Investigation of Noise Pollution in Restaurants in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, East Africa

The assessment of the present status of sound levels in seven restaurants at Morogoro municipality was studied. The indoor and outdoor ambient noise levels were measured twice a day, thrice a week for a period of two months by using digital sound level meter. In addition, questionnaires survey was used to assess sources of noise pollution in restaurants environment. The results show that the measured noise level in all studied restaurants ranged from 61dBA to 64dBA. The measured indoor noise levels were higher than outdoor in B-One, High Classic and Vyakula vya Asili restaurants and vise versa in Saddiq, Princes and Malindi dishes restaurants. The correlation coefficients between the indoors and outdoors locations in all the restaurants were either negative or less than 0.3 thus suggesting little or no impact of the indoor environment on the outdoor environment’s noise level. In comparison with permissible Tanzania Bureau of Standards the measured indoor ambient noise levels in the restaurants were higher than the maximum permissible standard limit of 55dBA for mixed residential zones. As for sources of noise pollution at Morogoro municipality, the study shows that people who visit restaurants to have a meal encounter three kinds of noise pollution: the noise created by other customers, the noise from outside (the street), and the noise provided by the music systems which are run in most restaurants. Therefore, proper planning for restaurants areas and other use zones is recommended @ JASEM