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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Problems in determining the size of the population and critical groups exposed to environmental noise

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Abstract In order to better estimate how and to what extent people are affected by exposure to environmental noise, an attempt must be made to calculate first the size of the entire population exposed to certain levels of noise and, second, groups within the population which are particularly sensitive to noise. Such a study has been started in the Federal Republic of Germany. It has been estimated that about 14 million people are exposed to sound levels of roughly 62 dB(A) and about 2 million to levels of roughly 70 dB(A). Nothing is yet known about the existence or size of sensitive groups within these populations, however, and the following report lists areas needing research in terms of this problem.