AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PERCEIVED EFFECT OF AIRCRAFT NOISE ON MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND ITS ENVIRONS

Abstract

This thesis reports the assessment of the perceived effect of aircraft noise on Murtala Muhammed International Airport and its environs. The study examines the noise levels produced during aircrafts take-offs and landings and the effect of aircraft noise on the occupants of the airport and its environs. It also assessed the coping strategies adopted to aircraft noise by occupants of the airport and its environs. Furthermore, it assessed the mitigative measures to aircraft noise at the airport. The study made use of primary data which were obtained through the use of a sound level meter to measure the level of aircraft noise produced at the airport and its environs. Structured questionnaire was administered to the occupants of the airport and its environs: to elicit information regarding the perceived effect of aircraft noise on the respondents and on their adopted coping strategies. The survey also brings out information on the measures in place to mitigate the effect of aircraft noise on the occupants. Appropriate statistical techniques were used, which include descriptive statistics, intrinsic nonlinear and binomial logit regression models, and Noise Gap index (NGI). The study reveals that for every cubic increase in distance there is a reduction in the noise level, for instance, for a cubic increase in distance the noise level reduces by a factor of 0.004 in morning. It also unveils that aircraft noise level impacts on the respondents‘ physiological and psychological well-beings, such that there are significant positive correlations of (p=0) among the dependent and independent variables. The study further shows that the coping strategies adopted were effective except to close doors and windows, which revealed an insignificant pvalue (.18). Finally, the study reveals that home noise insulation is the most effective measure to mitigate aircraft noise in the airport and its environs. The study concluded that despite the noise decay effect the occupants are significantly impacted by viii aircraft noise at the airport and its environs, however, home noise insulation are capable of mitigating the noise produced by aircrafts either during take-off or landing.