Measurement-driven GIS mapping of short-term outdoor campus noise at Batman University, Türkiye: A WHO-informed screening approach

A short-term field study at Batman University in Türkiye used measured outdoor noise data and GIS analysis to screen spatial patterns at the Batı Raman Campus. The dataset contained 355 georeferenced 10-minute equivalent continuous sound-level observations, LAeq,10-min, collected at 305 locations over 14 monitoring days between 8 December 2025 and 3 January 2026. The analysis was restricted to the actively used outdoor campus area, described by the authors as the operational human-exposure domain.

Observed LAeq,10-min values ranged from 20.00 to 88.58 dB(A), with a mean of 48.88 ± 13.36 dB(A) and a median of 47.98 dB(A). Of all observations, 43.10% were below 45 dB(A), while 33.24% were at or above 55 dB(A). Comparisons among predefined time windows did not show statistically significant differences (p = 0.169). These results describe measurements collected during the specified short monitoring period rather than annual conditions.

The study’s measurement-driven workflow combined inverse-distance-weighted interpolation, leave-one-out cross-validation, descriptive comparisons, study-defined screening bands contextualized with reference to World Health Organization environmental-noise guidance, and false-discovery-rate-corrected Getis–Ord Gi* analysis. For the selected IDW configuration, with p = 2 and k = 12, cross-validation showed minimal average bias but only moderate point-level predictive performance: RMSE was 11.79 dB(A), MAE was 8.55 dB(A), mean error was −0.08 dB(A), and r was 0.52. The Gi* analysis identified 100 cold-spot and 57 hot-spot locations among 276 coordinate-unique site means, conditional on the specified spatial-weighting configuration.

As summarized in the article abstract, the findings provide a sample-supported empirical framework for identifying relative spatial patterns and follow-up monitoring priorities at the studied campus. The authors caution that the results represent short-term outdoor conditions and should not be interpreted as annual exposure, formal WHO compliance, indoor exposure, or high-precision prediction. The study is therefore a campus noise-screening investigation based on field observations and spatial modeling, not a review, protocol, simulation, or animal or cell study.

Subject of Research: Short-term outdoor campus noise screening and GIS spatial analysis at Batman University

Article Title: Measurement-driven GIS mapping of short-term outdoor campus noise at Batman University, Türkiye: A WHO-informed screening approach

Article References: Durmus, B. (2026). Measurement-driven GIS mapping of short-term outdoor campus noise at Batman University, Türkiye: A WHO-informed screening approach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 198(9), Article 1000. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-026-15835-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s10661-026-15835-8

Keywords: Batman University, campus noise, environmental noise, GIS mapping, acoustic measurements, LAeq, spatial hotspots, WHO guidance, Measurement-driven, mapping, short-term, outdoor