Box 16A The state of information on noise

An inventory published in 1993 from 14 European countries of the people exposed to noise levels due to road, rail and air traffic, ranging from 55 dB(A) to above 75 dB(A) (in terms of Leq from 06.00 to 22.00) has been compiled by OECD (OECD, 1993). Although not all European countries are included, this is the most comprehensive survey of this kind, and the results are used in this report, combined with some additions from other sources (Umweltbundesamt, 1989, 1992a; UK DoE, 1992; WHO, in press). For exposure data due to noise from industry, use has been made of WHO data (WHO, in press) and of German data (Umweltbundesamt, 1989). The OECD has also published time-series data for ten European countries of the population exposed to various noise levels around airports expressed in daytime Leq dB(A) (OECD, 1993). Data tables from OECD have been reproduced in the Statistical Compendium.

Also featured in this report is a survey of 18 European cities with data on the percentage of population exposed to outdoor noise greater than Leq 65 dB(A) and 70 dB(A) (see Chapter 10).

The conspicuous paucity of data from most of the Central and Eastern European countries appears to be a serious shortcoming. Quantitative statements from these countries are very scarce and rudimentary; however, the various reports on the state of the environment, prepared, for example, for UNCED in Rio in 1992, mention noise as an environmental problem of growing concern in the light of the incipient, rapid growth of road traffic and the expected development of industry.

It should be noted that data on noise from the different countries are often not obtained by the same method or using the same descriptors. In general, models have been used which are based on noise measurements and acoustical calculations on a limited number of typical locations. The results are then extrapolated to the whole country. The accuracy and representability of such models vary from country to country and some of them appear rather simplified. The designation of specific source categories for noise also varies (eg, transport, industry, tourism, etc). For these reasons statistics from different countries should be compared with caution.