Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on noise pollution in three protected areas in metropolitan Boston (USA).

ABSTRACT: Noise pollution can reduce the ability of urban protected areas to provide a refuge for people and habitat for wildlife. Amidst an unprecedented global pandemic, it is unknown if the changes in human activity have significantly impacted noise pollution in metropolitan parks. We tested the hypothesis that reduced human activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns would lead to reduced sound levels in protected areas compared with non-pandemic times. We measured sound levels in three urban protected areas in metropolitan Boston, MA (USA) at three time periods: in the fall and summer before the pandemic, immediately after the government-imposed lockdown in March 2020 when the trees were leafless, and during the beginning of reopening in early June 2020 when the trees had leaves. A

SUBMITTER: Terry C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8457652 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature