Even weak traffic noise has a negative impact on work performance
As Swedish cities are densified at a fast pace, there is now construction very close to roads and thoroughfares – land that was considered unthinkable for development just a decade ago. It is already known that noise can have a negative impact on human health, but new research from Chalmers University of Technology shows that as little as 40 decibels of traffic noise – the typical level of background noise in an office environment or kitchen – has a detrimental effect on cognitive performance. Researchers at Chalmers’ Division of Applied Acoustics have conducted a laboratory