Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that noise pollution leads to a variety of short-term and long-term health issues, including sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, impaired concentration, decreased performance at work and school, and hearing difficulties. It has been established that for every 10 dB increase in environmental noise, the incidence of heart attacks among individuals aged 65 and older increases by 3.9% compared to those living in quieter environments (Seidler, et al., 2016). Furthermore, it has been found that noise pollution exceeding 65 dB is directly related to hypertension among residents living along high-traffic roads. Objective: To assessing traffic load and noise pollution on the roads of Ulaanbaatar Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted to determine noise pollution at 15 locations along roads such as Sun Road, Peace Avenue, Ard-Ayush Street, and Ikh Toiruu. Measurements were taken during morning (7-9 AM), afternoon (12-2 PM), evening (5-7 PM), and night (11 PM-1 AM) using a Noise Meter, Sound Level Meter, and portable equipment. Measurements were conducted at one point 100-200 meters from the main road, with three repetitions to assess hearing levels. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS-24 software, and the results were compared to the Air Quality Technical General Requirements MNS 4585:2016 standard (During the day (07:00-22:00), 60 dB(A), and at night (22:00 07:00), 45 dB(A)). Results: The measurement results revealed that the maximum noise value in the morning (7-9 AM) was 83 dB(A), the minimum noise value was 51 dB(A), and the average of the maximum noise values was 74.1±4.7 dB(A). The maximum noise value during the day was 97 dB(A), the minimum noise value was 47 dB(A), and the average of the maximum noise value was 74.4±6.9 dB(A). In the evening, the maximum noise value was 88 dB(A), the minimum noise value was 47 dB(A), and the average of the maximum noise value was 74.4±6.6 dB(A). For the night measurements, the maximum noise value was 86 dB(A), the minimum noise value was 49 dB(A), and the average of the maximum noise value was 69.4±7.7 dB(A).
When calculating the average noise pollution on weekdays and weekends, the average of the max and min values during the morning, evening, and night on weekdays was 0.59-4.33 dB(A) higher than that of the weekend. The average maximum value during the day on weekends was 2.79 dB(A) higher than that of weekdays. The number of vehicles participating in road traffic showed a strong positive correlation with environmental noise (Rxy=0.660, p=0.0001), and the number of times the horn was sounded also revealed strong positive correlation with environmental noise (Rxy=0.674, p=0.029). Conclusion The noise level along the main roads exceeds the permissible limits set by the "Air Quality. Technical General Requirements MNS 4585:2016" standard by 37 dB(A) during the day and by 41 dB(A) at night. The average maximum value during the day exceeds the standard by 14.6 dB(A). This indicates that Ulaanbaatar is experiencing noise pollution at levels that negatively affect the health of the urban population.