Modelling noice exposure from roads : a case study in Burlöv municipality

Abstract: Noise has negative health effects according to a number of studies (Barregård et al. 2005; Rosvall et al. 2009; Nilsson, Eriksson & Palmqvist 2009). Example of problems that can occur from exposure to noise is sleeping disturbances, heart diseases, lessened learning and reduced cognitive performance (Berglund, Lindvall & Schwela 1999). This kind of problems cause suffering on a personal level and lead to costs for the society. Burlöv municipality in southwest Scania has some of the most trafficked roads in Sweden and acts as a link between central Europe and the Scandinavian peninsula. The inhabitants in Burlöv are also, according to a compilation of a questionnaire (Albin & Bodin 2010), the persons that experience themselves as most annoyed of noise from roads in all of Scania. Even so former studies show noise levels lower than average in Scania (Simonsson 2009; Appelberg 2009). Is that possible? The purpose of this study is to model the noise exposure from roads and quantify the number of persons exposed to different levels of noise in Burlöv municipality. The study was conducted with focus on finding an as detailed method as possible to model noise in Burlöv municipality using Road Traffic Noise - Nordic Prediction Model from 1996 (Jonasson et al. 1996) implemented in a software called SoundPLAN (2010). The results from the noise modelling show that a significant part of the population in Burlöv is exposed to noise levels from roads higher than threshold values and guidelines. During nighttime are more than 6 out of 10 persons in Burlöv exposed to noise levels > 45 dB(A), which is a recommended threshold from the World Health Organization (Berglund, Lindvall & Schwela 1999). Modelled noise levels of in this study (51 %) were also higher than modelled levels from road traffic noise in both Gothenburg (43 %; Hammarlund 2007) and Stockholm (34 %; Hallberg, Simonsson & McConnachie 2007), but lower than in Malmö (75 %; Appelberg 2007). This shows that modelled noise levels in Burlöv are in the same size as the three biggest cities in Sweden.