Relationship between noise and psychological comfort of the users in the Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station

ABSTRACT

The Comandante Ferraz Antarctic Station is a base camp and working place, housing a diversity of individuals in a restricted environment. Comfort is an essential criterion for the residence time to be effectively productive, in particular in relation to acoustics. The relevance of this study is based on the correlation between noise levels data and potential effects on the human body, in addition to contributing to the creation of noise prevention methods. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of noise levels on psychological comfort of the researchers of that Station. The data was gathered in situ, during XXVIII Antarctic Operation, according to the Brazilian Technical Standard for measurement procedures and additional parameters developed for the Station. Then, the systematization and analysis were carried out, and subsequently a mapping with mean noise levels was developed and the potential correlations with physical, physiological and psychological effects on human beings were verified. In some working environments the noise levels did not meet the comfort parameters; however they consider an 8-hour workday. In the remaining environments whose activities are of rest and work, only the adjacent outdoor points were analyzed, where the required isolation standards for sealing materials were found. Even though additional actions for further research were required, such as questionnaires and users physical evaluation, the outcomes obtained so far will serve as aid for the construction of new buildings that will make up the Station, with emphasis on the necessity of acoustic treatment of the environments to reduce noise from outdoor and indoor activities, especially in long term research locations.

Date: 2011