Short-Term Annoyance Due to Night-Time Road, Railway, and Air Traffic Noise: Role of the Noise Source, the Acoustical Metric, and Non-Acoustical Factors

Traffic noise annoyance in the LIFE-adult study in Germany: Exposure-response relationships and a comparison to the WHO curves

BACKGROUND

Noise annoyance is the second-highest cause of lost disability-adjusted life-years due to environmental noise in Europe. Evidence on exposure-response relationships (ERRs) for traffic noise annoyance with more accurate exposure values is still needed.

OBJECTIVES

In an analysis of the population-based LIFE-Adult study in Leipzig, Germany, we aimed to investigate the effect of road, railway (train and tram), and aircraft noise on high annoyance (HA).

METHODS

Traffic exposure data was taken for 2012 and data on noise annoyance was evaluated between 2018 and 2021. HA was defined according to international standardized norms. We calculated risk estimates using logistic regression, controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status, and compared our ERRs with those from the last WHO review on this topic.

RESULTS

Aircraft noise had the highest relative risk for noise-related HA (OR = 12.7, 95% CI: 9.37-17.10 per 10 dB L_den increase). The road and railway traffic risk estimates were similar to each other (road: OR = 3.55, 95% CI: 2.78-4.54; railway: OR = 3.31, 95% CI: 2.77-3.97 per 10 dB L_den increase). Compared to the WHO curves, the proportion of highly annoyed individuals was somewhat lower for road and rail traffic noise, but higher for aircraft noise.

DISCUSSION

Aircraft noise is particularly annoying. There were differences between our study's ERRs and those in the WHO review, especially for aircraft noise. These differences may be partly explained by the improved accuracy of the exposure values, as we considered secondary road networks and tram noise, and by a lack of a nighttime flight ban at the Leipzig airport. Geographical, regional and climatic variations, inconsistency in HA cut-offs, as well as temporal developments in the annoyance experience may also explain the differences. Since ERRs serve as a basis for decision making in public policies, regular updates of the curves based on new evidence is recommended.

Influencing Factors Identification and Prediction of Noise Annoyance-A Case Study on Substation Noise

Noise-induced annoyance is one person’s individual adverse reaction to noise. Noise annoyance is an important basis for determining the acceptability of environmental noise exposure and for formulating environmental noise standards. It is influenced by both acoustic and non-acoustic factors. To identify non-acoustic factors significantly influencing noise annoyance, 40 noise samples with a loudness level of 60–90 phon from 500–1000 kV substations were selected in this study. A total of 246 subjects were recruited randomly. Using the assessment scale of noise annoyance specified by ISO 15666-2021, listening tests were conducted. Meanwhile, basic information and noise sensitivity of each subject were obtained through a questionnaire and the Weinstein’s noise sensitivity scale. Based on the five non-acoustic indices which were identified in this study and had a significant influence on noise annoyance, a prediction model of annoyance from substation noise was proposed by a stepwise regression. Results showed that the influence weight of acoustic indices in the model accounted for 80% in which the equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure level and the sound pressure level above 1/1 octave band of 125 Hz were 65% and 15%, respectively. The influence weight of non-acoustic indices entering the model was 20% in which age, education level, noise sensitivity, income, and noisy degree in the workplace were 8%, 2%, 4%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. The result of this study can provide a basis for factors identification and prediction of noise annoyance.

Road traffic noise impacts sleep continuity in suburban residents: Exposure-response quantification of noise-induced awakenings from vehicle pass-bys at night

Nocturnal traffic noise has been associated with adverse health outcomes in exposed residents. Precise quantification of traffic noise effects on sleep is thus of great importance. Here we establish an exposure-response relationship for the awakening probability due to intermittent road traffic noise in suburban residents. We conducted a field study in residential areas where road traffic was the dominant noise source, and noise events were attributable to separate vehicle pass-bys. Forty healthy participants underwent polysomnography for five consecutive nights at their homes. A total of 11,003 road traffic noises derived from simultaneous acoustic measurements at the sleepers' ears were included in an event-related analysis of awakenings. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the awakening probability due to road traffic noise increased with the maximum sound pressure level (SPL) and the maximum slope of the increasing SPL of a vehicle pass-by, as well as the age of the exposed individual. Compared to sleep stage 2, the awakening probability was higher in rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) and lower in slow wave sleep (SWS). The protective effect of both stage 2 and SWS against awakenings decreased with age, whereas no age-dependent change was observed for REMS. When adjusting for other contributing factors, the probability of a noise-induced awakening ranged from 0% at a maximum SPL of 27.1 dB(A) to 2.0% at 70 dB(A). Road traffic noise at night - even in suburban areas with moderate traffic density - negatively impacts residents' sleep continuity. Exposure-response quantification for traffic noise-induced awakenings may serve as a basis for noise protection efforts by regulators and policy makers.

Effects of Nocturnal Aircraft Noise and Non-Acoustical Factors on Short-Term Annoyance in Primary School Children

Children are considered at higher risk for harmful noise effects due to their sensitive development phase. Here, we investigated the effects of nocturnal aircraft noise exposure on short-term annoyance assessed in the morning in 51 primary school children (8-10 years) living in the surrounding community of Cologne-Bonn Airport. Child-appropriate short-term annoyance assessments and associated non-acoustical variables were surveyed. Nocturnal aircraft noise exposure was recorded inside the children's bedrooms. Exposure-response models were calculated by using random effects logistic regression models. The present data were compared with those from a previous study near Cologne-Bonn Airport in adults using very similar methodology. Short-term annoyance reaction in children was not affected by the nocturnal aircraft noise exposure. Non-acoustical factors (e.g., the attitude that "aircraft are dangerous" or noise sensitivity), however, significantly impacted on children's short-term annoyance. In contrast to children, the probability of moderate to high annoyance in adults increased with the number of aircraft flyovers during the time in bed. It is concluded that short-term annoyance from nocturnal aircraft noise in children is mainly determined by non-acoustical factors. Unlike in adults, acoustical factors did not play a significant role.