An Investigation of Traffic Noise Levels Around a Major Hospital in Qatar

摘要

Although hospitals are sensitive to noise and are considered silent zones, many are located in urban areas and are subject to high levels of noise. In this study, an assessment of traffic noise, around a major hospital in the city of Doha, Qatar, was conducted during the morning and evening periods. The results indicated that the noise values exceeded the World Health Organization's reference value of 50 dB A for both morning and evening times, and were higher than the 55 dBA limit at which serious annoyance is generated. Additionally, it exceeded the Qatar local standards for both daytime (55 dBA) and nighttime (45 dBA) noise levels. The results indicated that one of the main sources of noise was road traffic. Different solutions were proposed for a possible action plan to reduce the high level of noise.