Analysis of noise characteristics and health risk assessment for natural gas transportation stations

In order to investigate the noise pollution characteristics of natural gas transportation stations and their potential impacts on workers, noise levels and octave-band spectra were measured both inside the station and at its boundary. A 24-hour continuous monitoring campaign was conducted; the influence of variations in gas throughput on noise emission was analyzed; and cumulative noise exposure and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated for day-shift and night-shift workers. Research results show that the equivalent continuous sound pressure level inside the station is higher during daytime than nighttime, and the dominant noise is broadband in nature. Low-frequency noise (16–125 Hz) exhibits poor attenuation over short distances. When pipeline geometry is fixed and flow velocity remains within a certain range, a linear relationship exists between pipeline gas throughput and overall noise level (R² = 0.79). Due to interference from background noise—particularly traffic noise—the measured noise levels at the western and southern boundaries exceed the limits stipulated for Class 2 acoustic environment functional zones in the Emission standard for industrial enterprise boundary noise: GB 12348—2008. For a given noise intensity, DALYs increase with younger worker age or longer duration of employment in each functional area. This study provides a scientific basis for noise pollution prevention and control, occupational noise exposure risk assessment, and work schedule optimization at natural gas transportation stations.