MEASUREMENTS AND ANALYSES OF NOISE LEVELS AND DOSE AT SETRACO QUARRY SITE, UGWUELE, UTURU, ISUIKWUATO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

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Product Code: 00007372

No of Pages: 81

No of Chapters: 1-5

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ABSTRACT


The study involved measurements and analyses of noise levels and doses for 14 weeks in setraco quarry ugwuele uturu. The quarry site were divided into three zones, more noise zone (A), medium noise zone (B) and less noise zone (C). The site has about 60-100 workers in different sections of the quarry. Noise dosemeter and noise level meter was used to for the data collected and an Arc-GIS for data analyses which showed the distribution of noise levels in the quarry area. The maximum sound distribution pattern (SD%) is 117.5 SD% which is at the blasting/drilling point while the minimum sound distribution pattern (SD %) is 39.6 SD% which is at the nearest settlement close to the quarrying area. The measured maximum noise levels Lmax were as high as 117.5 dB(A) at the blasting/drilling sites. Noise levels at the facades of the houses in the community and administrative building and noise exposure levels range from 96.0 to 69.8  dB(A), respectively. Most of these results showed an elevation over the control and standard limits with respect to noise levels. These elevations could be attributed to the quarrying activities. Therefore, these quarry workers ought to be protected to avoid much occupation hazard. Longtime exposure to noise sources from the zone A and B will affect the workers psychologically, physically and mentally if strict control measures is not implemented. Workers and individual within zone (C) are mainly affected by noise from vehicular movement and less from other sources of noise from the quarry.





TABLE OF CONTENTS


Cover page                                                                                                                  Pages

Title Page                                                                                                                    i

Declaration                                                                                                                  ii

Certification                                                                                                                iii

Dedication                                                                                                                  iv

Acknowledgement                                                                                                      v

Table of Contents                                                                                                       vi

List of Tables                                                                                                              vii

List of Figures                                                                                                             viii

Abstract                                                                                                                      x

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION                                                                              1

1.1 Quarry and Pollution                                                                                            1

1.2 Background of Study                                                                                           2

1.3 Aim                                                                                                                       3

1.4 Objectives                                                                                                             3

1.5 Justification of Study                                                                                           4

1.6 Significance of the Study                                                                                     4

1.7  Scope of the Study                                                                                               4

1.8  Study Area                                                                                                            5

 

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW                                                                   9                                                                                             

2.1  Noise at the Human Ear                                                                                        9

2.2  Principles of Industrial Noise Control                                                                  17

2.3  Noise Sources From Quarry                                                                                  21

2.3.1        Control of Noise Sources in a Quarry                                                             21

2.3.2        Lex                                                                                                                  22

2.4  Review of Previous Literatures                                                                            23

CHAPTER 3: MATERIALS AND METHOD                                                         38

3.1Materials                                                                                                                38

3.1.1 The Noise Level Meter                                                                                      38                   

3.1.2 Noise Pro Dosemeter                             `                                               `           39

3.1.3        Calibrator                                                                                                        41

3.2      Research Methods                                                                                              41

3.2.1        Noise Level Measurements                                                                             43

3.3      Analysis                                                                                                              44

3.3.1        Statistical Analysis                                                                                          45

3.3.2        Data Development                                                                                          46

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION                                                        48

4.1  Results                                                                                                                  48

4.2 Discussion                                                                                                             60

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION                                62       

5.1  Conclusion                                                                                                            62       

5.2  Recommendation                                                                                                  62

5.3  Suggestions for Further Work                                                                              63

References                                                                                                                  64

                                                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF TABLES


 2.1: Table of leq,lex, time and noise dose                                                                              23

 3.1: Table of types and number of machinery provided by quarry management                  44

 4.1: Measurement of permissible noise levels in different types of location                         48

 4.2: Vehicles movement measurement (dBA)                                                                       49

 4.3: Measurement of noise levels at the nearest community house at facades (dBA)           49

 4.4: Measurement of noise levels at the crushing point (dBA)                                              50

 4.5: measurement of noise level at the blasting /drilling point                                               50

 4.6: Measurement of noise dose at the blasting department                                                  51

 4.7: Measurement of noise dose at the fueling department                                                   51

 4.8: Measurement of noise dose at the weighing department                                               52

 4.9: Measurement of noise dose at the workshop department                                              52

 4.10: Measurement of noise dose at the store department                                                    53

 4.11: Measurement of noise dose at the health and safety department                                 53

 4.12: Measurement of noise dose at the clinic department                                                    54

 4.13: Measurement of noise dose at the administration department                                     54

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF FIGURES


1: Map of Setraco quarry as analyzed by the Arc-GIS.                                              5

2 Sketch of Setraco quarry in Ugwuele, Uturu                                                          7

3 Diagram of a sound level meter                                                                               39

4 Diagram of a noise dosemeter                                                                                 40

5 Pictures of the major sectors of the quarry                                                              42

6 Graph of sound distribution pattern (%) against Time                                            55

7 Graph of maximum and minimum noise level at the blasting department

(at facades)                                                                                                     55                                                                                                       

8 Graph of noise levels at the fuelling department for windows closed and open    56

9 Graph of noise levels at the weighing department for window closed and open   56

10 Graph of noise levels at the workshop department for window closed and open 57

11 Graph of noise levels at the store department for window closed and open        57

12 Graph of noise levels at the HSE department for window closed and open        58

13 Graph of noise levels at the clinic department for window closed and open        58

14 Graph of noise levels at the administration department for window closed

and opened                                                                                                     59

 

 

 

 



 

                                                             CHAPTER 1

                                            INTRODUCTION


1.1 QUARRY AND NOISE POLLUTION                                   

Quarrying is the process of extracting, removing and disposing quarry resources found on or underneath the surface of a private or public land. It serves as a source raw materials to sand and gravel industry when crushed into small particles. Different quarrying activities have different impacts on the environment like air pollution, industrial noise and emission of greenhouse gases. The most common effect of quarrying is noise pollution (Babatunde et al., 2003).

Noise pollution in stone quarry industry is one of the environmental problems penetrating all corners and areas of working environment in quarry industry. There are activities, which have led to high noise levels in quarrying industry like; blasting, drilling, crushing, heavy machineries, and vehicle movements. The intensity of noise within the industry and workplace in general is rising continuously and causing severe nuisance in the immediate surrounding and to the people working and living within the sited quarrying industry (Babatude et al., 2003). Noise pollution is any sound, which is undesirable, unpleasant and objectionable to human health.

 Noise can superimpose with communication, affects concentration, reduced efficiency and petulance. Increase blood pressure and also effects communities close to the plants. The noise which varies depending on the level, source and characteristics, (Onuu and Tawo, 2005).

 

1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Different aspects of the working environment could expose an individual to potential hazards. Noise is considered as one of these hazards and it is at present viewed as a global health issue. Noise, which is defined as vexatious sounds, is a share of the everyday human activity. Excessive noise above the tolerated levels from all the sources of noise is hazardous and could cause hearing deficiency. This is a pervasive occupational hazard, which could lead to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Other concomitant health effects include; temporary threshold shift (TTS), high blood pressure, and stress.

Exposure to excess noise is viewed as a rise in the threshold of hearing (threshold shift), as evaluate by audiometry. This is explained as a change in hearing thresholds of an average 10 dB or more at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz in either ear (poorer hearing). There are two types of NIHL, a transient threshold shift, which is a temporary loss of hearing, and a permanent threshold shift, which is a shift in the person’s ability to hear soft sounds. This is caused by long-term exposure to loud sounds of lower intensity, like noise from machineries or very loud music.

Noise is preceded with almost every work activity; some activities are associated with particularly high levels of noise. Usually, sounds above 85 dB are regarded as harmful; depending on the time scale and how often one is exposed to them and whether you wear hearing (Lindberg and Humphrey, 2008). Former literature present that workers in quarries, sawmills, mines, textile factors, and many others work with machines that produces noise much higher than the tolerated levels and therefore expose workers to potential hearing loss (Enyinna and Onwuka, 2014). In the large coal industry, about 76% are exposed to hazardous noise. This results in about 25% of hearing impairment and about 80% of other significant health issues such as high blood pressure in the workers’ retirement age (Coles, 1980). Although the situation has improved in developed countries as a result of more widespread appreciation of the hazard and the institution of protective measures, evidence (Enyinna and Onwuka, 2014). Increasing industrialization might exacerbate this situation in developing countries and therefore the need to assess the industrial noise pollution and its impact on workers in such areas (Lindberg and Humphrey, 2008).

          

             1.3 AIM

The aim of this study is to measure and analyze noise levels and doses at sampling points at Setraco Quarry in Ugwuele Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area, Abia State and using a personal noise dosemeter (Noise Pro dosesmeter) and integreted noise level meter (C-100 precision 734) to explain the noise level associated each location in the quarry.

            

             1.4 OBJECTIVES

             The objectives of this investigation are:

1.      To measure noise pollution generated at selected points of the quarry site using handheld noise meter and dosemeter.

2.      To compare the measured value noise pollution with the World Health Organization (WHO) set standard or limits.

3.      To calculate the amount of noise generated for a selected period of time.

4.      To statistically analyze the measured values collected using the two measuring instruments from the three sampling points.


             1.5 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

Quarry activities began in Nigeria in the late 1960’s and has been on the increase since then. Quarry  present an array of environmental problems which include loss of lives and properties, dust and noise pollution, siltation of rivers, excessive surface run-off and flooding, environmental hazard such as these pose future to our environment (Nduka and Nelson, 2003).

 

             1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study is to create awareness and proffer possible solutions to the problems of noise pollution, the major areas where noise level is very high, medium and low in major quarry communities. This work will add to the numerous reference material for any future research in industrial noise in other quarries. Finally it will also help government authorities concerned with environmental management to develop action plans aimed at curtailing excess noise in quarrying in our environment.

 

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study includes the measurement of noise pollution at a selected location at Setraco quarry site in Uturu, namely; crushing site, blasting/drilling area, during transportation and inside the village during, morning, afternoon, and evening hours of the day. These measurements were taken for 14 weeks using a Noise Pro dosemeter and a handheld C-100-noise level meter. These meters measure the amount of time an individual is exposed to high noise sources and the amount of noise (dB(A)) exposed to respectively. Analysis and discussion were made based on the measurements obtained.


             1.8 STUDY AREA

This research was conducted at Setraco Nigeria Limited, located at Ugwuele in Uturu, Abia State. Uturu is located within South-eastern savanna belt, within latitude 05.33N and 06.03N, and longitude of 10E and 07.29E. Bounded on the west and south by hills and valleys (Chiemeka, 2007).