KEM-31: Methods for the assessment of low-frequency noise from mining activities in the Netherlands

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), noise ranks among the environmental stressors with the highest impact on public health. The attribution of symptoms to low frequency noise (LFN) is increasing. In the Netherlands, numbers of LFN-related complaints are rising and several of those have been attributed to the mining industry. However, an effective methodology for the assessment of LFN from such sources is not yet available. Within this project, we investigate LFN from mining activities in the Netherlands, focusing on the extraction, processing, transportation and storage of oil, gas, salt, and geothermal heat. Through a literature review and interviews with domain experts, methodologies have been derived with regards to 1) the prediction of LFN generation at the source, 2) observational techniques and 3) potential impacts on health. A broad low-frequency band is considered, spanning from the often-discarded infrasonic frequencies, to up to 200 Hz. Based on this study’s results, recommendations are given for establishing a standard procedure to assess LFN produced by mining activities.

The report and the projection evaluation can be found on the KEM-31 website