Residential green is associated with reduced annoyance to road traffic and railway noise but increased annoyance to aircraft noise exposure

Evaluation of flow, supply, and demand for noise reduction in urban area, Hamadan in Iran

Noise pollution is one of the consequences of urbanization that can cause environmental disturbances in urban areas. Urban ecosystems provide noise reduction services through Urban Green infrastructures (UGIs). Many studies have been conducted to evaluate and model traffic noise, but none have addressed the flow, supply, and demand of noise reduction ecosystem services. The main purpose of this paper is to present a new methodology for estimating flow, supply, and demand for noise reduction in Hamadan city that has not been mentioned in any paper so far. UGIs were classified into six main categories: agricultural lands, gardens, parks, abandoned lands, single trees, and street trees. A total of 57 sampling stations for sound measurement were made in August 2018. The current map of noise pollution (flow) was created using the Kriging method. The amount of supply was measured up to a distance of 50 meters from the main roads based on two approaches (the distance effect and the sound barrier effect). To quantify the demand, the current sound intensity level in the noise-sensitive land uses was compared with standards. Zonal statistics was used for spatial analysis of supply-demand in the urban neighborhood as a working unit. Results showed that at distances of 5m, 10m, 15m, and 20m, the average noise reduction was found to be 1.61, 2.83, 3.92, and 5.33 dB, respectively. Sound barriers at distances of 5m and 10m resulted in an average sound reduction of 1.61 and 2.83 dB, respectively. Individual trees, strip trees, abandoned lands, parks, and gardens led to a decrease in traffic noise by 0.3, 1, 0.1, 3.5, and 4.5 dB, respectively. The clustering analysis revealed a significant spatial clustering of noise pollution in Hamedan. The results and new methodology of this research can be used in similar areas to estimate the supply and demand of noise reduction and also for decision-makers to take management actions to increase supply and meet the demand for noise reduction service.

Psychophysiological effects of walking in forests and urban built environments with disparate road traffic noise exposure: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Stress is a widespread phenomenon and reality of everyday life, entailing negative consequences for physical and psychological wellbeing. Previous studies have indicated that exposure to greenspaces and nature-based interventions are promising approaches to reducing stress and promoting restoration. However, an increasing percentage of the population lives in urban regions with limited opportunities to spend time in greenspaces. In addition, urban settings typically feature increased levels of noise, which represents a major environmental stressor. Although various studies have compared the effects of exposure to greenspaces versus urban built environments, evidence of the effects of noise in this context is very limited. Psychophysiological benefits of exposure to greenspaces compared to urban built environments reported in earlier studies might be less (or at least not only) due to features of the greenspaces than to additional stressors, such as road traffic noise in the urban built environment. Hence, differences in the effects attributed to greenness in previous studies may also be due to potentially detrimental noise effects in comparison settings. This paper reports the study protocol for a randomized, controlled intervention study comparing the effects of walking in forest versus urban built environments, taking road traffic noise exposure during walks in the respective settings into account.

METHODS

The protocol envisages a field study employing a pretest-posttest design to compare the effects of 30-min walks in urban built environments and forests with different road traffic noise levels. Assessments will consist of self-reported measures, physiological data (salivary cortisol and skin conductance), an attention test, and noise, as well as greenness measurements. The outcomes will be restoration, stress, positive and negative affect, attention, rumination, and nature connectedness.

DISCUSSION

The results will inform about the restorative effect of walking in general, of exposure to different types of environments, and to different noise levels in these sites. The study will provide insights into the benefits of walking and nature-based interventions, taking into account the potential detrimental effects of noise exposure. It will thus facilitate a better understanding of low-threshold interventions to prevent stress and foster wellbeing.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN48943261 ; Registered 23.11.2023.

Proximity to public green spaces and depressive symptoms among South African residents: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Exposure to green spaces has been suggested to improve mental health and may reduce the risk of depression. However, there is generally limited evidence on the association between green spaces and depression originating from low-and middle-income countries and Africa in particular. Here, we investigate the association between proximity to public green spaces and depressive symptoms among residents of Gauteng Province, South Africa.

METHODS

We used data from the 2017/2018 Gauteng quality of life survey. We included all individuals aged 18 years or older residing in the nine municipalities of Gauteng Province that completed the survey (n = 24,341). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Proximity to public green spaces was defined as self-reported walking time (either less or greater than 15 min) from individuals' homes to the nearest public green space. To assess the association between access to public green spaces and depressive symptoms, we used mixed-effects models, adjusted for age, sex, population group (African, Indian/Asian, Coloured (mixed race), and White), educational attainment, and municipality. We additionally performed stratified analyses by age, sex, educational attainment, and population group to evaluate whether associations differed within subgroups. Associations are expressed as prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

We observed a 6% (PR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.92-0.96) prevalence reduction in depressive symptoms for individuals who reported that the nearest public green space was less than 15 min from their homes as compared to those who reported > 15 min. After stratification, this inverse association was stronger among females, individuals aged 35-59 years,those with higher levels of educational attainment, and Coloured individuals as compared to their counterparts.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that public green spaces close to residential homes may be associated with a reduction in the occurrence of depressive symptoms among urban populations in resource-constrained settings like South Africa.

Childhood sound disturbance and sleep problems in Alpine valleys with high levels of traffic exposures and greenspace

Sound disturbance and sleep problems are regarded as the most common adverse effects of environmental noise but evidence of the role of air pollution and greenspace is scant. This is especially true for children who find themselves in a sensitive developmental period and experience their environment differently than adults. This study examined the joint effects of traffic exposures and residential greenspace on child sound disturbance and sleep problems via perceptions of neighborhood quality. We used cross-sectional data for 1251 schoolchildren (8-12 years) in the Tyrol region of Austria/Italy. Questionnaires provided information on sociodemographic and housing factors, perceived neighborhood quality, sound disturbance in different situations, and sleep problems. Modelled acoustic indicators included day-evening-night sound levels and the highest percentile level, and night-time sound level and a bespoke sleep disturbance index. Nitrogen dioxide served as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution. The normalized difference vegetation index was calculated as a measure of residential greenspace, and presence of a domestic garden was self-reported. Results showed that higher level of traffic-related exposures was positively associated with sound disturbance and sleep problems, while living in a greener area, especially in a house with a garden, was associated with lower sound disturbance and less sleep problems even in the presence of traffic. Traffic exposures contributed to more unfavorable, and greenspace to more positive perceptions in terms of traffic-related stressors, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and general satisfaction with the neighborhood. This indirect path seemed more important for greenspace than for traffic exposures. In conclusion, it seems advantageous to combine traffic-related mitigation with improving access to greenspace in interventions for supporting the acoustic comfort of children during day and nighttime. Even highly nature-dominated environments could still benefit from proximal green infrastructure, especially from domestic gardens.

Disentangling associations between multiple environmental exposures and all-cause mortality: an analysis of European administrative and traditional cohorts

Background

We evaluated the independent and joint effects of air pollution, land/built environment characteristics, and ambient temperature on all-cause mortality as part of the EXPANSE project.

Methods

We collected data from six administrative cohorts covering Catalonia, Greece, the Netherlands, Rome, Sweden, and Switzerland and three traditional cohorts in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Germany. Participants were linked to spatial exposure estimates derived from hybrid land use regression models and satellite data for: air pollution [fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), black carbon (BC), warm season ozone (O3)], land/built environment [normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), distance to water, impervious surfaces], and ambient temperature (the mean and standard deviation of warm and cool season temperature). We applied Cox proportional hazard models accounting for several cohort-specific individual and area-level variables. We evaluated the associations through single and multiexposure models, and interactions between exposures. The joint effects were estimated using the cumulative risk index (CRI). Cohort-specific hazard ratios (HR) were combined using random-effects meta-analyses.

Results

We observed over 3.1 million deaths out of approximately 204 million person-years. In administrative cohorts, increased exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and BC was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (pooled HRs: 1.054, 1.033, and 1.032, respectively). We observed an adverse effect of increased impervious surface and mean season-specific temperature, and a protective effect of increased O3, NDVI, distance to water, and temperature variation on all-cause mortality. The effects of PM2.5 were higher in areas with lower (10th percentile) compared to higher (90th percentile) NDVI levels [pooled HRs: 1.054 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.030-1.079) vs. 1.038 (95% CI 0.964-1.118)]. A similar pattern was observed for NO2. The CRI of air pollutants (PM2.5 or NO2) plus NDVI and mean warm season temperature resulted in a stronger effect compared to single-exposure HRs: [PM2.5 pooled HR: 1.061 (95% CI 1.021-1.102); NO2 pooled HR: 1.041 (95% CI 1.025-1.057)]. Non-significant effects of similar patterns were observed in traditional cohorts.

Discussion

The findings of our study not only support the independent effects of long-term exposure to air pollution and greenness, but also highlight the increased effect when interplaying with other environmental exposures.

Beneficial associations between outdoor visible greenness at the workplace and metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults

BACKGROUND

Greenness surrounding residential places has been found to significantly reduce the risk of diseases such as hypertension, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, it is unclear whether visible greenness exposure at the workplace has any impact on the risk of MetS.

METHODS

Visible greenness exposure was assessed using a Green View Index (GVI) based on street view images through a convolutional neural network model. We utilized logistic regression to examine the cross-sectional association between GVI and MetS as well as its components among 51,552 adults aged 18-60 in the city of Hangzhou, China, from January 2018 to December 2021. Stratified analyses were conducted by age and sex groups. Furthermore, a scenario analysis was conducted to investigate the risks of having MetS among adults in different GVI scenarios.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 40.1, and 38.5% were women. We found a statistically significant association between GVI and having MetS. Compared to the lowest quartile of GVI, participants in the highest quartile of GVI had a 17% (95% CI: 11-23%) lower odds of having MetS. The protective association was stronger in the males, but we did not observe such differences in different age groups. Furthermore, we found inverse associations between GVI and the odds of hypertension, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, obesity, and high levels of FPG.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher exposure to outdoor visible greenness in the workplace environment might have a protective effect against MetS.

Nonstationary relationships among individuals' concurrent exposures to noise, air pollution and greenspace: A mobility-based study using GPS and mobile sensing data

Individuals are often exposed to multiple environmental factors simultaneously. Understanding their joint effects is essential for developing effective public health policies. However, there has been a lack of research examining individuals' concurrent exposures to multiple environmental factors during people's daily mobility. To address this gap, this study investigated the relationships between and geographic patterns of individual exposures to air pollution (PM2.5), noise and greenspace using individual-level real-time GPS and mobile sensing data collected in outdoor environments. The findings indicate that the relationships between individual exposures to air pollution, noise and greenspace vary across different value ranges of exposures. The study also reveals that people's concurrent exposures to multiple environmental factors exhibit spatial nonstationary and strong clustering patterns. These results highlight the importance of considering spatial nonstationary and spatial heterogeneity of environmental exposures in understanding the relationships between multiple exposures in environmental health research.

Joint associations and pathways from greenspace, traffic-related air pollution, and noise to poor self-rated general health: A population-based study in Sofia, Bulgaria

BACKGROUND

Little is still known of how multiple urban exposures interact as health determinants. This study investigated various ways in which greenspace, traffic-related air pollution, and noise could operate together, influencing general health status.

METHODS

In 2022, a cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted in Sofia, Bulgaria. Included were 917 long-term adult residents who completed questionnaires on poor self-rated health (PSRH), total time spent in physical activity (PA), home garden presence, time spent in urban greenspace and nature, and sociodemographics. Residential greenspace was operationalized using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), tree cover density, number of trees, and access to local greenspace and parks. Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) was modeled for the study area. Road traffic, railway, and aircraft day-evening-night sound levels (L_den) were extracted from EU noise maps. Area-level income and urbanicity were considered. Analyses included multivariate ordinal regressions, interactions, and structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

Associations with PSRH were per 0.10 NDVI _300 m: OR = 0.65 (0.42-1.01), home garden: OR = 0.72 (0.49-1.07), per 5 μg/m³ NO₂: OR = 1.57 (1.00-2.48), per 5 dB(A) L_den road traffic: OR = 1.06 (0.91-1.23), railway: OR = 1.11 (1.03-1.20), and aircraft: OR = 1.22 (1.11-1.34). Spending >30 min/week in nature related to better health. In multi-exposure models, only associations with aircraft and railway L_den persisted. People with lower education and financial difficulties or living in poorer districts experienced some exposures stronger. In SEM, time spent in nature and PA mediated the effect of greenspace.

CONCLUSIONS

Greenspace was associated with better general health, with time spent in nature and PA emerging as intermediate pathways. NO₂, railway, and aircraft noise were associated with poorer general health. These results could inform decision-makers, urban planners, and civil society organizations facing urban development problems. Mitigation and abatement policies and measures should target socioeconomically disadvantaged citizens.

A study on the impact of road traffic noise exposure on work efficiency of housewives

Housewives are individuals who take on the caregiving role in the family in virtually every society and while discharging their duties experience serious psychological difficulties due to external environmental pollutants like air, noise, etc., which influences their efficiency of performing household activities. This study hypothesizes a causal association between perception of traffic noise and the reduction in performance of housewives in their daily household activities. A simple mediation model was utilized for the study with traffic noise perception as the exposure variable. The sensitivity to traffic noise, annoyance caused due to traffic noise, and the effect of traffic noise on housewives were evaluated using questionnaire survey. Of the respondents, 57.33% reported high level of traffic noise perception, while 65.81% reported high annoyance due to traffic noise perception. Of the respondents, 88.69% reported higher levels of agreement with regard to negative effect of traffic noise on their household activities. The results supported the hypothesis with respondents belonging to high and moderate noise perception groups reporting a higher reduction in performance as compared to those belonging to the low noise perception group at higher values of sensitivity. There was no significant direct effect among those who perceived traffic noise as high and moderate. However, the indirect path revealed that there was a significantly higher reduction in performance among those belonging to the high and moderate noise perception group as compared to those belonging to the low noise perception group while those who perceived traffic noise as high and moderate did not differ significantly only at higher levels of sensitivity. Using OGRS computational tool, a sensitivity value of 5.586 was identified as the Johnson-Neyman boundary of significance for the direct effect. The results from the study highlight the need for including environmental noise related regulations with regard to residential structures by the concerned authorities and also the need for undertaking more rigorous studies by health authorities and organizations so that the effects are minimized if not eliminated completely.

Associations between Aircraft Noise Exposure and Self-Reported Sleep Duration and Quality in the United States-Based Prospective Nurses' Health Study Cohort

BACKGROUND

Sleep disruption is linked with chronic disease, and aircraft noise can disrupt sleep. However, there are few investigations of aircraft noise and sleep in large cohorts.

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations between aircraft noise and self-reported sleep duration and quality in the Nurses' Health Study, a large prospective cohort.

METHODS

Aircraft nighttime equivalent sound levels (Lnight) and day-night average sound levels (DNL) were modeled around 90 U.S. airports from 1995 to 2015 in 5-y intervals using the Aviation Environmental Design Tool and linked to geocoded participant residential addresses. Lnight exposure was dichotomized at the lowest modeled level of 45 A-weighted decibels [dB(A)] and at multiple cut points for DNL. Multiple categories of both metrics were compared with < 45 dB(A). Self-reported short sleep duration (< 7 h/24-h day) was ascertained in 2000, 2002, 2008, 2012, and 2014, and poor sleep quality (frequent trouble falling/staying asleep) was ascertained in 2000. We analyzed repeated sleep duration measures using generalized estimating equations and sleep quality by conditional logistic regression. We adjusted for participant-level demographics, behaviors, comorbidities, and environmental exposures (greenness and light at night) and examined effect modification.

RESULTS

In 35,226 female nurses averaging 66.1 years of age at baseline, prevalence of short sleep duration and poor sleep quality were 29.6% and 13.1%, respectively. In multivariable models, exposure to Lnight ≥ 45 dB(A) was associated with 23% [95% confidence interval (CI): 7%, 40%] greater odds of short sleep duration but was not associated with poor sleep quality (9% lower odds; 95% CI: - 30 % , 19%). Increasing categories of Lnight and DNL ≥ 45 dB(A) suggested an exposure-response relationship for short sleep duration. We observed higher magnitude associations among participants living in the West, near major cargo airports, and near water-adjacent airports and among those reporting no hearing loss.

DISCUSSION

Aircraft noise was associated with short sleep duration in female nurses, modified by individual and airport characteristics. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10959.

How Do Road Traffic Noise and Residential Greenness Correlate with Noise Annoyance and Long-Term Stress? Protocol and Pilot Study for a Large Field Survey with a Cross-Sectional Design

Urban areas are continuously growing, and densification is a frequent strategy to limit urban expansion. This generally entails a loss of green spaces (GSs) and an increase in noise pollution, which has negative effects on health. Within the research project RESTORE (Restorative potential of green spaces in noise-polluted environments), an extended cross-sectional field study in the city of Zurich, Switzerland, is conducted. The aim is to assess the relationship between noise annoyance and stress (self-perceived and physiological) as well as their association with road traffic noise and GSs. A representative stratified sample of participants from more than 5000 inhabitants will be contacted to complete an online survey. In addition to the self-reported stress identified by the questionnaire, hair cortisol and cortisone probes from a subsample of participants will be obtained to determine physiological stress. Participants are selected according to their dwelling location using a spatial analysis to determine exposure to different road traffic noise levels and access to GSs. Further, characteristics of individuals as well as acoustical and non-acoustical attributes of GSs are accounted for. This paper presents the study protocol and reports the first results of a pilot study to test the feasibility of the protocol.

Effects of noise on pedestrians in urban environments where road traffic is the main source of sound

Research combining the measurement of objective variables with surveys of people's perception of noise on city streets is useful in terms of understanding the impact of urban noise on the population and improving the environment. Although previous investigations have analysed the factors that may influence the noise annoyance of citizens, it is usually considered as a global aspect. This paper presents research based on in situ surveys and objective variables (urban, meteorological and noise indicators) to evaluate some specific effects of noise on pedestrians in urban environments where road traffic is the main source of sound. The results show significant relationships of the effects of noise and perceptions of how noisy urban environments are with variables such as building height, road category and temperature, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.37 to 0.64. Significant correlations between these subjective variables and the acoustic variables were also found, with explanations of variability that reached values of up to 50 %. A multivariate analysis revealed that both urban variables (especially the category of street) and environmental variables can be an alternative or a complement to models predicting the effects and perception of environmental noise based only on acoustic variables.

Associations between greenspace surrounding schools and lipid levels in Chinese children and teenagers

Little evidence exists concerning the associations of greenspace with childhood lipid profiles and dyslipidemias, especially in developing countries and regions. We aimed to investigate the associations of greenspace surrounding schools with lipid levels and dyslipidemia prevalence among Chinese children and teenagers. We obtained baseline information and health data of 10,408 children and teenagers (aged 6-18 years) who studied from 94 schools in China. We measured levels of four blood lipids: triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Dyslipidemias were defined using standard recommendations. Greenness surrounding schools were assessed using two satellite-based greenness indices, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) at 300-, 500-, and 1000-m circular buffers based on each school's latitude and longitude. We used random forest model combined with meteorological and remote sensing data to estimate air pollution levels surrounding each school. We used generalized linear mixed models to estimate the associations of greenness with lipid levels and dyslipidemias prevalence. We also performed sub-group and mediation analyses. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI_500m was significantly associated with a 0.064 mmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.083, -0.045) and 0.049 mmol/L (95% CI: 0.065, -0.033) decreased TC and LDL-C levels, respectively, as well as a 0.13-fold (95% CI: 0.01, 0.23) and 0.17-fold (95% CI: 0.01, 0.30) decreased odds of hypercholesterolemia and hyperbetalipoproteinemia, respectively. Associations were stronger in students aged ≤12 years and born to parents having lower education levels compared to their counterparts. Particle with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5) mediated 61.5% and 16.7% of the association of greenness with TG and LDL-C levels, respectively. In summary, higher school-based greenness exposure was beneficially associated with lipid levels among Chinese children and adolescents, and part of the association can be explained by lowed PM_2.5 levels.

The Effect of Land-Use Categories on Traffic Noise Annoyance

Land-use categories are often used to define the exposure limits of national environmental noise policies. Often different guideline values for noise are applied for purely residential areas versus residential areas with mixed-use. Mixed-use includes living plus limited activities through crafts, commerce, trade, agriculture, and forestry activities. This differentiation especially when rating noise from road, railway, and air traffic might be argued by different expectations and therefore noise annoyance in those two categories while scientific evidence is missing. It should be tested on empirically derived data. Surveys from two studies in the state of Tyrol in urban and rural areas were retrospectively matched with spatial data to analyze the potential different influences on noise effects. Using non-parametric tests, the correlation between land-use category on self-reported noise sensitivity and noise annoyance was investigated. Exposure-response for the two analyzed land-use categories showed no significant impact on noise sensitivity and exposure-response relationships for the three traffic noise sources. Including only noise annoyance, there is not sufficient evidence to define different noise policies for those two land-use categories.

Remote work: Aircraft noise implications, prediction, and management in the built environment

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed workplace management. Most workplaces have adopted the work-from-home policy to minimize the risk of community spread. Consequently, housing estates remain largely occupied during office hours. Since some housing estates are situated in the vicinity of an airport, noise pollution resulted from the takeoff and landing of aircraft is now more noticed by residents, causing annoyance. This problem would be most acute for those located directly under the flight path. Before the pandemic, such aircraft operations had lower effect on the residents because most of them were not at home but at workplaces. Evidently, it is timely that more emphasis should now be placed during urban planning to predict and minimize aircraft noise in the built environment. This article first defines the aircraft noise metrics commonly used to assess environmental impact. Preceded by an overview of how aircraft noise affects the built environment, this article reviews how various aircraft noise prediction models have been used in urban planning. Lastly, this article reviews how aircraft noise can be managed for better acoustic comfort of the residents. Anticipating the adoption of hybrid work arrangement moving forward, this article aims to provide urban planning professionals with an avenue to understand how aircraft noise can negatively affect the built environment, which, in turn, justify why prediction and management of aircraft noise should be emphasized from the outset of urban planning.

Planning, Designing, and Managing Green Roofs and Green Walls for Public Health – An Ecosystem Services Approach

Installing green roofs and green walls in urban areas is suggested to supply multiple ecosystem services of benefit to human health and well-being. In a three-step literature review, we examined current knowledge on the link between public health and green roofs and green walls. A systematic search identified 69 scientific articles on green roofs/walls with a public health discourse. These articles were categorized according to type of health path covered (reduction of temperature, air pollution, noise or environmental appraisal) and coverage of issues of relevance for strategies on planning, design/construction, and maintenance of green roofs and green walls. Articles identified through the structured search were complemented with reviews (with no explicit public health rationale) covering reduction of noise, temperature, or air pollution and environmental appraisal. Other relevant studies were identified through snowballing. Several of the articles provided guidelines for optimizing the effect of green roofs/walls in supporting ecosystem services and maximizing well-being benefits to support health pathways identified. These included specifications about planning issues, with recommended spatial allocation (locations where people live, sun-exposed for maximum ambient temperature reduction) and with physical access needed for environmental appraisal. Recommendations regarding design parameters covered substrate depth (deeper generally being better), plant choices (more diverse roofs providing more services), and maintenance issues (moist substrate positively correlated with heat reduction).

Will the economic growth benefit public health? Health vulnerability, urbanization and COVID-19 in the USA

Economic growth has a significant impact on health vulnerability primarily through the process of urbanization. This paper conducts a pioneer study by analyzing the impact of regional economic growth and urbanization on the public health vulnerability in the 51 states and territories of the USA from 2011 to 2018 with a fixed-effect panel data regression model. We construct an epidemiological vulnerability index (EVI) using regional smoking, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, collect CDC social vulnerability index (SVI) as state-level public health vulnerability status, and use COVID-19 to test the actual effect of health vulnerability. The preliminary results show that higher regional economic growth is related to lower EVI and SVI, while urbanization is positively associated with regional health vulnerability and the severity of COVID-19 from case rate and death rate. Robustness check with unemployment shows the same result. We conclude that economic growth is related to lower public health vulnerability, and urbanization has negative public health benefits. Our finding indicates an urgent need to balance the externalities generated by economic development and urbanization trends on public health vulnerability by promoting reasonable medical resource distribution, health practices and safety, improving social and environmental justice, and other health management measures.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00168-021-01103-9.

The influence of a signal's time structure on the perceived noise annoyance of road traffic noise

PURPOSE

Road traffic noise is the most common source of noise in modern cities. The noise indicators used to manage noise do not take into account its temporal structure. However, in cities the traffic flow varies during the day, peaking due to congestion and more fluent periods. In this research we sought to analyze how people (giving answers on a numerical ICBEN scale) perceive noise stimuli with the same L_AeqT values but different time structures (more/less noise events, different amplitude envelopes).

METHODS

31 people with normal hearing took part in an experiment conducted in an anechoic chamber. Participants listened to 18 different noise recordings and rated each of them using the numerical ICBEN scale regarding noise annoyance.

RESULTS

The results showed that only sound level was a statistically significant factor. However, based on people's remarks about noise, we can also say that the more intermittent the noise is, the more negative feelings it evokes in people.

CONCLUSIONS

Time structure does not have a significant influence on people's judgments about noise annoyance. However, people tend to have a preference for a steady noise rather than an intermittent one.

How Does a Community Respond to Changes in Aircraft Noise? A Comparison of Two Surveys Conducted 11 Years Apart in Ho Chi Minh City

There have been many arguments about findings of an increase in noise annoyance over time and a recommendation of stricter limits on aircraft noise levels to protect the health of residents around airports. It is crucial to examine if the established exposure–response relationship is suitable for designing future aircraft noise regulations. This study was focused on identifying changes in response to noise over time by comparing community responses from two surveys conducted in 2008 and 2019 at Tân Sơn Nhất (TSN) international airport. Annoyance was found to significantly reduce in 2019 compared to 2008; however, changes in sleep quality were relatively small. Unexpectedly, a gradual increase in the annoyance due to aircraft noise was not found. Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that differences in the reaction of the residents to noise in the two studies were significantly attributed to nonacoustic factors. Noise sensitivity and dissatisfaction with the living environment (e.g., inconvenience in accessing workplace) considerably affect noise annoyance, whereas noise sensitivity, age, and dissatisfaction with the green environment of living areas affect sleep quality. These findings suggest the fulfillment of desired living environment as effective measures for mitigating noise impacts on residents in the vicinity of busy airports.

Nature-Based Solutions and Real-Time Control: Challenges and Opportunities

Nature-based solutions (NBS) as green infrastructures to urban drainage are an effective mitigation strategy both in terms of quantity and quality of runoff. Real-time control (RTC) can complement both flood mitigation and improvement of water quality by controlling elements of the drainage and sewage system. This study assessed the improvement opportunities with RTC of three NBS-related techniques commonly applied in urban drainage with different spatial scales: green roof, bioretention and detention basin and the remaining challenges to integrate both methods. Additionally, our investigations showed that the main difficulties reported involve the planning and monitoring stages of the RTC system. All of the studied devices can benefit from RTC. It is possible to observe that, despite the good results reported in the literature, the application of RTC to NBS studies on urban drainage are very recent. There are several opportunities that can be explored to optimize the performance.

Audiovisual Bimodal and Interactive Effects for Soundscape Design of the Indoor Environments: A Systematic Review

A growing number of soundscape studies involving audiovisual factors have been conducted; however, their bimodal and interactive effects on indoor soundscape evaluations have not yet been thoroughly reviewed. The overarching goal of this systematic review was to develop the framework for designing sustainable indoor soundscapes by focusing on audiovisual factors and relations. A search for individual studies was conducted through three databases and search engines: Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Based on the qualitative reviews of the selected thirty papers, a framework of indoor soundscape evaluation concerning visual and audiovisual indicators was proposed. Overall, the greenery factor was the most important visual variable, followed by the water features and moderating noise annoyance perceived by occupants in given indoor environments. The presence of visual information and sound-source visibility would moderate perceived noise annoyance and influence other audio-related perceptions. Furthermore, sound sources would impact multiple perceptual responses (audio, visual, cognitive, and emotional perceptions) related to the overall soundscape experiences when certain visual factors are interactively involved. The proposed framework highlights the potential use of the bimodality and interactivity of the audiovisual factors for designing indoor sound environments in more effective ways.