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Transport noise and health
Noise homepage [3]
Contents:
- Introduction [4]
- Hearing loss [5]
- Annoyance and stress [6]
- Sleep deprivation [7]
- Cardiovascular
disease
- Psychological
wellbeing
- Noise effects on
children
- Noise and health links [8]
- References [9]
Introduction
Noise is increasingly recognized as a serious health hazard as well as
a nuisance. The WHO recognizes community noise, including
traffic noise, as a serious public health problem. The sections below
outline the various health effects of noise and provide links to
further information. The effects must be considered in the European
context where half of citizens live in noisy surroundings, and a third
experiences levels of nighttime noise that disturb sleep [1].
Recent studies have attributed fatality figures to traffic noise.
Studies as part of the Danish Road Noise Strategy estimated that
800-2200 hospitalisations due to cardiovascular disease and between
200-500 premature deaths in Denmark each year are attributable to
traffic noise [2] [10]. As well as
physical health problems including hearing loss, raised blood pressure
and heart disease, the psychological effects of annoyance and sleep
deprivation also have extremely serious consequences. Evidence shows
that traffic noise also hinders communication and learning processes,
especially in children [3] [11].
The most vulnerable members of society are often the most adversely
affected; the young, the elderly and those who already suffer physical
or mental health problems. Social inequalities may also be exacerbated,
as the most deprived areas are often located in close proximity to
major transport axes, such as railway stations or depots, main roads,
busy junctions, airports and flightpaths. These areas are often at the
highest risk from noise exposure as well as from air pollution.
There is a general consensus about the noise levels which cause health
impacts [4] [12]:
- Environmental noise above 40-50dBA Leq is likely to lead to
significant annoyance.
- Noise levels between 65-70 dBA Leq may be risk factors for
school performance and ischemic heart disease.
- Outdoor noise levels of 40-60 dBA Leq may disturb sleep.
- Traffic noise of 70dB(A) may cause hearing impairment.
Hearing loss
Approximately 10% of the population in industrialized societies suffers
from significant hearing loss. The principal cause is exposure to
elevated sound levels, which can be either from brief exposure to
extremely loud noise, or also from prolonged exposure to lower levels.
For example, volumes of around 70dB(A), which are common along major
roads, can result in cumulative hearing damage over time. It is now
accepted that ageing alone is not the principal cause of hearing loss,
but that it is rather due to cumulative long-term exposure to
environmental and occupational noise [5] [13].
Hearing loss is usually irreversible.
Annoyance and
stress
Annoyance caused by noise varies depending on the source, time of day,
frequency of occurrence and from person to person. How noise is
perceived depends heavily on a person’s attitude to the
source of the noise and its usefulness. Annoyance has knock-on effects
on health. Annoyance causes physiological effects demonstrated by
stress indicators (hormone release, increased blood pressure). The
long-term effects of elevated stress levels can be very serious for
cardio-vascular health. [6] [14]
Annoyance and stress result in difficulty concentrating, irritability
and increases in aggressive behaviour [7] [15].
Motor vehicle and aircraft noise are the most important sources of
sound levels which give rise to these effects.
The graph demonstrates that aircraft noise is perceived as annoying by
a greater number of people than road or rail noise. At the WHO guidance
limit for noise exposure of 55dB(A), approximately 30% of people are
still annoyed by aircraft noise, approximately 20% are annoyed by road
noise and around 10% are annoyed by railway noise. 50% of
people are annoyed by aircraft noise at around 65dB(A), and by road
noise at around 70dB(A).
Sleep deprivation
Noise in the evening, early morning or nighttime has substantially more
serious annoyance effects, as it is more likely to disturb recreation,
relaxation or sleep. Sleep disturbance occurs from 30dB(A), and the WHO
recommends maximum nighttime outdoor noise levels of 45dB(A).
Sleep disturbance is clearly detrimental to wellbeing, and longer term
disturbances are damaging to physical and mental health. Tiredness also
reduces concentration spans, which decreases productivity and
performance at work or school and increases the risk of accidents.
Cardiovascular
disease
The link between noise and heart disease has been investigated since
the 1960s. Over recent years, results from many epidemiological studies
have been collated to show that there is a causal link between noise
– even at relatively low volumes – and serious
health problems including high blood pressure and heart disease. The
relationship has been demonstrated in studies by increased need for
medication and prevalence of disease.
A study by the German Federal Environment Agency has recently carried
out research firmly establishing the causal link between road traffic
noise and heart disease. Noise triggers the release of adrenalin,
noradrenalin and cortisol as a stress reaction in the brain. Prolonged
chronic exposure to noise, particularly from road or air traffic, can
result in permanent functional and metabolic changes due to the imposed
stress and elevated hormone levels. This is in turn linked to a higher
risk of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure and
heart attacks.
The study found an observable increase in incidence of heart attacks in
people exposed to road traffic noise over 60dB(A) during the day. The
German Federal Environment Agency used the results of the study to
estimate that 27,000 cases of ischaemic heart disease in Germany,
including 4000 heart attack cases per year are attributable to road
traffic noise alone. [8] [16] A study
for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has also estimated that
between 200 and 500 premature deaths in Denmark each year are
attributable to noise. [9] [17]
Some recent studies have investigated the link between health effects
of noise and those caused by air pollution. [10] [18]
Particularly in the case of traffic, where noise and air pollution stem
from the same source, the cumulative health effects of cardiovascular
and respiratory disorders still merit further investigation.
Psychological
wellbeing
As well as annoyance and stress reactions, some evidence has been found
of a relationship between road traffic noise exposure and mental health
disorders. [11] [19] The World Health
Organisation’s Community Noise Guidelines also note a link
between neighbourhood noise and mental health problems, which is
indicated by an increased demand for medication, incidence of
psychiatric symptoms and admissions for psychiatric treatment linked to
noisy areas. [12] [20]
Noise
effects on children
Noise has particularly harmful effects on children [13] [21],
as noise in the classroom or at home interferes with communication and
therefore learning processes. Research has demonstrated that children
in a noisy environment have problems filtering out background noise and
interpreting speech. A study for the European Commission (known as
RANCH) investigated road traffic and aircraft noise exposure and
children's cognition and health. It was found that children exposed to
noise levels over 55dB(A) achieved lower scores in reading tests.[14] Affected children will be
disadvantaged in their development of speech and reading abilities as
well as more general communication skills. Noise may also
have effects on foetal development due to (stress) effects on expectant
mothers. [15] [22] Environmental noise
also has cognitive effects in older children and adults, due to
hindering communication, as shown by studies of aggression, mental
health and anxiety.
Noise and health links
World Health Organisation:
European Commission:
European Environment Agency:
EU research projects:
Health impact assessment of noise:
Noise exposure:
- HARMONOISE [24]
(2001-2005) Harmonised noise exposure computation methods for roads and
railways:
- IMAGINE (2003-2006) Integrated
environmental noise database
- Urban
Audit, measures quality of life in towns and cities
- TRENDS
(Transport and Environment Databases System)
- Gipsynoise [25]
References
[1] WHO
Guidelines for Community Noise (2000): Berglund, B.,
Lindvall, T., Schwela, D.H. Guidelines for Community Noise, World
Health Organisation, Geneva, 2000, p.XII.
[2] Danish Environmental Protection
Agency, quoted at http://www.vejdirektoratet.dk/publikationer/VInot037/html/chapter07.htm
[3] RANCH
project
[4] Babisch, W. Internoise
presentation, 2006
[5] Rosenhall, Ulf; Pedersen, Kai;
Svenborg (August 1990): Alvar Presbycusis and Noise-induced hearing
loss, Ear & Hearing 11(4):257-263, Lippincott, Williams
& Wilkins.
[6] Bluhm, G., Nordling, E.,
Berglind, N. (2004). ‘Road traffic noise and annoyance
– An increasing environmental health problem’ Noise
and Health, Volume 6, Number 24, Jul - Sept 2004, pp. 43-49(7), nRn
Publications.
[7] WHO
Guidelines for Community Noise (2000): Berglund, B.,
Lindvall, T., Schwela, D.H. Guidelines for Community Noise, World
Health Organisation, Geneva, 2000, p.XIII.
[8] Babisch,
W. (2006) “Transportation noise and cardiovascular
risk, Review and synthesis of epidemiological studies, Dose-effect
curve and risk estimation” WaBuLu-Hefte01/06,
Umweltbundesamt, Berlin.
[9] Danish Environmental Protection
Agency, quoted at
http://www.vejdirektoratet.dk/publikationer/VInot037/html/chapter07.htm
[10] Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos,
S., Prasher, D. (2005) ‘Confounding or Aggravating Factors in
Noise-Induced Health Effects: Air Pollutants and Other
Stressors.’ Noise and Health, Volume 7, Number 28, Jul - Sept
2005, pp. 41-50(10), nRn Publications.
[11] Halpern, D. (1995) More then
bricks and mortar? Mental health and the built environment. Taylor and
Francis: London
[12] WHO
Guidelines for Community Noise (2000): Berglund, B.,
Lindvall, T., Schwela, D.H. Guidelines for Community Noise, World
Health Organisation, Geneva, 2000, p.XII.
[13] Evans, G.W., Lercher, P.,
Meis, M., Ising, H., and Kofler, W. W. (2001) "Community noise exposure
and stress in children", Journal of the Acoustical Society of America,
No. 109, pp.1023-1027, Acoustical Society of America.
[14] Stansfeld. S.A., Berglund. B.,
Clark. C., Lopez Barrio. I., Fischer. P., Ohrstrom. E., Haines. M.M.,
Head. J., Hygge. S., van Kamp. I. & Berry. B. (2005) ’Aircraft
and road traffic noise and children's cognition & health:
exposure-effect relationships’ The Lancet, 365,
1942-1949
[15] USA Environmental Protection
Agency (1978): Noise: A health problem, Office of Noise Abatement and
Control, Washington, D.C.
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