Selection and evaluation ofexposure-effect-relationships for health impact assessment in the field of noise and health

摘要

This report is a background document that can be used to assess thehealth impact attributable to noise in the Netherlands. To this end theavailable exposure-effect-relationships in the field of noise and healthare reviewed and evaluated, using data published in the epidemiologicalliterature as well as previous reviews. Their applicability forassessment in the Netherlands was demonstrated in case-studies. Only therelationships describing the association between noise and annoyance,sleep disturbance and cardiovascular disease are considered to besuitable for health impact assessment purposes. Only the relationshipsfor which the evidence for an association between exposure and effect wasconsidered sufficient and which were derived either by means of aquantitative summary of published data or a re-analysis of individualdata based on primary studies, were selected. Finally, recommendationswere made for the applicability of these exposure-effect relationshipsregarding the health impact of noise exposure.