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Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Noise Levels in Urban Areas—A Pre/during Comparison of Long-Term Sound Pressure Measurements in the Ruhr Area, Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Jonas Hornberg

    (Institute for Urban Public Health, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany)

  • Timo Haselhoff

    (Institute for Urban Public Health, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany)

  • Bryce T. Lawrence

    (Department of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning, School of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, August-Schmidt-Straße 10, 44227 Dortmund, Germany)

  • Jonas L. Fischer

    (Institute for Urban Public Health, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany)

  • Salman Ahmed

    (Institute for Urban Public Health, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany)

  • Dietwald Gruehn

    (Department of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning, School of Spatial Planning, TU Dortmund University, August-Schmidt-Straße 10, 44227 Dortmund, Germany)

  • Susanne Moebus

    (Institute for Urban Public Health, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45147 Essen, Germany)

Abstract

Background: A major source of noise pollution is traffic. In Germany, the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown caused a substantial decrease in mobility, possibly affecting noise levels. The aim is to analyze the effects of the lockdown measures on noise levels in the densely populated Ruhr Area. We focus on the analysis of noise levels before and during lockdown considering different land use types, weekdays, and time of day. Methods: We used data from 22 automatic sound devices of the SALVE (Acoustic Quality and Health in Urban Environments) project, running since 2019 in Bochum, Germany. We performed a pre/during lockdown comparison of A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure levels. The study period includes five weeks before and five weeks during the SARS-CoV-2 induced administrative lockdown measures starting on 16 March 2020. We stratified our data by land use category (LUC), days of the week, and daytime. Results: We observed highest noise levels pre-lockdown in the ‘main street’ and ‘commercial areas’ (68.4 ± 6.7 dB resp. 61.0 ± 8.0 dB), while in ‘urban forests’ they were lowest (50.9 ± 6.6 dB). A distinct mean overall noise reduction of 5.1 dB took place, with noise reductions occurring in each LUC. However, the magnitude of noise levels differed considerably between the categories. Weakest noise reductions were found in the ‘main street’ (3.9 dB), and strongest in the ‘urban forest’, ‘green space’, and ‘residential area’ (5.9 dB each). Conclusions: Our results are in line with studies from European cities. Strikingly, all studies report noise reductions of about 5 dB. Aiming at a transformation to a health-promoting urban mobility can be a promising approach to mitigating health risks of noise in cities. Overall, the experiences currently generated by the pandemic offer data for best practices and policies for the development of healthy urban transportation—the effects of a lower traffic and more tranquil world were experienced firsthand by people during this time.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonas Hornberg & Timo Haselhoff & Bryce T. Lawrence & Jonas L. Fischer & Salman Ahmed & Dietwald Gruehn & Susanne Moebus, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown Measures on Noise Levels in Urban Areas—A Pre/during Comparison of Long-Term Sound Pressure Measurements in the Ruhr Area, Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:9:p:4653-:d:544618
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Susilo, Yusak O. & Williams, Katie & Lindsay, Morag & Dair, Carol, 2012. "The influence of individuals’ environmental attitudes and urban design features on their travel patterns in sustainable neighborhoods in the UK," Working papers in Transport Economics 2012:1, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
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    1. Timo Haselhoff & Tobias Braun & Jonas Hornberg & Bryce T. Lawrence & Salman Ahmed & Dietwald Gruehn & Susanne Moebus, 2022. "Analysing Interlinked Frequency Dynamics of the Urban Acoustic Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-16, November.

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