Identification of daily environmental noise patterns in two different urban sites in Santiago, Chile / Análisis de ruido ambiental en Santiago, Chile

Background: Environmental noise can cause auditory and non-auditory adverse effects. Aim: To identify daily environmental noise patterns in two urban sites of Metropolitan Santiago. Material and Methods: Continuous measurements of environmental noise in two sites of Metropolitan Santiago were analyzed by means of hierarchical cluster analysis. One site was a main street with heavy traffic and the second was a street from a neighborhood with intense nocturnal activity. The first phase of analysis consisted of clustering noise profiles with similar shapes according to the average linkage method, with correlation as the similarity measure. The second phase grouped the profiles with similar shapes into sub-clusters that also had similar absolute noise levels, using the complete linkage method, with absolute distance as the similarity measure. Results: Two noise patterns were identified for the first site, one for weekdays (Monday to Friday) and another for weekends (Saturday and Sunday). For the second site five different patterns were identified (Monday to Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Also different patterns appeared for summer compared to the rest of the year. The noise levels of both sites were high. Conclusions: The detected noise levels can be annoying, cause sleep disturbances and increase the risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, among other effects.

Antecedentes: El ruido ambiental puede tener efectos adversos auditivos y no auditivos. Objetivo: Identificar patrones diarios de ruido ambiental en dos sectores urbanos de Santiago, Chile. Material y Métodos: Se analizaron mediciones continuas de ruido ambiental realizadas en dos emplazamientos urbanos de Santiago, Chile, mediante análisis de cluster jerárquico. Los dos lugares fueron una avenida principal con alto tráfico vehicular y una calle en un barrio con intensa actividad nocturna. La primera fase del análisis agrupó perfiles de ruido con formas similares de acuerdo al método de vinculación promedio, usando la correlación como medida de similitud. La segunda fase agrupó los perfiles con formas similares en subclusters que también tuvieran niveles de ruido similares, usando el método de vinculación completa, con la distancia absoluta como medida de similitud. Resultados: Se identificaron dos patrones para el primer emplazamiento, uno para días de semana (lunes a viernes) y otro para fines de semana (sábado y domingo). Para el segundo emplazamiento se identificaron cinco patrones diferentes (lunes a miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, y domingo), así como patrones distintos para el verano en comparación con el resto del año. Los niveles de ruido en ambos lugares fueron altos. Conclusiones: Los niveles de ruido detectados podrían producir molestias, perturbación del sueño, incremento de riesgo de hipertensión y enfermedades cardiovasculares, entre otros efectos.

Identification of daily environmental noise patterns in two different urban sites in Santiago, Chile.

BACKGROUND: Environmental noise can cause auditory and non-auditory adverse effects. AIM: To identify daily environmental noise patterns in two urban sites of Metropolitan Santiago. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Continuous measurements of environmental noise in two sites of Metropolitan Santiago were analyzed by means of hierarchical cluster analysis. One site was a main street with heavy traffic and the second was a street from a neighborhood with intense nocturnal activity. The first phase of analysis consisted of clustering noise profiles with similar shapes according to the average linkage method, with correlation as the similarity measure. The second phase grouped the profiles with similar shapes into sub-clusters that also had similar absolute noise levels, using the complete linkage method, with absolute distance as the similarity measure. RESULTS: Two noise patterns were identified for the first site, one for weekdays (Monday to Friday) and another for weekends (Saturday and Sunday). For the second site five different patterns were identified (Monday to Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). Also different patterns appeared for summer compared to the rest of the year. The noise levels of both sites were high. CONCLUSIONS: The detected noise levels can be annoying, cause sleep disturbances and increase the risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, among other effects.