Cognitive Impact on Children from Airplane Noise

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Cognitive Impact on Children from Airplane Noise

• 2008

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Outline

• Concepts and Definitions
• General Health Effects
• School Studies
• Conclusions and Future Actions

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Concepts and Definitions
NOISE UNWANTED SOUND
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Measurements

• Measured as oscillation of air pressure
  (scientific) and unwanted (value judgment)
• The intensity of sound waves produce a sound
  pressure level which is measured in the Decibel
  (dB)
• Db use a logarithmic scale to accommodate the
  large range of values a human ear can detect.

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• Increase of 3-5 dB is significant
• Increase of 10 dB is a doubling of sound
• Increase of 15 dB is four times as loud

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Noise Guidelines
FAA level of significance compatible with residential commercial, public building use 65 db
EPA outdoor for protection of public health and wellfare 55 db
WHO outdoor day 50-55 db
Metropolitan area noise 45-60 db
Studies show cognitive impacts starting around 50-55 db
EPA indoor 45 db
WHO outdoor night 45 db
Typical background even in rural suburban area 40 db
Bedrooms 30 db
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Sources of Noise
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Weighted Sound Measurements

• Day night sound level Ldn- (weigthed over 24 hr
  period with a 10dB penalty for night time hours
  where annoyance may be highest)

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• The average increase in air craft noise within
  the Redesign Area is estimated at 4.5 5.9 dB

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Health Effects

• The reported non-auditory effects in noise range
  from social psychological effects such as
  annoyance, effects on mental health, effects on
  sleep, effects on performance to stress related
  health effects such as hypertension and ischaemic
  heart disease. Exposure to noise constitutes a
  health risk. (Health Council Netherlands)

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Health Effects

• Annoyance/Stress
• Hypertension (HYENA)
• Sleep Disturbances
• Hearing loss
• Effects on learning

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Cognitive Impacts on Children

• The School Studies
• Los Angeles
• Munich
• London
• Ranch (Road traffic and air noise exposure and
  childrens cognition and health)
• FICAN (Federal interagency commission on aviation
  noise)

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Study LA-1981 Munich-1998 London-2003 RANCH-2005(roadtraffic and air noise exposure and childrens cognition and health) FICAN (fedral interagency commission on aviation noise)
Setting 4 high noise and 3 low noise schools flight path of LAX with follow up one year later prospective study. Shut down old air port in urban area and open new one in rural area. Selected schools by old air port in noise and quiet zones and schools by new airport in noise and quiet zones cross sectional study 10 high noise and 10 low noise schools by Heathrow air port cross sectional and transnational. Amsterdam, Madrid, and London airports, as well as data from Sweden. 3000 children 32 public schools by 3 air ports. Used available data, standardized tests etc. Looked at noise during school year. And schools before and after noise reduction.
Quality of life   significantly worse 18 months after new airport opened. Findings stable in the quiet communities. higher measures of annoyance in the high noise schools non-linear exposure response between noise at school and home and annoyance. High aircraft noise exposure equals greater annoyance.  
Motivation and helpless ness children from the high noise school more likely to give up noise area children were more likely to give up on tasks the second time whether or not they failed the first time.      
Blood pressure increase in both systolic and diastolic readings in children from noise schools not statistically significant   aircraft noise in school not related to blood pressure. Aircraft noise home significant to systolic but not diastolic or heart rate.  
Reading   significant difference between noise and quiet for old air port area for the difficult passages in reading tests no difference between exposure levels on the test as a whole but if look at the 15 most difficult items then significant difference between noise and quiet. linear exposure effect w reading, especially complex questions, episodic memory and working memory. Increase of 5 db equals 1-2 month delay in reading. high school verbal test failure rates dropped 12, lesser effect in math. No other statistical significant effects.
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Dose Response
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Conclusions

• Chronic exposure to air craft noise impairs
  reading and ability to perform complicated tasks
• Linear exposure effect response seen at 5db
  increases
• Increase of 5 dB leads to 1-2 month delay in
  reading
• Effect of noise is cumulative
• Reduction in noise lead to reduction in
  impairment. Or the effect of noise on cognitive
  abilities appears to be reversible

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Aviation Noise Impacts

• Community impacts
• The increase of 3-5 dB in a community will be
  experienced as a doubling in noise
• Sound quality in a community can add or detract
  to the sense of social well being
• Public health impacts
• Increased levels in hyper tension and stress
  hormones as well as sleep interruption can lead
  to other more serious health problems
• Cognitive impacts
• Decreased cognitive function in children can have
  significant impact on test scores, school
  funding, and future learning

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Future Actions

• Is the FAA using the right metrics?
• Alternatives to the day-night average
• Alternatives to the FAA 65 dB threshold
• Take susceptibility into account
• Dose response
• Cognitive impacts
• Health impacts
• Treat noise as an independent environmental
  stressor