Effects Of Aircraft Noise Research Articles

Results of a visitor survey of the acoustic environment at the Grand Canyon National Park

For the last decade, multiple studies have been conducted at nationalparks using the traditional uni-polar annoyance questions and the dose-response concept to determine the effects of aircraft noise on park visitors. This survey used pleasantness as a bipolar scale and breaks the hike into segments so as to understand the overall hike’s assessment through its parts. This survey was conducted on three different trails at the Grand Canyon: the Hermit trail, a backcountry trail with a large amount of aircraft noise; the Widforss trail, a backcountry trail with minimal aircraft noise; and the Bright Angel trail, a maintained trail with a small amount of aircraft noise but many hikers. Helicopter noise is found to be the only major unpleasant noise. Segments for which no aircraft are noticed are judged to be primarily very pleasant. The “average” judgment with helicopters noticed falls between neutral and slightly pleasant, which is a drop of almost three categories out of a total of seven. The study finds that visitor perception of pleasantness of the acoustic environment at the Grand Canyonis significantly, negatively affected by helicopter overflights near trails.

Visitor assessment of anthropogenic noise at Grand Canyon National Park

In the last decade, multiple studies have been conducted at national parks using the traditional uni-polar annoyance scale and the dose-response concept to determine the effects of aircraft noise on park visitors’ experiences. This survey instead uses a bipolar “pleasantness” scale and breaks each visitor’s hike into segments so as to understand the efficacy of the pleasantness scale as a metric for visitor perceptions of aircraft noise. This survey was conducted on three different trails at the Grand Canyon: the Hermit trail, a backcountry trail with a large amount of aircraft noise; the Widforss trail, a backcountry trail with minimal aircraft noise; and the Bright Angel trail, a maintained trail with a small amount of aircraft noise but many hikers. Many visitors began hiking before aircraft started flying so the use of segments allowed for a longitudinal study between segments with and without aircraft noise. Through the use of these segments, correlations are drawn and regression models fit between pleasantness and various metrics, such as Leq or percent time audible. The results to date show “pleasantness” to be a viable alternative metric to quantify visitor perceptions of aircraft noise in national parks.

Lou Sutherland—Contributions in aircraft noise

Lou Sutherland has made pivotal contributions to the understanding of aircraft noise and its effects and to developing solutions for those problems. His work in noise effects ranges from the 707 aircraft prototype, the development of an engine noise suppressor for the B-52 to reduce sonic structural fatigue, to the Saturn rocket program. Lou’s interests have encompassed aircraft engine turbomachinery cascade acoustic resonances and the propagation of sound through the atmosphere. These contributions were made while Lou was a researcher first at Boeing and later at Wyle Labs, as Chief Scientist and Deputy Director of Research. His insights have led to creative solutions to reduce aircraft noise effects on structures and on humans. He served as President of INCE and as an Associate Editor of JASA. In 2002 Lou was awarded the Acoustical Society of America Silver Medal in Noise “For contributions to the solution of aerospace and community noise problems, and for studies of molecular absorption and classroom acoustics.” Most importantly, Lou has a terrific, infectious enthusiasm for all that he does, which is combined with a warm, generous spirit. Lou has provided kind and gentle leadership and guidance to many grateful beneficiaries over the years.

Is a smoking ban in UK parks and outdoor spaces a good idea?

<h3>Objectives</h3> Studies on the health effects of aircraft and road traffic noise exposure suggest excess risks of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and the use of sedatives and hypnotics. Our aim was...

Birds living near airports advance their dawn chorus and reduce overlap with aircraft noise

Anthropogenic noise is a major pollutant for organisms that live in urban areas. City birds modify their songs in ways that can increase their communication potential in spite of noise. However, these changes cannot prevent song masking by the extremely loud noises to which some urban bird populations are exposed. Here, we show that birds near a major airport advance their dawn singing time, thus reducing overlap with periods of intense aircraft noise. This modification was stronger in species whose normal singing time was relatively late, those which overlapped the most with aircraft noise. Although suggestive of a causal relationship, this pattern does not allow us to tell apart the effect of aircraft noise from that of other variables that may correlate with dawn singing time. In order to control for such potentially confounding variables, we replicated the study in several airports at different latitudes in Spain and Germany. The results show that indeed the overlap of song chorus with aircraft noise was the key factor that influenced time advancement. Aircraft traffic time was the main predictor of song advancement: across Europe, those bird populations whose singing time overlapped the most with aircraft traffic were those that advanced their song timing to a higher extent. Our results exemplify how behavioral plasticity may allow the survival of avian populations in areas of high noise pollution. However, such an adaptation likely involves departing from optimal singing times, leading to higher energetic costs and amplifying between-species differences in competitive ability and resilience.

Sleep Quality in Adult Population Exposed to Aircraft Noise in Fontibon Bogota in 2012

Bogota´s International Airport is located within the city and its planned expansion is posing the inhabitants of Fontibon and Engativa localities in imminent risk of adverse health effects. Mitigation strategies for noise and vibrations have not had a positive impact on residents health. Negative neuropsicological and auditory effects of aircraft noise in these places have been well documented, especially in children. Yet, aircraft noise impact on sleep quality in exposed residents is unknown. The aim of the study was to know the prevalence of sleep disorders and its associated factors in exposed residents of Fontibon´s locality according to the distance from airport operations. Cross sectional design. A simple size of 205 people from 18 to 65 was selected by simple random sampling. Area of study was divided in 2 groups of exposure (high and low) according to the distance to the airport. Sleep quality was assessed through a validated instruments: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Descriptive statistics and non parametric U Mann Whitney test were performed. 60% of residents reported poor sleep quality (PSQI &gt; 5), with PSQI mean of 7,19 (SD ± 3,931). In each specific domain the population is affected as follows: subjective sleep quality (27%), sleep latency (39%), sleep duration (33%), habitual sleep efficiency (37%), sleep disturbances (30%), daytime dysfunction (40%) and use of sleep medication (5%). 28% reported daytime somnolence according to ESS scale (ESS &gt;10). There were no differences of sleep quality according to distance to airport (p=0.61), suggesting a widespread impact of noise. Overall, residents exposed to airport operations have very low sleep quality with its subsequent impact on health and quality of life. Bogota´s International Airport expansion is a major public health concern and Colombia´s government should consider resettlement mechanisms for population affected.

Gaps in the literature on the effects of aircraft noise on children’s cognitive performance

In the past two decades, several major studies have indicated that chronic aircraft noise exposure negatively impacts children’s cognitive performance. For example, the longitudinal Munich airport study (Hygge, Am. Psychol. Soc., 2002) demonstrated that noise adversely affects reading ability, memory, attention, and speech perception. Moreover, the cross-sectional RANCH study (Stansfeld, Lancet, 2005) found a linear correlation between extended noise exposure and reduced reading comprehension and recognition memory. This presentation summarizes these and other recent studies and discusses four key areas in need of further research (ENNAH Final Report Project No. 226442, 2013). First, future studies should account for all of the following confounding factors: socioeconomic variables, daytime and nighttime aircraft, road, and train noise, and air pollution. Second, multiple noise metrics should be evaluated to determine if the character of the noise alters the relationship between noise and cognition. Third, future research should explore the mitigating effects of improved classroom acoustics and exterior sound insulation. Finally, additional longitudinal studies are necessary: (1) to establish a causal relationship between aircraft noise and cognition; and (2) to understand how changes in the duration of the exposure and in the age of the students influence the relationship. [Work supported by FAA PARTNER Center of Excellence.]

Nighttime aircraft noise impairs endothelial function and increases blood pressure in patients with or at high risk for coronary artery disease.

AimsEpidemiological studies suggest the existence of a relationship between aircraft noise exposure and increased risk for myocardial infarction and stroke. Patients with established coronary artery disease and endothelial dysfunction are known to have more future cardiovascular events. We therefore tested the effects of nocturnal aircraft noise on endothelial function in patients with or at high risk for coronary artery disease.Methods60 Patients (50p 1–3 vessels disease; 10p with a high Framingham Score of 23 %) were exposed in random and blinded order to aircraft noise and no noise conditions. Noise was simulated in the patients’ bedroom and consisted of 60 events during one night. Polygraphy was recorded during study nights, endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery), questionnaires and blood sampling were performed on the morning after each study night.ResultsThe mean sound pressure levels L eq(3) measured were 46.9 ± 2.0 dB(A) in the Noise 60 nights and 39.2 ± 3.1 dB(A) in the control nights. Subjective sleep quality was markedly reduced by noise from 5.8 ± 2.0 to 3.7 ± 2.2 (p < 0.001). FMD was significantly reduced (from 9.6 ± 4.3 to 7.9 ± 3.7 %; p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure was increased (from 129.5 ± 16.5 to 133.6 ± 17.9 mmHg; p = 0.030) by noise. The adverse vascular effects of noise were independent from sleep quality and self-reported noise sensitivity.ConclusionsNighttime aircraft noise markedly impairs endothelial function in patients with or at risk for cardiovascular disease. These vascular effects appear to be independent from annoyance and attitude towards noise and may explain in part the cardiovascular side effects of nighttime aircraft noise.

Aircraft noise and speech intelligibility in an outdoor living space.

Studies of effects on speech intelligibility from aircraft noise in outdoor places are currently lacking. To explore these effects, first-order ambisonic recordings of aircraft noise were reproduced outdoors in a pergola. The average background level was 47 dB LA eq. Lists of phonetically balanced words (LAS max,word = 54 dB) were reproduced simultaneously with aircraft passage noise (LAS max,noise = 72-84 dB). Twenty individually tested listeners wrote down each presented word while seated in the pergola. The main results were (i) aircraft noise negatively affects speech intelligibility at sound pressure levels that exceed those of the speech sound (signal-to-noise ratio, S/N < 0), and (ii) the simple A-weighted S/N ratio was nearly as good an indicator of speech intelligibility as were two more advanced models, the Speech Intelligibility Index and Glasberg and Moore's [J. Audio Eng. Soc. 53, 906-918 (2005)] partial loudness model. This suggests that any of these indicators is applicable for predicting effects of aircraft noise on speech intelligibility outdoors.

Some health effects of aircraft noise with special reference to shift work

Aircraft noise is an environmental stressor. A positive relationship exists between noise and high blood pressure. Shift work is an additional hazardous working condition with negative effect on the behavior attitude of workers. This study aimed at investigating some health hazards for shift work on workers at Cairo International Airport (CIA), Egypt, as a strategic work place, with more than one stressor. Assessment of noise effects were carried out in four working sites at the airport besides control sites. The average noise level in the exposure sites was 106.5 dB compared with 54 dB at the control sites. The study comprised a group of 200 male workers exposed to aircraft noise and 110 male workers not exposed to noise as control group. All workers had full general medical examination after filling specially formulated questionnaire. Hearing impairment, raised blood pressure, headaches, disturbed sleep, and symptoms of anxiety were more prominent among the exposed workers than the control. Symptoms of upper respiratory tract were reported among night shifters of both groups with high tendency for smoking. Thus, night-shift workers at CIA work under more than one stressor. Hypertension and smoking might act as intermediate factors on the causal pathway of complaints, making aircraft noise and night shift acting as two synergistic stressors. Airport workers are in need for aggressive hearing conservation programs. Organization of the working hours schedule is mandatory to avoid excessive noise exposure.

A prospective follow-up study of the effects of chronic aircraft noise exposure on learners’ reading comprehension in South Africa

The purpose of this epidemiological study was to investigate the long-term effects of exposure to aircraft noise on reading comprehension on a sample of South African children. Given the impairment of reading comprehension found within the noised-exposed group before the relocation of the airport, it was the intention of this study to determine whether the effects of aircraft noise on reading comprehension remained after the relocation of the airport or whether they disappeared. A cohort of 732 learners with a mean age of 11.1 years participated at baseline measurements in 2009 and 650 (mean age=12.3) and 178 (mean age=13.1) learners were reassessed after the relocation of the airport in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The results revealed no significant effect of the groups on reading comprehension across the testing periods, but significant effects of home language were demonstrated on reading comprehension. These findings suggest that exposure to chronic aircraft noise may have a lasting impact on children's reading comprehension functioning.

The impact of aircraft noise on the health of population living near six Italian airports

Background: Aircraft noise has been associated with several health effects. Because of the great success of low cost flights, small airports have been turned into international airports thus exposing nearby residents to an increase in noise levels and potential disturbances and health disorders. Objective: to estimate the exposure levels and evaluate the health impact of aircraft noise on residents nearby six airports in Italy (Rome-Ciampino; Milan- Linate and Malpensa; Pisa, Turin, Venice) focusing on hypertension, annoyance, and high sleep disturbance (HSD). Methods: residents in the local municipalities at 31/12/2010 were enrolled in the study and their addresses were geocoded.Aircraft noise exposure in 2010 were defined using the Integrated Noise Model linked to each participant’s address. Lden (&lt;55, 55-59, 60-64, 65-70, 70-75 dB), Lnight, Leq (day and night) were calculated. We used previously developed concentration-response functions (Methodological guidance for estimating the burden of disease from environmental noise WHO 2012) to estimate the number of attributable cases of hypertension, annoyance and HSD in the local population. For hypertension we considered only residents aged 40+. Results: 687.147 persons were recruited, 125.621 (18.3%) of whom exposed to aircraft noise levels &gt;55dB. There were 101.528 (14.8%) subjects exposed to 55-60 dB, 22.016 (3.2%) to 60-65 dB, 1.890 (0.28%) to 65-70 dB, and 188 (0.03%) to 70-75 dB. We estimated that exposure to aircraft noise levels above 55 dB were responsible each year of 1.577 (1.25%) additional cases of hypertension, 11.572 (9.21%) additional case of annoyance, and 10.101 (8.04%) additonal cases of HSD. Conclusions: Low cost flights are certainly good for travellers but the effects of aircraft noise on residents near airports are far from negligible. The Italian SERA study is providing indications on potential health effects from aircraft noise.

Assessment of land use compatibility and noise pollution at Imam Khomeini International Airport

This study aimed to investigate land use planning around airports, by employing Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in conjunction with an optimization algorithm using an Integrated Noise Model (INM) software, to establish the potential effects of aircraft noise at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) in Tehran. We also checked for land use compatibility with the noise levels around IKIA and the residents' reaction to the noise. The research was carried out in three stages: a) the establishment of Strategic Noise Map (SNM) scenarios of the airport operation in the years 2011, 2020 and 2030 using the INM software; b) the assessment of the results with emphasis on the study area land uses and application of RS and GIS and the exposure of residents at different levels of environmental noise; and c) the assessment of the intensity of aircraft noise annoyance at various times of day and night. The results indicated that developing IKIA together with the residential development will increase airport noise. Hence proper management and control of noise at IKIA is essential.

Cardiovascular effects of nocturnal aircraft noise on healthy volunteers

Background: Nighttime aircraft noise can impair sleep quality and may also increase blood pressure and the risk for myocardial infarction for persons in highly noise exposed residential areas. Pathophysiology and possible susceptibility factors for cardiovascular effects of aircraft noise remain unclear. Methods and results: 75 healthy volunteers (mean age 26 y) were studied for three nights in their homes. One control pattern without noise (Control) and two noise patterns with 30 (Noise 30) or 60 (Noise 60) aircraft noise events were played back in random and blinded order. After each study night flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery was measured the following the morning. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate and actimetric data were recorded continuously during noise exposure. Peak sound pressure levels were 60 dB(A) for both patterns, with Leq(3)= 43.1±4.9 dB(A) for Noise 30 and Leq(3)= 46.3±3.9 dB(A) for Noise 60. FMD (%) dose dependently declined from 10.4%±3.8%; (Control) to 9.7%±4.1% (Noise30) and 9.5±4.3% (p=0.052) after the night with 60 noise events (Noise 60). Effects on FMD were particularly evident if Noise60 followed after Noise 30, suggesting a possible priming through anticipation. BP rose from 109.8±15.4 mmHg to 114.9±13.9 mmHg in Noise 30 and to 115.2±12.4 mmHg in Noise 60. Average heart rate, heart rate variability and actimetry data did not differ between patterns. Adrenaline concentration increased from 28.6±11.4 ng/l to 33.0±16.9 (Noise 30) and 34.0±19.0 ng/l (Noise 60; p = 0.0099). Serum cortisol remained unaffected by noise exposure. Conclusion: In a low risk population a short exposure to nocturnal aircraft noise can impair endothelial function, increase adrenaline concentrations and blood pressure. Exposure to aircraft noise in prior nights seems to augment this effect.

AIRCRAFT NOISE, HEALTH, AND RESIDENTIAL SORTING: EVIDENCE FROM TWO QUASI‐EXPERIMENTS

SUMMARYWe explore two unexpected changes in flight regulations to estimate the causal effect of aircraft noise on health. Detailed measures of noise are linked with longitudinal data on individual health outcomes based on the exact address information. Controlling for individual heterogeneity and spatial sorting into different neighborhoods, we find that aircraft noise significantly increases sleeping problems and headaches. Models that do not control for such heterogeneity and sorting substantially underestimate the negative health effects, which suggests that individuals self‐select into residence based on their unobserved sensitivity to noise. Our study demonstrates that the combination of quasi‐experimental variation and panel data is very powerful for identifying causal effects in epidemiological field studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

The Effects of Aircraft Noise on the Auditory Language Processing Abilities of English First Language Primary School Learners in Durban, South Africa

Schools located near to airports are exposed to high levels of noise which can cause cognitive, health, and hearing problems. Therefore, this study sought to explore whether this noise may cause auditory language processing (ALP) problems in primary school learners. Sixty-one children attending schools exposed to high levels of noise were matched to 68 children in quieter schools. Audiological screening and ALP assessments were undertaken and revealed that the children from the noise-exposed schools scored below average in all the ALP subtests. This study suggests that airport noise may impact on children’s ALP abilities.

Sample size estimation for field studies on the effects of aircraft noise on sleep

Environmental noise disturbs sleep, may impair daytime performance and lead to long-term health consequences. Unbiased and precise exposure–response relationships inform the political and legislative decision making process, e.g. in the context of setting exposure limits, but up-to-date exposure–response relationships for noise-induced sleep disturbances are missing for many noise sources and countries. Sample size calculations are needed to power field studies on the effects of noise on sleep adequately, but are complicated by the fact that each investigated subject is exposed to multiple noise events (i.e., data are clustered within subjects). Using existing data of a field study on the effects of aircraft noise on polysomnographically determined awakenings and a bootstrap approach, we performed Monte Carlo simulations for the power calculations. We estimated the power of the study to find a significant effect of maximum sound pressure level and the precision of a 95% confidence interval surrounding exposure–response relationships depending on the number of investigated subjects and the number of noise events each subject will be exposed to. Functions were fit to the simulation results that can be used by researchers to conveniently power future studies on the effects of aircraft noise on sleep.

Zurich Aircraft Noise Index: An Index for the Assessment and Analysis of the Effects of Aircraft Noise on the Population

This article reports on the Zurich Aircraft Noise Index (ZFI), a noise eff ect index describing the integral eff ects of aircraft noise (annoyance and sleep disturbance) on the population in the vicinity of Zurich airport, integrating the considered noise eff ects to a single number valid for the whole airport. In the year 2007 the ZFI became operational as an eff ect-oriented monitoring tool serving noise abatement policy in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. During its development, various exposure–response relationships and parameter settings were studied as a basis to establish the official calculation rule. The official calculation rule was then applied to a time series of 12 years, and reasons for changes in the ZFI were studied by means of sensitivity analyses, taking into account the air traffic operations and population development around Zurich airport in great detail. The article presents the concept and implementation of the ZFI, its development, its application, and insights obtained so far. Based on the obtained results, the potential and limitations of the index to express the number of aff ected persons, its sensitivity to changes in population figures and air traffic as well as the possibilities to separate diff erent influencing parameters, and the scientific shortcomings of the index are discussed.

Community response to aircraft noise around three airports in Vietnam

To assess the effect of aircraft noise on people in Vietnam, socio-acoustic surveys on community response to aircraft noise were conducted in residential areas around three airports in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang. The community response was obtained by face-to-face interviews during the daytime on weekends. The aircraft noise was measured for seven successive days. Aircraft noise exposures ranged from 53 to 71 dB, from 48 to 61 dB, and from 52 to 64 dB Lden in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Danang, respectively. A representative dose-response relationship for aircraft annoyance in Vietnam has been proposed based on 3487 responses and noise data obtained by field measurements at 25 sites. It has been found that the curve for Vietnam is slightly higher than but rather almost consistent to the EU's curve. The respondents in each surveyed city have different levels of annoyance for the same aircraft noise exposure.

Examining nocturnal railway noise and aircraft noise in the field: Sleep, psychomotor performance, and annoyance

BackgroundTraffic noise is interfering during day- and nighttime causing distress and adverse physiological reactions in large parts of the population. Railway noise proved less annoying than aircraft noise in surveys which were the bases for a so called 5dB railway bonus regarding noise protection in many European countries. ObjectivesThe present field study investigated railway noise-induced awakenings during sleep, nighttime annoyance and the impact on performance the following day. Comparing these results with those from a field study on aircraft noise allowed for a ranking of traffic modes concerning physiological and psychological reactions. Methods33 participants (mean age 36.2years±10.3 (SD); 22 females) living alongside railway tracks around Cologne/Bonn (Germany) were polysomnographically investigated. These data were pooled with data from a field study on aircraft noise (61 subjects) directly comparing the effects of railway and aircraft noise in one random subject effects logistic regression model. Annoyance was rated in the morning evaluating the previous night. ResultsProbability of sleep stage changes to wake/S1 from railway noise increased significantly from 6.5% at 35dB(A) to 20.5% at 80dB(A) LAFmax. Rise time of noise events had a significant impact on awakening probability. Nocturnal railway noise led to significantly higher awakening probabilities than aircraft noise, partly explained by the different rise times, whereas the order was inversed for annoyance. Freight train noise compared to passenger train noise proved to have the most impact on awakening probability. Nocturnal railway noise had no effect on psychomotor vigilance. ConclusionsNocturnal freight train noise exposure in Germany was associated with increased awakening probabilities exceeding those for aircraft noise and contrasting the findings of many annoyance surveys and annoyance ratings of our study. During nighttime a bonus for railway noise seems not appropriate.