Assessment of acoustic climate and traffic noise pollution: A case study

Lublin, like many large cities, faces the problem of environmental pollution caused by noise and a steadily deteriorating acoustic climate.This study aimed to assess the acoustic climate and environmental pollution caused by traffic noise in Lublin in four selected locations near universities: the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Maria Curie-Skodowska University (UMCS), University of Life Sciences (UP), and Lublin University of Technology (PL).The study measured an indicator of environmental noise pollution -the equivalent sound level (L Aeq ) -used to evaluate the acoustic climate.The acoustic conditions identified during the study were unfavourable, with moderate noise hazards, and noise was found to be moderately or highly disruptive.Excessive daytime noise was identified in location 2 (UMCS), location 3 (UP), and location 4 (PL).Given the high pedestrian traffic in location 3 (UP), actions to improve acoustic comfort should be considered in this area.Meanwhile, the highest noise levels were identified in location 4 (PL), which also requires protection from traffic noise.