(1) Aircraft noise raises residents' blood

Sydney Morning Herald Nov 13, 2001

Aircraft noise may increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart
disease even among people who live miles from airports, according to a study
out today.

Researchers in Sweden found that people subjected to the highest noise
levels were 80 per cent more likely than those from less noisy areas to
suffer high blood pressure.

But an association was also seen in places exposed to moderate amounts of
aircraft noise above 55 decibels.

The findings suggest that residents of large swathes of London may face a
heightened risk of high blood pressure due to noise from jets flying in and
out of Heathrow.

Writing in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the
scientists say the cause of the effect is likely to be stress.

They point out that high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart
disease, which therefore may also be linked to aircraft noise.

Anti-noise campaigners said the study would help them fight plans for a new
fifth terminal at the airport.

John Stewart, chairman of the group HACAN ClearSkies, said: "It doesn't
surprise us. The findings bear out the anecdotal evidence we have. Many
people contact us to say they are suffering from stress and illness which
they put down to aircraft noise.

"The Government defines 57 decibels as the point of 'onset of community
annoyance', but the World Health Organisation says it's anywhere between the
early 50s to 55.

"Our own surveys have found higher noise levels than are officially
admitted. In areas of London such as Vauxhall and Camberwell where noise
levels are supposed to be at 57 decibels we have measured levels in excess
of 60.

"Where people live close to Heathrow, in places like Hatton Cross, you are
talking about levels in the 70s and up to the 80s. It makes life pretty
dreadful."

The researchers, led by Dr Mats Rosenlund, from Stockholm County Council's
Department of Environmental Health, compared 266 people living near Arlanda
Airport in the Swedish capital with 2,700 in other parts of the city.

In areas subjected to average noise levels above 55 decibels, or peak levels
of more than 72 decibels, the prevalence of high blood pressure was 20 per
cent compared with 14 per cent in less noisy places.

After adjustments to account for lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise,
smoking and type of housing, people in the highest noise zones had an 80 per
cent increased risk of high blood pressure.

There was no difference between men and women, but older people and those
with good hearing were more likely to suffer high blood pressure in noisy
areas.

The scientists wrote: "our findings suggest that community exposure to
aircraft noise may cause hypertension (high blood pressure). This implies
that aircraft noise might be a risk factor also for cardiovascular disease."

Sweden is proposing guideline limits of 55 decibels for average aircraft
noise and 70 decibels for the maximum level.

In Britain, aircraft are exempt from most noise regulation. The rules in
force apply to aircraft taking off, and set very high limits of around 90
decibels, said Mr Stewart.

He said a fifth Heathrow terminal would mean no respite from noisy aircraft
for many Londoners.

"At the moment there are fewer planes in the late morning and early
afternoon, but a fifth terminal would close that gap," said Mr Stewart.

"There would be no escape from aircraft flying over every 90 seconds. Many,
many people living miles from the airport would be subjected to noise levels
of 55 decibels."

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(2) Flight paths are linked to hypertension

Reuters News Service
Tuesday, November 13, 2001

LONDON — Apart from shattered nerves and interrupted sleep, living
under or near a flight path could also cause high blood pressure and
increase the risk of heart disease, researchers said Tuesday.

Anyone who lives near a busy airport can testify to the annoyance
caused by droning aircraft noise, particularly early morning and late-night
arrivals or departures.

Swedish scientists have shown it could also be damaging health.

"We found that there was an increase in hypertension in people living
in the areas near Stockholm airport with the highest noise levels," Dr. Lars
Jarup, now of the Imperial College School of Medicine in London, said in an
interview.

"There is an increased risk with increasing noise levels so people
exposed to the highest level of noise had the highest increase (in blood
pressure)," he added.

Jarup and his colleagues from the Karolinska Institute and Stockholm
County Council in Sweden suspect aircraft noise may increase hormone levels,
which in turn raises blood pressure.

"This is a new finding. As always there needs to be more detailed
research to confirm it," the specialist in environmental medicine added.

The researchers studied 266 people living near Arlanda Airport in the
Swedish capital and 2,700 residents in other parts of the city. All the
participants filled in questionnaires about their health, how long they had
lived in the area, and their exercise and smoking habits.

Using environmental data on noise levels and air traffic statistics,
the scientists compared the volunteers' blood pressure to the amounts of
aircraft noise they were exposed to.

They found that people living in areas with the highest noise levels
were 80 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, which in turn leads
to heart disease — a leading cause of death in industrialized countries.

"Exposure to aircraft noise may be a risk factor for hypertension,"
Jarup and his colleagues said in a report in the the Occupational and
Environmental Medicine journal.

With many major airports considering expansion to handle increasing
air traffic, the researchers said their findings could have important policy
implications.

"These results may be useful for decisions on new guidelines, future
regulations, and strategies to prevent environmental noise," said Jarup.

In an editorial in the journal, Dr Sam Pattenden of the London School
of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said larger studies were needed to confirm
the results.

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