HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION (HEI) NOISE LEVEL MAPPING: THE CASE STUDY OF PLATEAU STATE UNIVERSITY BOKKOS, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Noise pollution is a growing environmental problem that is hurting cities, particularly colleges, where its impact on individuals' health, well-being, and academic performance can be considerable. At Plateau State University in Bokkos, Nigeria, this study investigated the geographical distribution of noise pollution, identified the primary sources of noise, and determined the levels of noise pollution. Using geo-mapping software and a sound level metre, fifteen monitoring locations situated in the vicinity of the university were chosen on the basis of land use. One-hour intervals were taken throughout the course of a week for the purpose of taking three readings: one in the morning, one during lunch, and one in the evening. The geographical distribution of noise level in the research region was interpolated using inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation, which was performed with the ArcGIS 10.5 application. The results were considered after comparing the recommendations for noise levels established by the World Health Organisation and the National Environmental Regulatory Agency. The main sources of noise in the study area, according to the results, are students and traffic. All of the chosen locations had high noise levels, particularly the classroom sections where the decibel level was higher than the typical educational area restriction of 50 dB. Base on the findings of the study, the university should plant trees on campus, construct soundproof barriers, and reassign conflicting land uses in order to manage and mitigate noise pollution. By doing this, noise pollution would be reduced, which would lessen disruptions to campus academic activity.