Assessment of Noise Pollution and Its Health Effects on Residents Near Motor Parks in Enugu City

This study assesses noise pollution levels and their self-reported health effects on residents living near three major motor parks in Enugu City, Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Motor parks are among the most intense noise generation points in Nigerian cities, combining vehicular engines, horn use, generator sets, public address systems, and market vendor activity into a persistent high-decibel environment with significant implications for residential health and wellbeing. Noise measurements were conducted at 24 monitoring stations surrounding the Ogbete, Artisan, and 9th Mile Corner motor parks using a calibrated digital sound level meter over four two-week periods capturing weekday and weekend variation. Measurements recorded equivalent continuous noise levels for daytime and evening hours. Concurrently, health effect surveys were administered to 270 households within 200 metres of each park, documenting sleep disturbance, hearing difficulty, headache frequency, and cardiovascular complaint prevalence. Results show that daytime equivalent noise levels at the nearest residential locations range from 78 to 96 decibels, significantly exceeding the WHO guideline of 55 decibels for outdoor residential environments. Evening noise above 65 decibels is recorded until midnight at all sites. Survey data show that 68 percent of adjacent residents report sleep disturbance on most nights, 41 percent report persistent headaches, and 24 percent report occasional hearing difficulty. The study concludes that motor park noise is a significant and underregulated public health issue in Enugu. Recommendations include noise barrier installation, enforced operating hour restrictions, and health screening for long-duration-exposed residents. Keywords: noise pollution, motor park, health effects, Enugu, environmental management.