Li Qing, Qiao Fengxiang, Yu Lei
a Innovative Transportation Research Institute, Texas Southern University , Houston , Texas , USA.
J Air Waste Manag Assoc. 2016 Jan;66(1):87-96. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2015.1119217.
Noise is a major source of pollution that can affect the human physiology and living environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an exposure for longer than 24 hours to noise levels above 70 dB(A) may damage human hearing sensitivity, induce adverse health effects, and cause anxiety to residents nearby roadways. Pavement type with different roughness is one of the associated sources that may contribute to in-vehicle noise. Most previous studies have focused on the impact of pavement type on the surrounding acoustic environment of roadways, and given little attention to in-vehicle noise levels. This paper explores the impacts of different pavement types on in-vehicle noise levels and the associated adverse health effects. An old concrete pavement and a pavement with a thin asphalt overlay were chosen as the test beds. The in-vehicle noise caused by the asphalt and concrete pavements were measured, as well as the drivers' corresponding heart rates and reported riding comfort. Results show that the overall in-vehicle sound levels are higher than 70 dB(A) even at midnight. The newly overlaid asphalt pavement reduced in-vehicle noise at a driving speed of 96.5 km/hr by approximately 6 dB(A). Further, on the concrete pavement with higher roughness, driver heart rates were significantly higher than on the asphalt pavement. Drivers reported feeling more comfortable when driving on asphalt than on concrete pavement. Further tests on more drivers with different demographic characteristics, along highways with complicated configurations, and an examination of more factors contributing to in-vehicle noise are recommended, in addition to measuring additional physical symptoms of both drivers and passengers.
While there have been many previous noise-related studies, few have addressed in-vehicle noise. Most studies have focused on the noise that residents have complained about, such as neighborhood traffic noise. As yet, there have been no complaints by drivers that their own in-vehicle noise is too loud. Nevertheless, it is a fact that in-vehicle noise can also result in adverse health effects if it exceeds 85 dB(A). Results of this study show that in-vehicle noise was strongly associated with pavement type and roughness; also, driver heart rate patterns presented statistically significant differences on different types of pavement with different roughness.
噪声是一种主要的污染源，会影响人体生理和生活环境。根据世界卫生组织（WHO）的说法，暴露在70分贝（A）以上的噪声水平超过24小时可能会损害人类听力敏感度，引发不良健康影响，并使道路附近居民产生焦虑情绪。具有不同粗糙度的路面类型是可能导致车内噪声的相关来源之一。此前大多数研究都集中在路面类型对道路周围声学环境的影响上，而对车内噪声水平关注较少。本文探讨了不同路面类型对车内噪声水平的影响以及相关的不良健康影响。选择一条旧混凝土路面和一条薄沥青罩面的路面作为试验场地。测量了沥青路面和混凝土路面产生的车内噪声，以及驾驶员相应的心率和报告的驾乘舒适度。结果表明，即使在午夜，车内总体声级也高于70分贝（A）。新铺设的沥青路面在行驶速度为96.5公里/小时时，可将车内噪声降低约6分贝（A）。此外，在粗糙度较高的混凝土路面上，驾驶员的心率明显高于沥青路面。驾驶员报告说，在沥青路面上行驶比在混凝土路面上更舒适。建议除了测量驾驶员和乘客的更多身体症状外，还应对更多具有不同人口统计学特征的驾驶员在配置复杂的高速公路上进行进一步测试，并研究更多导致车内噪声的因素。
虽然此前有许多与噪声相关的研究，但很少涉及车内噪声。大多数研究都集中在居民抱怨的噪声上，比如邻里交通噪声。到目前为止，还没有驾驶员抱怨自己车内噪声过大。然而，事实是，如果车内噪声超过85分贝（A），也会导致不良健康影响。本研究结果表明，车内噪声与路面类型和粗糙度密切相关；此外，在不同粗糙度的不同类型路面上，驾驶员的心率模式呈现出统计学上的显著差异。
