Low-frequency urban noise that meters underestimate may harm health most

Evidence

In urban areas especially noise is the result of multiple sources of sound (e.g., aircraft, motor vehicles, trains, boom cars, car horns, car alarms, sirens). The negative effects on health seem more the result of the combination of different sources than the effect of a specific noise. In particular, a low-frequency noise that is pervasive, accompanied by a more efficient propagation, is difficult to be mitigated or reduced. This low-frequency noise that is underestimated by measurements may have severe consequences on health. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 1499

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth chasing: which measurement schemes underestimate exactly this low-frequency band that standard dBA metrics miss? Ties to ch20 psychoacoustics critique.
• XREF: Payoff of ch20’s claim that decibel-based measurement fails to capture sonic quality. — connects to: Noise peaks rather than averaged doses drive human annoyance and harm — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1030; Noise pollution inflicts a broad set of measurable health harms — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1031; Ordinary daily urban ambient noise levels correlate with heart disease risk — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute…, 185 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Certain low-frequency sounds can resonate with body organs and cause physical harm #expands (0.95) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 45
• A-weighting underestimates low-frequency components, inflating perceived loudness of road noise #corroborates (0.95)
• Ordinary daily urban ambient noise levels correlate with heart disease risk #expands (0.90) — George Michelsen Foy, Zero Decibels, 185
• Noise harms the cardiovascular system even without disturbing sleep #expands (0.90) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 1063
• Continued loud noise exposure can raise blood pressure and damage health #expands (0.85) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2014