentioned recommendation regarding aircraft noise in 1956. A Royal Committee sat in the 197Os, elaborating standards for aircraft noise, road traffic noise and noise from pleasure craft boats in the many waters of Sweden. In spite of detailed suggestions, these were never accepted by the Parliament. After an interim period of about ten years, the National Environment Protection Board activated the noise control programme. A proposal for guidelines for road traffic noise was worked out and circulated for comments among researchers and authorities on national and local levels. The proposals have been redrafted according to the comments received and have now been introduced as long term goals and recommendations, but without statutory powers. Work is also in progress to develop guidelines for aircraft noise. Finally, mention should be made of work within the Nordic Noise Committee. This committee, with representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, regularly meets and sponsors research on noise effects. The group has also developed several models for the calculation of noise exposure, such as a Nordic model for calculating road traffic noise exposure. On the basis of recent evaluations of its research results and a series of international workshops, new directions for work on the effects of environmental noise will be developed.