Hygiena 2016, 61(1):33-35 | DOI: 10.21101/hygiena.a1439

Noise Annoyance: a Health Problem or Acoustic Comfort?

Tomáš Hellmuth¹, Dana Potužníková^1,2, Pavel Junek¹, Zdeněk Fiala²

¹ Zdravotní ústav se sídlem v Ostravě, Národní referenční laboratoř pro komunální hluk, Ústí nad Orlicí

² Univerzita Karlova v Praze, Lékařská fakulta Hradec Králové, Ústav hygieny a preventivního lékařství, Hradec Králové

In environmental noise management and regulation two categories of noise effects on humans should be taken into account: first by there are direct health effect and second by there is general noise annoyance belonging to the area of the quality of life. Noise, from the point of view of in both categories, should be regulated in the environment - the question is, however, the best proper authority and proper legislative tools for this regulation. Existing noise legislation within the agenda of the Ministry of Health concerns public health safety only and not the general reduction of all noise in the whole living environment. Solving the problem of general annoyance by noise is the a matter for the local authorities and the police. Lack of understanding of the difference of the two approaches often leads to unnecessary confusion in the lay public and the media, as well as in a number of cases among professionals.

Keywords: noise health effects, acoustic comfort, noise regulations

Received: July 2015; Accepted: December 8, 2015; Published: March 1, 2016  Show citation