The role of urban green areas in noise pollution attenuation
Allan Rodrigo Nunho dos Reis, Daniela Biondi, Jefferson Dias de Oliveira
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the biophysical characteristics of green areas with the reduction of noise propagation.The study was conducted in two green areas located in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Noise pollution levels along with the vegetation and the physical characterization were collected in each plot site of 600m2. The attenuated pollution values were defined and compared with the physical characteristics. The attenuated noise values varied from 1.7 to 14.8 dBeq. The vegetation proved to be efficient in attenuating noise pollution, showing that the site with the least amount of vegetation obtained the lowest noise attenuation values. The density and number of trees showed very strong correlations with the blocked decibel values. A combination of factors such as the shape and size of the fragments with the terrain conditions (terrain slope, and coverage) influenced the noise propagation.