Skip to Content

4.1.3 PAI – Population Annoyance Index

Version 2.1 by Emily West on 2022/01/06 12:56

4.1.3 PAI – Population Annoyance Index

TopicUrban challengesSub-challenges
Social4 - Public Health and Well-Being4.1 - Acoustics
Description
The PAI describes the following health effects from the acoustic indicator LDEN and thus the night noise level in urban areas (dB). The day-evening-night–level indicator (LDEN) designed to assess annoyance. LDEN is the average sound pressure level over all days, evenings and nights in a year. In this compound indicator the evening value gets a penalty of 5 dB and the night value of 10 dB. This is the 'general purpose' indicator defined in EU-directive 2002/49. European threshold LDEN: High Noise level: 55 decibels (dB) (EEA, 2014). PAI is a derived indicator regarding health effects of noise on exposed population and is linked to LD, LN and LDEN
Scale as linked to D2.2 framework
  • City
  • Neighborhood
Data source [ link to data framework]
  • Simulation
    • Digital model + noise simulation
    • Threshold levels/classes out of EEA/WHO Report.
  • Measurement
    • LDEN
Needs
  • Noise simulation software
  • Calculation tool
Expected Outputs
  • Area over threshold (m2 )
  • Relative change (%)
Calculation methods
  • Threshold level, classes and ratio as well as relative area ratio to other scenarios
Links and references
  • DERUITER, E. (nA): A tool for environmental noise control in urban planning: The Population Annoyance Index, http://www.peutz.nl/sites/default/files/publicaties/NAGDAG A-ER1.pdf
  • European Environment Agency (2010): Good Practice guide on noise exposure and potential health effects. EEA Technical Report No. 11/2010. ISSN 1725-2237, https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/good-practice-guide-on-noise/download
  • European Environment Agency (2014): Noise in Europe. EEA Technical Report No. 10/2014. ISSN 1977-8449, https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/noise-in-europe-2014/fil