Tools for evaluation and prediction of industrial noise sources. Application to a wastewater treatment plant

In recent years, acoustic pollution caused by noise has considerably increased in many countries. Particularly in Spain, the noisiest country in Europe. It is sometimes difficult to predict the noise levels that a new installation or an expansion of industrial equipment will cause in the surroundings. This work introduces a new methodology for the prediction, evaluation, and analysis of industrial noise sources, as well as a novel tool for predicting and categorizing outdoor noise from its measurement at their sources. A Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) has been used to demonstrate the applicability and validity of this methodology. The continuous level of acoustic pressure equivalent has been measured in different points of the plant using an integrating sound level meter. From these values, noise maps have been built to obtain detailed information of the industrial noise generated in the installation. Also, the typical frequency patterns of each type of source have been used for the calculation of source noise apportionments. To achieve this objective, several noise sources have been selected to provide information about their contribution to the industrial noise in the WWTP surrounding area. Finally, predictions have been validated using actual measurements. This methodology is a useful tool to predict personal exposure to noise and the impact on the environment. This information can be used, in particular, to propose mitigation actions.