A study examining the long-term effects of aircraft noise on the surrounding residents before the opening of Long Thanh Airport

Abstract

Long Thanh Airport (LT) is a new airport scheduled to open in 2025 and serve as the largest aviation hub in Vietnam. The residents are expected to experience adverse health effects from long-term noise exposure once LT begins operation. This study aims to serve as a basis for comparing the impact of environmental changes before and after the opening of LT. This study assesses the health of the residents in ten residential areas under the planned flight paths of LT. Currently, before the new airport operates, environmental noise around LT is primarily caused by traffic noise from nearby roads near the selected houses. The 24-hour A-weighted equivalent continuous sound level (LAeq) at a representative house in each area ranged from 51 to 72 dB. In August 2022, 641 residents were surveyed to assess their health conditions. It was found that traffic noise was the most frequently cited environmental nuisance among the surveyed participants. However, the regression model considers contextual factors, noise exposure, and other factors impacting health and indicates that the health of the residents is associated with factors beyond noise exposure, such as noise sensitivity, mobility, and attitude towards transport modes.