Proposed Options for Noise Reduction from a Wastewater Treatment Plant: Case Study

Abstract

Industry and industrial complexes are often located in the proximity of people’s homes. One of the negative effects of industry is noise emissions into the surrounding environment. With the increasing concentration of the human population and the increase in industrial production, more and more people are exposed to the negative effects of noise. This article discusses a comprehensive approach to reducing noise emissions from industrial operations, and the subsequent impacts on surrounding villages and human health. The first step of the whole process is to understand the current state of the acoustic situation in industrial operation and in the nearby villages, an important part of which is the identification and localization of dominant noise sources. For this purpose, a unique noise visualization tool was used, namely, an acoustic camera. The next important step is to propose a technical solution and measures to reduce the noise of the individual source. Consequently, it is necessary to create a mathematical model, i.e., noise maps, in order to verify whether the proposed measures will be sufficient. Once the proposed measures have been implemented, verification of the effectiveness of these measures needs to be carried out through repeated noise measurements in nearby villages and also on the site of the industrial installation. The above procedure was applied to the operation of a wastewater treatment plant that was causing noise exceeding the permissible levels in the surrounding villages. The application of this approach, the implementation of the proposed measures, and the subsequent verification confirmed a significant reduction in the noise levels in the affected villages, and the measures implemented were assessed as highly effective.

The Development of Controlled Orientation of Fibres in SFRC

“…The authors [ 9 , 25 ] examined how the form walls affect the orientation factor in the case of steel fibres. In the case of rigid (steel) and flexible (synthetic) fibres, the effect of the formwork on the orientation of the fibres is different, because fibres of different materials [ 26 , 27 ] behave differently with respect to the formwork when in contact with the substrate. This different behaviour will be influenced by its effects on the number of fibres intersecting the cross-section.…”

Preparation of Industrial Noise Mapping and Improvement of Environmental Quality

“…Analyses are carried out in line with numerical simulations in the process of strategic noise mapping and action plans. In the literature, various noise mapping software are used in noise mapping simulations and it is observed that the most widely used noise mapping programs are SoundPLAN [ 12 , 14 , 17 , 18 , 23 , 25 , 47 – 50 ], CadnaA [ 15 , 19 – 21 , 51 , 52 ], and Predictor [ 16 , 36 , 53 ]. In the research of Butorina et al [ 12 ], SoundPLAN noise mapping software was used to analyze noise level, increasing the efficiency of the noise protection design process was carried out with the application of building information modeling (BIM).…”

“…It was stated that some of the usual techniques for control of sound in the transmission path are mufflers, vibration insolation, break mechanical paths, increasing the transmission paths, use of sound absorptive materials, and construction of heavy airtight enclosures. In the research of Moravec et al [ 51 ], noise reduction from a wastewater treatment plant was explained. Noise reduction in wastewater plants was achieved by means of the replacement of ventilation grilles with acoustic blinds and the providing the acoustic insulation of air distribution pipes.…”

Occupational Disease as the Bane of Workers’ Lives: A Study of Its Incidence in Slovakia. Part 2

“…A number of factors that may affect hearing loss are known, for example race, gender, age [21,22], smoking [23,24], hypersensitivity to noise [25], previous noise exposure [26,27], hypertension [28], synergistic effects [29], and others. An important step in assessing the effects of noise is also proposing measures to reduce it; Moravec et al (2017Moravec et al ( , 2021 [30,31]. Employees who are exposed to hand and arm vibrations are also exposed to high noise levels.…”