Vehicular Noise and Air Pollution in Bhubaneswar City, India and Socio-Health Analysis

Abstract Urban areas, with their dense populations and extensive transportation networks, often face significant challenges from vehicular noise and air pollution. Noise pollution occurs when sound levels exceed acceptable thresholds, leading to adverse impacts on human health and well-being. In urban environments, traffic noise constitutes the largest portion of overall noise pollution and it can lead to a range of health issues of the inhabitants. The pollutants are released to surrounding air when fuel burns inside an internal combustion engine. Air pollution has escalated into a significant environmental and public health issue over the past few decades, particularly in urban areas. The long-term exposure to air pollution has serious health consequences, leading to chronic conditions that significantly impair quality of life and increase mortality. In this work, the vehicular noise pollution in Bhubanswar city and its impact on exposed population have been studied. The important locations have been chosen for the assessment of noise level and noise pollution indices. The air pollution and its correlation with vehicular noise have been studied. The impact of noise pollution on wellness of the exposed population has been studied also. It's concerning to observe that the traffic noise levels in Bhubaneswar city have reached such an alarming stage.