The experience of using a sociological survey to assess the perception of odour and noise by the population

Introduction. Sensory environmental factors, such as the odour of emissions from various enterprises and noise, are becoming increasingly relevant in connection with the development of industry and urban highways. This is due to their impact on the psychosomatic health of people living in areas where sources of odour and noise pollution of atmospheric air are located. The aim of the study – to evaluate the relationship between the perception of odours present in atmospheric air and noise with the subjective assessment of health status in the population of an industrial city. Materials and methods. The data were obtained as a result of a survey of seven hundred nineteen residents of the city with a population of about 90 thousand people, conducted over 2022. The questionnaire included questions to assess the frequency, intensity of perception of odours and noise, as well as the degree of annoyance by these factors. To study the health status of the respondents, it was suggested to note their health complaints. Results. The study identified symptoms associated with odour and noise perception such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, annoyance, and others. These symptoms are similar for odour and noise perception. Limitations of the study are related to a relatively small sample of interviewees, and a limited number of questions that allow assessing the relationship between the effects of the studied factors and the public health as well as the lack of data characterizing the full composition of emissions from all enterprises in the city. Conclusion. Factors of different nature – atmospheric odours and noise, affecting various analyzers and triggering biological processes in the body, lead to similar effects through the induction of annoyance. Stress caused by annoyance by odours and noise causes a number of symptoms and diseases and, in turn, affects the work of analyzers responsible for the perception of environmental factors.