Distance Based Assessment of Noise Pollution in Residential Areas Surrounding Major Market Hubs in Awka South LGA, Anambra State

This study examined distance-based variations in environmental noise levels in residential areas surrounding two major market hubs, Amaenyi and Eke Awka, in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. Anchored on Distance-Decay Theory, the aim was to determine whether noise intensity decreases with increasing radial distance from market cores and to assess compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) residential limits. A cross-sectional field measurement design was adopted. Ambient noise levels were recorded using a calibrated digital Sound Level Meter, and equivalent continuous sound levels (Leq) were measured across three radial bands: 0–50 m, 50–100 m, and beyond 100 m. Descriptive statistics, percentage attenuation analysis, and linear regression were used to evaluate spatial patterns. Results indicate a clear inverse relationship between distance and mean noise levels. At Amaenyi, mean levels declined from 89.6 dB (0–50 m) to 75.4 dB (>100 m), while Eke Awka showed a reduction from 101.1 dB to 82.5 dB. Regression analysis confirmed strong distance–noise relationships (R² = 0.972 and 0.841, respectively). However, all measured values exceeded WHO (55 dB) and NESREA (50 dB) residential limits across all distance bands. The study concludes that although attenuation occurs with distance, existing spatial separation is inadequate to ensure residential acoustic safety, highlighting the need for improved land-use planning and regulatory enforcement

Noise Pollution; Distance-Decay Theory; Environmental Noise

1. Agbola, T. (1998). The housing of Nigerians: a review of policy development and implementation in the housing sector.. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Arku, G., Luginaah, I., Mkandawire, P., Asiedu, A. B., & Agudzie, Y. (2011). Housing and health in three contrasting neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana. Social Science & Medicine, 72(11), 1864–1872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.03.021 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Babisch, W. (2006). Transportation noise and cardiovascular risk: Updated review and synthesis of epidemiological studies indicate that the evidence has increased. Noise and Health, 8(30), 1–29. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Basner, M., Babisch, W., Davis, A., Brink, M., Clark, C., Janssen, S., & Stansfeld, S. (2014). Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health. The Lancet, 383(9925), 1325–1332. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61613-X [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Batty, M. (2008). The size, scale, and shape of cities. Science, 319(5864), 769–771. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1151419 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Beranek, L. L., & Vér, I. L. (1992). Noise and vibration control engineering: Principles and applications. John Wiley & Sons. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Brown, A. L., & van Kamp, I. (2009). WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European Region: A systematic review of transport noise interventions and their impacts on health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 6(11), 3121–3139. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph6113121 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Cohen, B. (2006). Urbanization in developing countries: Current trends, future projections, and key challenges for sustainability. Technology in Society, 28(1–2), 63–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2005.10.005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Cullingworth, J. B., & Caves, R. W. (2014). Planning in the USA: Policies, issues, and processes (4th ed.). Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Goines, L., & Hagler, L. (2007). Noise pollution: A modern plague. Southern Medical Journal, 100(3), 287–294. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ogbeifun, N. P., & Njokede, F. O. (2022). Assessment of Noise Pollution in Oba Market, New Benin Market & Oregbeni Market, Benin City, Edo State. NIPES Proceedings in Science and Technology, 1, 216-225. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Ighoroje, A. D. A., Marchie, C., & Nwobodo, E. D. (2009). Noise pollution in Benin City: A pilot study. African Journal of Biomedical Research, 12(1), 23–27. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Münzel, T., Sørensen, M., Gori, T., Schmidt, F., Rao, X., Brook, F. R., Chen, L. C., & Brook, R. D. (2018). Environmental stressors and cardio-metabolic disease: Part II—Mechanistic insights. European Heart Journal, 38(8), 557–564. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx347 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). (2009). National environmental (noise standards and control) regulations, 2009. Federal Republic of Nigeria. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. National Population Commission. (2006). 2006 population and housing census of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Federal Republic of Nigeria. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Olayinka, O. S., & Abdullahi, A. S. (2010). Noise pollution levels in commercial areas of Ibadan, Nigeria. African Journal of Biomedical Research, 13(2), 125–131. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Onuu, M. U., & Menkiti, A. I. (1996). Evaluation of noise pollution in Aba, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Physics, 8, 1–5. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Oyedepo, S. O. (2012). Noise pollution in urban areas: The neglected dimension of environmental pollution. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 5(4), 259–271. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Oyedepo, S. O., & Saadu, A. A. (2010). Evaluation and analysis of noise levels in Ilorin metropolis, Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 160(1–4), 563–577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0719-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Stansfeld, S. A., & Matheson, M. P. (2003). Noise pollution: Non-auditory effects on health. British Medical Bulletin, 68(1), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldg033 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. United Nations. (2019). World urbanization prospects: The 2018 revision. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. World Health Organization. (2011). Burden of disease from environmental noise: Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. WHO Regional Office for Europe. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. World Health Organization. (2018). Environmental noise guidelines for the European Region. WHO Regional Office for Europe. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Anambra State Government. (Year). [Relevant environmental or demographic report title]. Government of Anambra State [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar