This systematic review assesses the quality of the evidence across studies on the effect of environmental noise (road traffic noise, aircraft noise, railway noise, wind-turbine noise) on quality of life, wellbeing and mental health. Quantitative studies of noise effects on children and adults published from January 2005 up to October 2015 were reviewed. A total of 29 papers were identified. 90% of the papers were of cross-sectional design, with fewer studies of longitudinal or intervention design. Outcomes included depression and anxiety, medication use and childhood emotional problems. The quality of the evidence across the studies for each individual noise source was assessed using an adaptation of the GRADE methodology. Overall, given the predominance of cross-sectional studies, most evidence was rated as very low quality, with evidence of effects only being observed for some noise sources and outcomes. These ratings reflect inconsistent findings across studies, the small number of studies and a lack of methodological robustness within some domains. Overall, there are few studies of clinically significant mental health outcomes; few studies of railway noise exposure; and studies of large samples are needed. The lack of evidence for noise effects across studies for many of the quality of life, wellbeing and mental health domains examined does not necessarily mean that there are no effects: rather, that they have not yet been studied robustly for different noise sources.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/11/2400/pdf

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Quality of Life, Wellbeing and Mental Health

The health implications of environmental noise, especially cardiovascular effects, have been studied intensively. Research on associations between noise and mental health, however, has shown contradictory results. The present study examined associations between individual levels of noise annoyance due to noise from various sources in the living environment and mental health of adults in Germany. It evaluated whether these associations persisted after adjusting for potential covariates. Data were obtained from the cross-sectional “German Health Update” study 2012 (GEDA 2012), a national health interview survey among adults in Germany conducted by the Robert Koch Institute (n = 19,294). Noise annoyance questions referred to overall noise and that from road traffic, neighbours, and air traffic. Mental health was measured with the five-item Mental Health Inventory. Bivariate analysis showed associations between high levels of noise annoyance and impaired mental health for all noise sources except air traffic. After adjusting for covariates (sociodemographic factors, chronic disease, and social support), both men and women who reported high overall noise annoyance showed more than doubled odds of impaired mental health compared to those who were not annoyed. The odds of impaired mental health in the highest noise annoyance category from road traffic and neighbours were also significantly increased. These findings indicate that high noise annoyance is associated with impaired mental health and that this association can vary with the source of environmental noise. Further research on covariates of this association is necessary. Particularly, longitudinal data are required to establish the direction of associations and to address questions of causality.

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/10/954/pdf

Environmental Noise Annoyance and Mental Health in Adults: Findings from the Cross-Sectional German Health Update (GEDA) Study 2012.

Aircraft noise exposure and resident's stress and hypertension: A public health perspective for airport environmental management

Well-being and Transport: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

Airport expansion is an issue of intense public debate due to the potential impacts on climate change and the quality of life of affected local communities. This paper is the first study to analyse the relationships between airports and multiple subjective wellbeing measures, by merging national-level population statistics with noise measurement maps for seventeen English airports. The presence of daytime aviation noise was found to consistently negatively impact on five subjective wellbeing measures. We found a marginal negative association with every additional decibel of aircraft noise. We found no significant association between wellbeing and living within night-time noise contours or living in close airport proximity. We conclude that living under air traffic flight paths has a negative effect on peoples’ overall and momentary wellbeing, equivalent to around half the effect of being a smoker for some wellbeing measures. The subjective wellbeing method findings support wider revealed preference literature showing lower market demand in areas affected by aviation noise.

Living with aircraft noise: Airport proximity, aviation noise and subjective wellbeing in England

This paper deals with some recent developments in the design and performance of roadside barriers that are applied as a means of controlling road traffic noise. It is a review paper that is based on the outcomes of literature and information searches undertaken for and on behalf of the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW. Some interesting, ongoing developments in the design and performance of traffic noise barriers have been identified. In particular, three types of innovative barrier designs were identified that appear to offer the potential for increased attenuation without the need for substantial increases in barrier height. Each of these developments is considered in some detail in the paper and recommendations are made of the possibility of pursuing them further.

Recent Developments in the Design and Performance of Road Traffic Noise Barriers

Aircraft noise potentially disturbs (or annoys) the daily activities (such as communication and relaxation) of residents living in the vicinity of airports. This particular type of annoyance undermines quality of life and can be a cause of stress. Evidence is emerging that appears to associate some forms of health risk with this stress. This research aims at developing a better understanding of the impacts of aircraft noise on community health and well-being. This paper presents the results of exploratory data analysis from a pilot survey and a social survey of 704 residents' responses (47% response rate) in Sydney that include people living close to the airport and a matched control group (not affected by aircraft noise). The paper also describes the development of a new noise metric, which has been termed the Noise Gap Index (NGI), to incorporate other background environmental noise and to describe and assess the impacts of aircraft noise on the health and well-being of residents.

Aircraft noise and methods for the study of community health and well-being

A transdisciplinary research design to a study of aircraft noise and environmental health is applied using Sydney Airport as a case study. This paper describes the trans-disciplinary approach taken, and gives an overview of the methods, key findings and policy implications of this social survey research. The areas covered are: 1. the review of the disciplinary knowledge about epidemiology, social surveys, characteristics of environmental noise (especially aircraft noise), and the effects of environmental noise on community; 2. an overview of practices of aircraft noise management strategies in major commercial airports; 3. the development of a comprehensive health survey instrument for the evaluation of community health and wellbeing impacts by aircraft noise that draws on the international health self-assessment form, SF-36;4. the development of a ‘new’ noise index to describe and assess aircraft noise that is easily understood by a layperson, and fully reflects community responses toward aircraft noise; and 5. statistical methods to explore two core research questions. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E213716.

Stephen Samuels

Papers

Aircraft noise exposure and resident's stress and hypertension: A public health perspective for airport environmental management

Recent Developments in the Design and Performance of Road Traffic Noise Barriers

Aircraft noise and methods for the study of community health and well-being

Transdisciplinary framework for transport research: aircraft noise and environmental health