4th International Conference on Current Research in Engineering and Science Applications (ICCRESA 2022), Alsalam University College, Baghdad, Iraq 979-8-3503-3494-4/22/$31.00 ©2022 IEEE 19 A Review of Traffic Highway Noise Towards Residential Area Yaseen Hadi Ali Computer Techniques Engineering Al Salam University College Baghdad, Iraq Yaseenhadi5@gmail.com Ali M. Muslim Computer Techniques Engineering Al-Turath University College Baghdad, Iraq Alimajeed.mail@gmail.com Asrul Izam Azmi Faculty of Electrical Engineering Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Johor Bahru, Malaysia asrul@utm.my Hamed Dhary Murhg Computer Techniques Engineering Al Salam University College Baghdad, Iraq Hamed.d.murhg@alsalam.edu.iq Enas Hasan Ali Medical Instrumentation Technical Engineering Al-Farahidi University Baghdad, Iraq Eng.enas.9@gmail.com Ali Othman Albaji Electronics and Telecommunications The Higher Institute of Science and Technology Tripoli, Libya ahmedali@graduate.utm.my Bashar AL-Saffar Computer Techniques Engineering Al Salam University College Baghdad, Iraq Bashar92eng@gmail.com Abstract— The transport technology is developing rapidly in this era; due to this condition, the number of vehicles kept increasing, causing traffic noise or noise pollution (unpleasant, uncomfortable, and frequently loud). The places affected by this heavy noise are the residential areas, educational areas, or facilities close to the highway. Continuous exposure to excessive noise levels may result in psychological and physiological concerns such as hearing damage, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, discomfort, and sleep irritation. This paper reviews the causes of traffic noise, sources of highway noise, propagation of highway traffic noise, its effect on the residential area, and prediction and reduction of traffic noise. The findings proved that highway traffic noise is a severe problem in many places worldwide, which must be considered in the future. As a result, the positioning of buildings, roads, pathways, and urban infrastructure, must all be considered. This study contributes to a review of the influence of noise, highlighting the necessity of dealing with noise pollution in critical areas. Keywords—environmental noise, highway noise, noise pollution, residential area I. INTRODUCTION Noise can be defined as a loud sound that causes disturbance to the surrounding environment. Noise pollution gradually affects the world's population, especially in large cities. According to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) study [1], at least 100 million individuals in the European Union are impacted by road traffic noise, and at least 1.6 million years of healthy life have been lost due to traffic noise in Western Europe. Numerous studies have shown high levels of noise pollution in various urban areas, as reported by Yang [2] and Szeremeta [3], which determined much noise at urban parks in Europe and Brazil. The World Health Organization (WHO) publication [4] demonstrates how to monitor noise at the regional and local levels indicating that this issue is increasing with many other factors: increased road traffic, rail traffic, urbanization, and economy. The publication also shows that developing countries are more sensitive to noise than developed ones because of poor urban planning and construction. High amounts of noise can cause mental health issues, e.g., fatigue, depression, headaches, pressure, heart diseases, hearing impairment, or cognitive issues affecting the fetus in the elderly [1]. In general, noise interferes with daily activities such as sleep, rest, study, communication, and socializing [5]. When exposed to undesirable noises, young people's reading and comprehension might be slowed for up to a month [1]. Several noise studies were conducted in Malaysia. The most common investigation is traffic noise. According to some previous studies, the noise levels in the study area exceeded the Malaysian Environmental Management Standards (DOE) [6]. This situation emphasizes the significance of transportation noise in Malaysia. The Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) announced that the number of registered vehicles grew by 30.28% in 2015 compared to 2010. Registered vehicles increased by 4.78% in 2015 compared to 2014. Similar to 2016 and the next few years [7]. However, people need to be aware of the long-term harmful impacts of noise, particularly those with lower noise levels. [1]. A recent study [8] backs up the idea that highway noise is a significant environmental risk factor for cardiovascular disease that contributes to the development of chronic CAD, arterial hypertension, acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmia, stroke, and mental disease. Another recent study [9] found that during the lockdown time (COVID-19 2022 4th International Conference on Current Research in Engineering and Science Applications (ICCRESA) | 979-8-3503-3494-4/22/$31.00 ©2022 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICCRESA57091.2022.10352490 Authorized licensed use limited to: Universiti Malaysia Perlis. 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