ORIGINAL PAPER Qualitative aspects of traffic noise in Tabriz city, Iran: effects, habituation, and possible improvements O. Ahmadi 1 • I. Dianat 1 Received: 15 May 2017 / Revised: 17 September 2017 / Accepted: 19 October 2017 Ó Islamic Azad University (IAU) 2017 Abstract Noise is one of the most important environ- mental pollutants that endanger human health. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects, habituation to noise, and possible improvement of traffic noise subjec- tively. Data were collected using questionnaires from 300 citizens in Tabriz, Iran. Subjective noise level was rela- tively high and had considerable influence on citizens’ satisfaction, performance, and health. Satisfaction with traffic noise was lower in males and decreased with increasing age. Males were also more likely to complain about the interference of traffic noise with their perfor- mance than females. Habituation to noise was relatively low and was not associated with living area and demo- graphic characteristics. The use of double-glazed windows and more investment and use of public transport were rated as the most appropriate solutions for improving traffic noise. The findings highlight the role of qualitative studies for reducing the negative health consequences of exposure to traffic noise. Keywords Annoyance Á Concentration Á Habituation to noise Á Performance Á Satisfaction Á Subjective assessments Á Urban area Introduction Noise is one of the most important environmental pollu- tants that endanger human health. In metropolis cities, noise created by road traffic is a major contributor to noise pollution (Me ´line et al. 2013). Particularly in squares and highway marginal areas, traffic flow and speed of vehicles are major factors in producing noise that has significant effects on citizens. Noise, as an environmental factor, has numerous negative health consequences. Traffic noise can influence the individual’s behavioral, psychological, and physiological responses in their residential dwellings and workplaces. There is evidence that noise can increase blood pressure (Babisch et al. 2009), heart rate (Bodin et al. 2009), annoyance (Ouis 2001), sleep disturbances and poor health (Shepherd et al. 2010; Fritschi et al. 2011), cardio- vascular diseases and myocardial infarction (Babisch et al. 2005), risk of stroke (Sørensen et al. 2011), diabetes (Sørensen et al. 2013), upregulation of appetite (Spiegel et al. 2004), tinnitus (Fritschi et al. 2011), hearing loss (Barbosa and Cardoso 2005), stress reactions (Ouis 2001), increased mortality risk (Gan et al. 2012), and cognitive impairment (Fritschi et al. 2011) and also decrease con- centration, attention span, and problem-solving abilities (Jakovljevic et al. 2009). Other effects such as psycho- logical and physiological symptoms as well as reduced performance and overall quality of life particularly during the night-time have also been reported (O ¨ hrstro ¨m et al. 2006). A common human reaction to noise is annoyance that produces a variety of negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, disturbance, irritation, unhappiness, disappoint- ment, and depression (Ouis 2001). In a number of recent studies, it has been acknowledged that annoyance and disturbance caused by noise can be associated with a higher Editorial responsibility: M. Abbaspour. & I. Dianat dianati@tbzmed.ac.ir 1 Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran 123 Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. DOI 10.1007/s13762-017-1623-5