Extra-auditory effects of noise exposure in Italian schools: noise levels in external areas

Abstract Schools in urban areas are often located with high traffic and noise pollution that affect the overall sonic quality of external spaces. Due to this, teachers students exposed levels, this condition could have an impact on perceptive-cognitive neurobehavioral aspects, determining auditory extra-auditory effects from exposure noise. The BRiC - ID14 project, funded by INAIL, investigates primary secondary school students. In study, assessment sonic, acoustic environment area three kindergartens, schools ones Rome, Florence Perugia was carried out. were investigated discussed analyzing acoustic, psychoacoustic subjective data collected. results obtained measurements campaign under non-occupied conditions compared soundscape outcomes, occupied conditions. two revealed values comparable terms objective responses. differences observed perception ascribable different sources close schools.