The health impacts of environmental noise are a growing concern. At least one million healthy life years are lost every year from traffic-related noise in the western part of Europe. This publication summarises the evidence on the relationship between environmental noise and health effects, including cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, and annoyance. For each one, the environmental burden of disease methodology, based on exposure-response relationship, exposure distribution, background prevalence of disease and disability weights of the outcome, is applied to calculate the burden of disease in terms of disability-adjusted life-years. Data are still lacking for the rest of the WHO European Region. This publication provides policy-makers and their advisers with technical support in their quantitative risk assessment of environmental noise. International, national and local authorities can use the procedure for estimating burdens presented here to prioritize and plan environmental and public health policies.

Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise: Quantification of Healthy Life Years Lost in Europe

ObjectiveBecause of around-the-clock activities, environmental noise and light are among the many causes of sleep disturbance in an intensive care unit (ICU). The implementation of guidelines may potentially change behavior rules and improve sleep quality.DesignA prospective interventional study, ob

Effects of guidelines implementation in a surgical intensive care unit to control nighttime light and noise levels.

Noise exposure causes changes at different levels in human organs, particularly the cardiovascular system, where it is responsible for increasing heart rate, peripheral vascular resistance, and blood pressure. In this study, we evaluated the effect of noise exposure on DNA integrity and ultrastructure of rat cardiomyocytes. The exposure to loud noise (100 dBA) for 12 hr caused a significant increase of DNA damage, accompanied by swelling of mitochondrial membranes, dilution of the matrix, and cristolysis. These alterations were concomitant with increased in situ noradrenaline levels and utilization. Genetic and ultrastructural alterations did not decrease 24 hr after the cessation of the stimulus. An elevated oxyradical generation, possibly related to altered sympathetic innervation, is hypothesized as responsible for the induction and persistence of noise-induced cellular damage.

DNA damage associated with ultrastructural alterations in rat myocardium after loud noise exposure.

Effect of noise exposure on rat cardiac peripheral benzodiazepine receptors.

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A Review of the Literature Related to Potential Heath Effects of Aircraft Noise

During sleep, in thermoneutral conditions, the noise of a passing vehicle induces a biphasic cardiac response, a transient peripheral vasoconstriction and sleep disturbances. The present study was performed to determine whether or not the physiological responses were modified in a hot environment or after daytime exposure to both heat and noise. Eight young men were exposed to a nocturnal thermoneutral (20 degrees C) or hot (35 degrees C) environment disturbed by traffic noise. During the night, the peak intensities were of 71 dB(A) for trucks, 67 dB(A) for motorbikes and 64 dB(A) for cars. The background noise level (pink noise) was set at 30 dB(A). The noises were randomly distributed at a rate of 9.h-1. Nights were equally preceded by daytime exposure to combined heat and noise or to no disturbance. During the day, the noises as well as the background noise levels were increased by 15 dB(A) and the rate was 48.h-1. Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures of sleep, electrocardiograms and finger pulse amplitudes were continuously recorded. Regardless of the day condition, when compared with undisturbed nights, the nocturnal increase in the level of heart rate induced by heat exposure disappeared when noise was added. Percentages, delays, magnitudes and costs of cardiac and vascular responses as well as EEG events such as transient activation phases (TAP) due to noise were not affected by nocturnal thermal load or by the preceding daytime exposure to disturbances.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

V. Bach

Papers

Cardiovascular responses and electroencephalogram disturbances to intermittent noises: effects of nocturnal heat and daytime exposure.