Analysis of community response to noise in Chinese city

A social survey on community response to noise was conducted in Tianjin from March to August in 2006. In order to increase the international communion of the research outcome,two ICBEN standardized survey questions with the corresponding 5-verbal scale and 11-numerical scale were adopted in the questionnaire.After the social survey, physical measurement of 24-hour noise exposure of road traffic noise was carried out on 18 spots in the residential areas where the social survey had been conducted.As a result,dose-response relationship curves of road traffic noise were constructed and the characteristic on noise evaluation of Chinese resident was systematically analyzed.The conclusions were in the following: (1) The resident showed an apparent negative attitude to the sound environment,particularly those in work and public areas. (2) Road traffic noise was considered to be the main noise source in urban life at the present and in future,and construction noise gave the worst impression in the attitude evaluation to noise sources. (3) The resident thought the sound quality in private place was more important than those in work and public areas. (4) Noise evaluation varied with the importance of the activities disturbed by noise.