Extra-auditory effects of noise exposure in Italian schools: noise levels in external areas

Abstract Schools in urban areas are often located in areas with high traffic and noise pollution that affect the overall and sonic quality of the external spaces. Due to this, teachers and students are exposed to high noise levels, this condition could have an impact on the perceptive-cognitive and neurobehavioral aspects, determining auditory and extra-auditory effects from exposure to noise. The BRiC - ID14 project, funded by INAIL, investigates the extra-auditory effects of noise exposure on primary and secondary school teachers and students. In this study, the assessment of sonic, acoustic and overall environment of the external area of three kindergartens, three primary schools and three secondary ones located in Rome, Florence and Perugia was carried out. The external areas were investigated and discussed by analyzing the acoustic, psychoacoustic and subjective data collected. The results obtained by the acoustic measurements campaign under non-occupied conditions were compared with the soundscape measurements outcomes, under occupied conditions. The two measurements campaign revealed that the obtained values are comparable in terms of objective and subjective responses. The differences observed in the perception of the sonic and overall environment are ascribable to different noise sources located close to the schools.