Abstract
AbstractAnnoyance and sleep disturbances due to aircraft noise represent a major burden of disease. They are considered as health effects as well as part of the causal pathway from exposure to long-term effects such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as mental disorders (e.g. depression). Both annoyance and sleep disturbance are not only determined by the noise exposure, but also to a considerable extent by non-acoustic factors. This chapter summarises the most relevant non-acoustic factors and briefly explains their mechanisms on annoyance and sleep as well as the potential to address these factors via intervention methods aiming at the reduction of adverse noise outcomes and an increase in the quality of life of airport residents. Here, the focus is on airport management measures that are considered to help improve the residents’ coping capacity. Findings from the ANIMA case studies with regard to main aspects of quality of life in airport residents around European airports are briefly reported and recommendations for a community-oriented airport management are derived.
Highlights
Annoyance and sleep disturbances due to aircraft noise represent a major burden of disease
Non-acoustic factors and briefly explains their mechanisms on annoyance and sleep as well as the potential to address these factors via intervention methods aiming at the reduction of adverse noise outcomes and an increase in the quality of life of airport residents
Activity disturbances are regarded as primary reactions to noise preceding annoyance and not as a non-acoustic factor modifying the annoyance without itself depending on noise exposure [e.g. 39]
Summary
Concerns, and expectations belong to the most important non-acoustic factors influencing annoyance [e.g., 5, 6]. Positive evaluations of the noise source, such as the belief that the noise source is important for the local economy, reduce noise annoyance [7] whilst negative attitudes and concerns about the negative health outcomes and in particular the fear of aircraft crashes increase annoyance [e.g., 7, 8]. Aviation-related fears and negative attitudes can contribute even more to aircraft noise annoyance during the past 12 months than the average indicators of noise level such as Lden, Ldn, or LAeq [e.g., 7, 8]. Annoyance is enhanced in individuals who believe that the noise situation will worsen in the future [e.g., 8, 9] and in individuals who generally prioritise environmental and silence aspects to economic issues when it comes to airport-related decisions [3, 9]
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