Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
to warn people about the health hazards of noise as more research is undertaken to
identify the specific links. It should also be pointed out that the Noise Control Act
of 1972 had assigned responsibility of curtailing noise to ONAC and this document
was published in keeping with the mandate of the Noise Control Act, which was to
protect Americans from the harmful effects of noise.
Subsequently, additional studies on the health effects of noise were conducted,
largely in communities disturbed by noises from nearby airports, railroads and
highways, and they did indeed find a relationship between noise exposure and sub-
sequent cardiovascular disease [3, 8, 9]. Several years ago, Babisch [37] reviewed
epidemiologic studies that examined the relationship between environmental noise
and cardiovascular risks (mean blood pressure, hypertension, and ischemic heart
disease) and concluded that the risk of cardiovascular ailments had increased since
his last review. More recently, a panel of European noise researchers [38] met to
review the burden of disease from environmental noise and estimated that 3% of
all deaths due to ischemic disease across the European Union were attributable to
community noise. Lars Jarup and his associates examined exposure to noise near
airports and found statistically significant effects on blood pressure of night-time
aircraft noise and average 24 h road traffic noise exposure, the latter especially for
men. Jarup et al. conclude that: “Hypertension is an important independent risk fac-
tor for myocardial infarction and stroke and the increased risk of hypertension in
relation to aircraft and road traffic noise near airports demonstrated in our study
may therefore contribute to the burden of cardiovascular disease” [39].
Not only are infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at risk for hearing
loss, but studies also found that the noise to which infants in NICU were exposed,
much of it from staff activities, also triggered undesirable physiological responses
such as abrupt fluctuations in blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen
saturation. Concern over such physiological changes in the infants in NICU resulted
in recommendations to minimize the surrounding noises to which they are exposed
not only in the NICU but following discharge from the hospital [13]. Noise exposure
may also put older children at risk. Children who live in noisy environments have
been shown to have elevated blood pressure and elevated levels of stress-induced
hormones [8, 40]. Systolic blood pressure was found to be significantly higher in
children living in noisy residences when compared to children living in quiet envi-
ronments [41]. Yet, van Kempen and her associates [42] looking at the results of
effects of aircraft and road traffic noise exposure on children's blood pressure and
heart rate believed the data were not yet sufficient to prove that noise produced
adverse effects on children's blood pressure; thus calling for further research in this
area. It might be worthwhile to follow youngsters who were exposed to noisy envi-
ronments into adulthood to learn whether or not they were indeed prone to higher
blood pressure and cardiovascular disorders.
With respect to the effects of noise on the immune system, Passchier-Vermeer
and Passchier [43] concluded that the small number of studies on this topic did
not permit them to arrive at conclusions about a causal relationship. Similarly, it is
difficult to draw conclusions about causal relationships from the occasional report
of adverse effects of noise on other physiological systems.
