Annoyance and disturbance hazard factors related to work and life environments: a review

The insurgence or persistence of critical scenarios of damage and nuisance on populations is verified at local scale for the direct interaction among hazard factors from productive activities and receptors such as residential areas. This can be even worsened where local criticalities are overlapped to the diffuse pollution originated by the whole group of sources coexisting on a territory. The interference of the various emissions factors with communication, rest and performance can lead to physiological and psychological disorders, fatigue, anxiety and stress at the exposed. Furthermore, from the existing definitions, emerge that a hazard factor can impact not exclusively on the state of health of the individual, but also on the quality and usability of environments and territories. Often, even without exceeding the normative limits, an altered perception and a limitation or impediment in the use of a territory, compared to what expected in a period before the occurrence of the disturbing event, can be observed. A systemic approach for the assessment and management of disturbance and annoyance arising from the exposure to different hazard factors in work and life environments, still lacks. Aim of this paper is to analyze the disturbance and annoyance phenomenon related to noise, vibrations, airborne particulate, odors and their synergic effects, and to review the existing literature. The review indicates that annoyance can be observed even when the limit values are respected; the deep knowledge of plants and the specific skills developed in OS&H field can play a central role in the prevention of disturbance and annoyance effects. The analysis here carried out for noise, vibrations, airborne particulate and odors annoyances can be generalizable to other pollution factors as an applicable qualitative methodology.