Noise: perception its effects on cognitive skills in elementary school students

Abstract

Noise, responsible to sound pollution, is catalogued as the energy originated by a vibratory phenomenon that is detected by the ear and causes a sensation of discomfort, that affects people, causing affectations in hearing, physiological functions, mental health, behavior, and performance of people. However, it is the most ignored environmental pollutant. Due this reason, we carried study to assess perception of the effects produced by the sound pressure since the vehicle fleet on the basic cognitive skills of elementary school students. We conducted noise monitoring in the areas surrounding the educational institution and we applied surveys related to sound perception and its effects on basic cognitive skills, specifically on attention, concentration and memory in elementary school children. The results obtained from the noise monitoring showed that the sound pressure levels in the study area exceeded those stipulated in the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) Noise for a Special Protection Zone (50 LAeqT), such as schools. The results of the surveys showed that 46.9% of students perceive that noise affects their attention, 44.1% affects their concentration and 43.5% affects their memory, reflecting that students do consider noise as an element that affects important aspects for the development of their school activities.