Annoyance Due to Environmental Low Frequency Noise and Source Location — A Case Study

Abstract

This case study shows that objective criteria usually based solely on the dB(A) scale are not adequate in evaluating the annoyance due to low frequency noise. Levels which are often low enough to discount the likelihood of a noise nuisance, however, were found to be subjectively annoying. The field study reported here demonstrates that the complainant's annoyance response was due more to the unpleasant nature of the low frequency noise than to its actual level. Positive location of a distant industrial source with the aid of a specially designed three element microphone array provided much needed relief to the complainant.