TRANSPORTATION NOISE EXPOSURE IS STRONGLY CORRELATED WITH INCREASED MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY

摘要

Transportation noise has long been considered just a nuisance but numerous studies now show that transportation noise exposure is strongly correlated with increased morbidity and mortality. Noise interferes with human activity at 45 decibels. Nighttime noise interferes with sleep, needed for optimal human health and function. At 55 decibels daily time-weighted average (TWA), noise causes increases in stress hormone levels, correlated with changes in lipid and glucose metabolism, hypertension, stroke and heart disease, and hospitalization and death. At 70 decibels TWA, noise causes hearing loss. Other than death, the non-auditory effects of noise on health are small for each individual, but great in aggregate. Approximately 100 million Americans are exposed to noise loud enough to damage health. The loss of the nighttime quiet period in cities is a major contributor to this problem. Technologies for a quieter America are well known, and with the exception of those needed to reduce aircraft noise, neither difficult nor costly to implement. The goal for both human exposure and noise from all sources, adapted from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, should be ALARA, As Low As Reasonably Achievable. Noise control engineers must work with physicians and other health professionals to accomplish this.