Department of Radiation Biology, Radiotherapy & Radiodiagnosis

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Open Access
Assessment of Noise Level Distributions in Lagos Metropolis and the Potential for Adverse Health Effects
(2017-06) Ibitoye, AZ; Awda, MA; Ofojebe, PC
Elevated sound pressure levels can lead to sleep disturbance,annoyance, hearing impairment, speech interference, and severe stresson the auditory and nervous systems if sound levels are continuous and greaterthan international standard limits. The aim of this study was to evaluatethe noise level distributions in Lagos, Nigeria. We selected 32 locations across the Lagos metropolis for this study. A digital sound meter capable of measuring32 dB–130 dB was used. At each location, minimum and maximum noiselevels were determined. Measurements were taken in morning (8–10 a.m.),afternoon (2–4 p.m.), and evening (6–8 p.m.) periods. The obtained valueswere presented as mean ± standard deviation in decibels (dB). The highest average sound pressure level was found to be 90.3 ± 15.3 dB, while the lowestvalue was 55.30 ± 4.6 dB. There was no statistically significant difference in thenoise level distributions in the three monitoring sessions (p = .74). Noise leveldistributions in the city exceeded the acceptable standard limits set by the World Health Organization. Health effects related to incessant exposures tohigh noise levels are likely to be common and may result in negative impactson the well-being of the inhabitants of the city.