Characterization of Noise Pollution in Market Environments Across Abuja Municipal Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

The degree of environmental noise pollution and its potential effects in thirteen (13) of AMAC's primary marketplaces in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, have been analyzed. Noise measurement has been done throughout the mornings, afternoons, and nights to determine noise pollution all over the major markets of AMAC, FCT. Thirteen markets (13) was selected based base on the phases and the level of development; ten are selected from phases 1 and 2, while phase three and four (3and 4) is represented by two (2) because the markets present in the district are either local or just coming up because of the level of development that is still coming up in these places. Other criteria are; markets along heavy and light traffic road, markets that have submerged and other gradually submerging into residential building and the busiest markets in AMAC. The analysis of the noise levels measurement was done for seven (7) days, three (3) times a day (mornings, afternoons and evenings), using Testo 816 Digital sound level meter with accuracy class of two to IEC 60651, precision integrated was employed in order to gather the noise data. The loudest mean levels, 122.1 dB(A), 119.2 dB(A), and 95.1 dB(A), were measured at Gosa Market (GM), Nyanya Market (NM), and Nyanya Market (AM), respectively, in the nights, afternoons, and mornings. This generated a serious health hazards for the merchants and some buyers who stay more than two hours in the market as this results far exceed the acceptable recommended standards of WHO/NESREA. The findings revealed that generators, grinding machines, mobile sellers, vehicular movement, siren from security vehicles, horn from moving vehicles, traffic jams etc. are the sources of noise in the markets. With the exception of Asokoro Modern Market, Garki International Market, and Wuye Ultra-Modern Market, most markets have high levels of noise pollution, which may have an adverse effect on the public's and traders' health. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and one sample t-test indicated that there were no appreciable variations in sound levels among the various markets in the research region. Because noise can have physiological and psychological effects on people, governments and environmental managers should enforce laws and implement policies to educate the public about the importance of adopting energy-efficient building techniques like solar energy and other environmentally friendly options that will improve urban livability, such as noise- proofing (power) and retrofitting.