A model for evaluating monetary equivalent of social costs stemmed from noise pollution in implementation of urban infrastructures (Case Study: Tehran Sewage Network)

Subject Areas : environmental management

Borna Mirahmadian ¹ , Masoud Babakhani ²

1 - کارشناس عمران و کارشناس ارشد مدیریت اجرایی ، شرکت مهندسی مشاور مهاب قدس
2 - استادیار دانشکده صنایع ، دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران

Received: 2008-10-06 Accepted : 2009-02-19 Published : 2012-12-21

Keywords: Noise pollution, Social costs, Urban Sewage project,

Abstract :

A large number of implementation projects regarding construction or rehabilitation of urban infrastructure systems are conducted in heavily populated areas; As a result, noise pollution generated from these operations is not limited to only a few people and will annoy community in large scale. Noise pollution may cause sleep disturbance, stress, loss of productivity in schools, offices, etc; This fact necessitates the need for considering social costs of noise pollution more carefully in urban areas. In this paper a model for evaluating monetary equivalent of noise pollution social costs in implementation of urban infrastructures has been proposed; General approach in this model is based on determining maximum allowable noise pollution in the affected area as well as determining intensity of the noise generated from operations in the adjacent receptors; Difference between the “existing” and “maximum allowable” noise levels is considered as part of the social costs of the project; Some methods for evaluating monetary equivalent of this social cost has been proposed in this paper; if the estimated value was large, some mitigation measures shall be taken to reduce the social costs of noise pollution; A number of these measures are also reviewed in the final part of the paper. In the end, suggested model has been utilized for quantification of noise pollution social costs in a small pilot area of Tehran where a sewage network has been implemented.