Assessing the Feasibility of a Prospective Epidemiologic Study of Possible Effects of Military Aircraft Noise on the Health of Overflown Populations

摘要

This project was a collaborative effort of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It examined the feasibility of conducting a prospective epidemiologic study of the effects of low-altitude military aircraft overflight noise on the health of overflown populations. Because the Royal Air Force has more concentrated military aircraft overflights than do either the U.S. or Canadian Air Forces, this study was conducted in the United Kingdom. The primary purposes of the study were to determine the amount of noise exposure currently being experienced by people living under Royal Air Force low-altitude transit corridors and to evaluate research design parameters related to the possible implementation of a prospective epidemiologic research project. An extensive field monitoring effort was conducted to document the current low-altitude military overflight noise exposure levels. Because of the difficulties involved in accurately describing individual noise exposures over the course of a prospective epidemiologic study, the very large sample sizes that would be required, the current and predicted low level of Royal Air Force flight activity, and other methodological considerations, it was decided that the envisioned prospective epidemiologic study would be infeasible at the present time. However, other research approaches are encouraged to address this topic.