Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37696975›Full record

ArticleJournal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology2025

Long-term measurement study of urban environmental low frequency noise.

Douglas J Leaffer, Helen Suh, John L Durant, Brian Tracey, Christopher Roof, David M Gute

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Article in Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Douglas J LeafferCivil & Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA. Douglas.Leaffer@tufts.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2855-354X
Helen SuhCivil & Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
John L DurantCivil & Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
Brian TraceyElectrical & Computer Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
Christopher RoofUS Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, MA, USA.
David M GuteCivil & Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnvironmental low frequency noise (LFN < 125 Hz), ubiquitous in urban areas, is an understudied area of exposure science and an overlooked threat to population health. Environmental noise has historically been measured and regulated by A-weighted decibel (dBA) metrics, which more heavily weight frequencies between 2000 and 5000 Hz. Limited research has been conducted to measure and characterize the LFN components of urban environmental noise.

objectivesWe characterized LFN noise at two urban sites in Greater Boston, Massachusetts (USA) using dBA and full spectrum noise measurements with aims to (1.) analyze spatio-temporal differences in the two datasets; (2.) compare and contrast LFN metrics with dBA noise metrics in the two sites; and (3.) assess meteorological covariate contributions to LFN in the dataset.

methodsWe measured A- and C-weighted, and flat, unweighted noise levels and 1/3-octave band continuously for 5 months using sound level meters sampling at f = 1 Hz and we recorded sound samples at 44.1 kHz. Our measurement sites were located in two urban, densely populated communities, burdened by close proximity to bus, rail, and aircraft routes.

resultsWe found that (1.) LFN does not follow the same seasonal trends as A-weighted dBA loudness; there are spatial differences in LFN and its very low frequency noise components (VLFN) between two urban sites; (2.) VLFN and LFN are statistically significant drivers of LCeq (nearly independent of frequency) minus LAeq, (LCeq-LAeq) >10 dB, an accepted LFN metric; and (3.) LFN was minimally affected by high wind speeds at either Site. IMPACT STATEMENT: Environmental low-frequency noise (LFN < 125 Hz), ubiquitous in urban areas, is an understudied area of exposure science and an overlooked risk to population health. We measured environmental noise across the full spectrum of frequencies continuously for five months at two urban sites located in Environmental Justice communities. We found that LFN did not follow the same seasonal trends as A-weighted (dBA) loudness, and we observed spatial differences in LFN and very low frequency noise (VLFN < 20 Hz) at the two sites. Not characterizing LFN and basing noise regulations only on A-weightings, a poor predictor of LFN, may expose populations to LFN levels of concern.

Indexed as

Environmental ExposureEnvironmental MonitoringNoiseBostonCitiesHumansUrban PopulationdBAEnvironmental justice communitiesLAeqLCeqLow-frequency noiseVLFN

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.