=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-3293/paper42
|storemode=property
|title=Assessment of Noise Emission Levels and Acoustic Pollution near Tirana International Airport "Mother Teresa", Albania
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3293/paper42.pdf
|volume=Vol-3293
|authors=Elizabeta Susaj,Lush Susaj
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/haicta/SusajS22
}}
==Assessment of Noise Emission Levels and Acoustic Pollution near Tirana International Airport "Mother Teresa", Albania==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-3293/paper42.pdf
Assessment of Noise Emission Levels and Acoustic Pollution
near Tirana International Airport "Mother Teresa", Albania
Elizabeta Susaj 1 and Lush Susaj 2
1
Department of Environment, Faculty of Urban Planning and Environment Management (FUPEM), POLIS
University, Tirana, Albania
2
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment,
Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania
Abstract
Air transportation is one of the most important sources of noise and acoustic pollution related
with the life quality of population, especially in urban areas. The study was conducted during
the period January-June 2018, in Qereka, the nearest village to the Tirana International Airport
“Mother Teresa”. There were measured noise levels (LAeq/Day, LAeq/Evening, and LAeq/Night) in three
building clusters on different distances from the airport runaway axis. Observed results showed
that LAeq/Day varied from 47.7 dB to 62.8 dB, and LAmax varied from 77.8 dB to 97.9 dB, with
24 to 47 cases over 70 dB. LAeq/Evening varied from 43 dB to 59.9 dB, while LAmax varied from
80.8 dB to 89.7 dB, with 10 to 13 cases over 70 dB. L Aeq/Night varied from 40.3 dB to 55.9 dB,
while LAmax varied from 72.8 dB to 102.2 dB, with 3 to 10 cases over 70 dB. Results of the
population interviews showed that the noise from air transport affects the quality of daily living
activities of the residential area, mainly with sleep disturbances (87.1%), hearing problems
(93%), communication interference (87.8%), irritability (64.8%), headache (56.9%), and signs
of hypertension (32.1%). There was recommended reducing the noise impact in the residential
areas and the neighborhoods of the Tirana International Airport “Mother Teresa”, applying the
recommended standards of WHO, EU, and Albanian standards for noise level in residential
areas, regular monitoring of noise emission, compensation of noise impact, improvement of
aircraft fleet, etc., in order to minimize the impact in the affected community.
Keywords 1
acoustic pollution, air transport, health problems, noise, TIA (Tirana International Airport)
1. Introduction
Noise is an important public health issue. It has negative impacts on human health and well-being
and is a growing concern [1]. Environmental noise is defined as: “an unwanted and harmful external
sound caused by human activities, including noise emitted by vehicles, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic
and industrial activities to which people are exposed "in particular in residential areas, public parks or
other quiet enclosed areas, in quiet areas in open areas, near schools, hospitals and other noise-sensitive
areas and buildings" [2]. It is the sound which causes any kind of negative effect of biological, social,
psychological, behavioral and performance nature, on human health and well-being [3], which lead to
a loss of productivity of workers, put a burden on health care systems and cause a substantial
depreciation of real-estate value [4; 5]. The analysis of newer surveys (2000–2014) on annoyance due
to traffic noise shows statistically significant correlations between noise levels and annoyance scores
with moderate strength of the relationship [6]. WHO [7] at the “Night Noise Guidelines” noticed the
relations between aircraft noise, sleep quality and health of human and animals. Rocha et al. [8] report
that the outdoor nighttime aircraft noise around Atlanta International Airport was significantly
Proceedings of HAICTA 2022, September 22–25, 2022, Athens, Greece
EMAIL: elizabeta_susaj@universitetipolis.edu.al (A. 1); lsusaj@ubt.edu.al (A. 2)
ORCID: 0000-0002-1875-2775 (A. 1)
©️ 2022 Copyright for this paper by its authors.
Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
CEUR Workshop Proceedings (CEUR-WS.org)
217
associated with lower sleep quality, increased prevalence of being highly sleep disturbed and highly
annoyed by aircraft noise. Lnight was associated with several coping behaviors. Residents were more
likely to report often or always closing their windows, consuming alcohol, watching TV and using
music as sleep aids. The European Environment Agency [EEA] [9] reports that with the increase of
Lnight,outside (aircraft) from 30-40 to 40-55, and >55 dB, the awakening increases from 2.5 to 25, 50, 75
and 97.75%. The long term noise exposure, either directly or indirectly, affects the autonomous nervous
system, respiratory system and the endocrine system, changes in blood pressure and heart rate,
arteriosclerosis, hypertension, Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) (including myocardial infarction), and
other diseases, which may be with chronic or acute effects.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization [ICAO] [10], although aircraft being
produced nowadays are 75% much quieter than those manufactured 50 years ago, aircraft noise remains
the most significant cause of adverse community reaction related to the operation and expansion of
airports worldwide. This outlook reviews the tremendous progress being made in aircraft noise
technology and the projected trends of aircraft noise through the year 2036.
According to WHO Regional Office for Europe [11], critical health outcomes for exposure to high
levels of noise produced by aircraft traffic (average/night time) for general population are related to
cardiovascular disease, annoyance, cognitive impairment, hearing impairment and tinnitus, adverse
birth outcomes, quality of life, well-being and mental health, metabolic outcomes, as well as effects on
sleep for night noise exposure. It is estimated that around 3.2 million people were highly annoyed by
aircraft noise, and 1.4 million suffered from high sleep disturbance in 2017 around the 47 major
European airports [12]. Recent years have seen an increase in the strength of the evidence linking
environmental noise exposure (road, rail, airport and industrial noise) to health [13].
2. Materials and Methods
The study was conducted during the period January-June 2018 in Qereka village, the nearest
inhabited area of TIA. Three noise levels, such as LAeq/Day (06:00-19:00), LAeq/Evening) (19:00-23:00), and
LAeq/Night (23:00-07:00), which are the most daily life and health concerns of the community due to noise
emitted by the air transport, in three building clusters on different distances from the airport runaway
axis, such as: 300 m direct exposition (1), 300 m indirect exposition (2), and at the passengers’ bus
platform (3) were measured.
A Sound Level Meter (SLM) EXTECH 407764 RS232 / Data logger device, with a memory of 16
Kbit (16000 thousand measurements), and an error correction of ±1.5 dB (A), and a calibrator OSHA
Type GenRad 1562-A, were used for the noise level measurements. Measurements were made under
normal climate conditions, such as lack of precipitation, fog and snow, and wind speed less than 5 m/s.
The microphone was protected with anti-wind headphones. The apparatus was recorded to make 1
measurement in 6 seconds in order to catch the current value every 6 seconds, regularly for 24 hours.
Estec SoundMeter - software that accompanies the device and reads and converts data for further use.
A questionnaire related to the information and public perception on acoustic pollution coming from
the air transport was carried out with the population living on 75 families, 25 families for each cluster.
Cluster 1: 25 families located 300 m with direct exposition (1); Cluster 1: 25 families located 300 m
with indirect exposition (2), and Cluster 3: 25 families located over 300 m with direct and indirect
exposition from the airport runaway axis. Seventy-five questionnaires were completed.
Observed data were subject of the SPSS software processing [14] and the mean data were presented
as a matrix and graphically (not shown).
3. Results and Discussion
Tirana International Airport “Mother Teresa” is the only operating airport used for civic
transportation in Albania, since 1957. Airport Operator since April 23 rd, 2005, is Tirana International
Airport SHPK, and since December 18, 2020, Kastrati Group SHA is the only shareholder with 100%
for BOOT-Concession (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) until 2040 [15]. Data from the airport webpage
show that, for the period 2005-2017, the mobility or traffic movements raised by 83.6% (from 15,400
218
to 28,270), while the passengers number was raised by 375%, or from 785000 (in 2005) to 3 338 147
(in 2019) (Table 1) [15].
Table 1
Facts and figures about the TIA “Mother Teresa”, modified by the authors
Traffic data 2005 2010 2015 2017 2018 2019
Passengers 785000 1536822 1977044 2630338 2947172 3338147
Aircraft movements 15400 20768 20876 24582 25426 28270
Cargo (in tons) 2000 2355 2229 2266 2249 2372
Airport employees 200 312 310 340 377 567
Employees of other 560 700 700 700 700 700
companies at the airport
Since 2006, the Tirana International Airport “Mother Teresa” is publishing the Environmental and
Social Bulletin [16-20], were, among others, starting from 2009, there are shown the noise levels
measured during three periodical intervals [LAeq/Day (06:00-19:00), LAeq/Evening) (19:00-23:00), and
LAeq/Night (23:00-07:00)], according to the EU Directives [21], WHO [7; 2018], and the Albanian
legislation [22], etc. (Table 2).
Table 2
TIA noise-monitoring data of LAeq and LAmax 2015-2019, modified by the authors
Instrument Time 2015 2016 2017 2018 2018
location LAeq LAmax LAeq LAmax LAeq LAmax LAeq LAmax LAeq LAmax
Day 58.3 89.7 63.1 92.2 63.7 94.6 58.3 89.7 63.8 110
TIA North
Evening 50.4 90.7 53.3 88.9 56.2 88.8 50.4 90.7 61.8 88.9
CR: 243/4
Night 47.7 86.9 49.3 91.2 52.2 89.6 47.7 86.9 57.5 91.2
Day 59.4 93.5 88.9 91.8 63.1 91.3 59.4 93.5 88.9 113.1
TIA North
Evening 52.1 86.5 91.2 91.2 53.3 84.5 52.1 86.5 91.2 91.2
CR: 243/4
Night 46.5 84.2 60.1 88.3 53.7 86.9 46.5 84.2 64.9 88.3
There were measured noise levels (LAeq/Day, LAeq/Evening, and LAeq/Night) in three building clusters on
different distances, as was mentioned above. Observed results (mean values) showed that L Aeq/Day varied
from 47.7 dB to 62.8 dB and LAmax 77.8 dB to 97.9 dB, with 24 to 47 cases over 70 dB. LAeq/Evening varied
from 43 dB to 59.9 dB. LAmax varied from 80.8 dB to 89.7 dB, with 10 to 13 cases over 70 dB. LAeq/Night
varied from 40.3 dB to 55.9 dB, LAmax 72.8 dB to 102.2 dB, with 3 cases (on cluster 2 buildings) to 10
cases over 70 dB (Table 3).
Table 3
LAeq/Day, LAeq/Evening and LAeq/Night measured in three different clusters (mean values)
Instrument
Time LAeq (dB) LAmax (dB) Cases >70 dB
location
Day 48.7 87.4 47
Cluster 1 Evening 43 80.9 10
Night 41.4 81.7 10
Day 47.7 77.8 24
Cluster 2 Evening 43 80.8 10
Night 40.3 72.8 3
Day 62.8 97.9 25
Cluster 3 Evening 59.9 89.7 13
Night 55.9 101.2 10
219
There were observed in total 152 cases over 70 dB. Although the obtained mean values of LAeq/Day
and LAeq/Evening presented by TIA for the period 2015-2019 and several values of monitoring were found
to be within or closed to the Albanian limits for industrial areas [22], based on WHO standards, these
values are above the levels adopted in the EU [9], WHO Regional Office for Europe [1; 11] that cause
problems in the psychosocial dimension and in the quality of life.
Related to the information and public perception on acoustic pollution coming from the air transport,
seventy-five questionnaires were completed. The total population of 75 families under study was 443
individuals, from which 90 individuals or 20.3% of the population were children under 7. Forty-five
families or 60% of the total had 1 to 3 children under 7 (32, 24, and 34 children, respectively), from
which 56 children belong to cluster 1 and 2, directly or indirectly exposed to the aircraft noise. Results
of the population interviews showed that the noise from air transport affects the quality of daily living
activities of the residential area, mainly with sleep disturbances (87.1%), hearing problems (93%),
communication interference (87.8%), irritability (60%), headache (46%), and signs of arterial
hypertension (AH) (23%) (Table 4).
Table 4
Concerns in the dwelling and community as a result of aircraft noise
No of Sleeping Hearing Communic. Signs of
Cluster Irritability Headache
population disturbance problems interference AH
1 123 117 123 121 115 112 79
2 144 132 138 137 97 87 37
3 176 137 151 131 75 56 26
Total 443 386 412 389 287 252 142
% 100 87.1 93 87.8 64.8 56.9 32.1
4. Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Airport Authorities for the permission of standing and taking
measures during the study duration. There was no any founding from private or state companies or
institutions.
5. References
[1] WHO Regional Office for Europe (World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe),
Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region. Executive Summary (2018/a):
https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/383922/noise-guidelines-exec-sum-
eng.pdf
[2] PHI (Public Health Institute), Assessment of the prevalence of sleep disorders and population
annoyance from urban traffic noise, in the main cities of Albania (2015/a):
http://www.ishp.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Raporti-i-vleresimit-te-crregullimeve-te-
gjumit-dhe-bezdisjes-sepopullates-nga-zhurma-e-trafikut-rrugor.pdf
[3] PHI (Public Health Institute), Urban Noise Monitoring, 2014. Final Report (2015/b): 3-4.
http://www.ishp.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Raporti-MONITORIMI-I-ZHURMAVE-
URBANE-2014.pdf.
[4] EU (European Union) Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25
June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise (2002): https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32002L0049&from=EN
[5] M. Basner, C. Clark, A. Hansell, J. I. Hileman, S. Janssen, K. Shepherd, V. Sparrow, Aviation
Noise Impacts: State of the Science. Noise & Health, 2017 Mar-Apr, 19(87) (2017): 41–50
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5437751/#ref28
[6] R. Guski, D. Schreckenberg, R. Schuemer, Review: WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for
the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Annoyance.
220
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Dec. 2017, 14(12) (2017):
1539, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5750957/pdf/ijerph-14-01539.pdf
[7] WHO Regional Office for Europe, Night noise guidelines for Europe. Copenhagen: World Health
Organization (2009): www.euro.who.int/Document/E92845.pdf
[8] S. Rocha, M. G. Smith, M. Witte, M. Basner, Survey Results of a Pilot Sleep Study Near Atlanta
International Airport. Int. J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Nov, 16(22) (2019): 4321,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6888482/pdf/ijerph-16-04321.pdf
[9] European Environment Agency (EEA), EEA Technical Report: Good practice guide on noise
exposure and potential health effects. 36 pp. (2010) Pp: 6-16, 24, 32, 34. ISSN 1725-2237.
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/good-practice-guide-on-noise
[10] ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), Environmental Technical Manual, Volume I –
Procedures for the Noise Certification of Aircraft. Doc 9501, AN/929. Order Number: 9501-1
(2018). https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Documents/SGAR_2018_ETM_Vol_I.pdf
[11] WHO Regional Office for Europe, Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region. ©
World Health Organization (2018): Pp: 61-76. ISBN: 978-92-890-5356-3.
https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/383921/noise-guidelines-eng.pdf?ua=1
[12] EEA & EASA & Euro-Control (European Environmental Agency & European Union Aviation
Safety Agency & Euro-Control), European Aviation Environmental Report 2019 (2020): Pp. 19-
21. https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/2019-aviation-environmental-report.pdf.
[13] C. Clark, Aircraft noise effects on health. Queen Mary University of London (2015):
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file
/446311/noise-aircraft-noise-effects-on-health.pdf.
[14] P. Lekaj, B. Gjini, E. Ozuni, S. Mustafa, Microsoft Excel Computer Applications. Agricultural
University of Tirana (2014): 212-218. ISBN 978-9928-07-296-2.
[15] Tirana International Airport, Facts and Figures about Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza
(2021): https://www.tirana-airport.com/l/7/53/company-information/facts-figures/
[16] TIA (Tirana International Airport), Fourteenth Environmental and Social Bulletin (2020): 12-13.
https://www.tirana-airport.com/media/15948212866603Environment_Social_Bulletin_2020.pdf.
[17] TIA (Tirana International Airport), Thirteenth Environmental and Social Bulletin (2019): 12-13.
https://www.tirana-airport.com/media/15759718685614Environment_Social_Bulletin_2019.pdf.
[18] TIA (Tirana International Airport), Twelfth Environmental and Social Bulletin (2018): 12-13.
https://www.tirana-airport.com/media/15426432557912EnvironmentSocialBulletin2018.pdf.
[19] TIA (Tirana International Airport), Eleventh Environmental and Social Bulletin (2017). 13-14.
https://www.tirana-airport.com/media/15102388478311EnvironmentandSocialBuletin2017.pdf.
[20] TIA (Tirana International Airport), Tenth Environmental and Social Bulletin (2016). 13-15.
https://www.tirana-airport.com/media/14756629791701EnvironmentandSocialBulletinYear2016.pdf.
[21] EU (European Union), Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25
June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise. (2002): https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32002L0049&from=EN.
[22] MoEFWA & MoH (Minister of Environment, Forest and Water Administration & Minister of
Health) Guideline No. 8, dated 27.11.2007, On noise limit levels in certain environments (2007):
http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/alb89117.pdf.
221