Road traffic noise disease burden estimates for a model study of varying urban morphology cases

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (3) ◽  
pp. 3282-3293
Author(s):  
Jens Forssén ◽  
Andreas Gustafson ◽  
Meta Berghauser Pont ◽  
Marie Haeger-Eugensson ◽  
Christine Achberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Burden ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Noise Mapping ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Life Years

For a model set of 31 different building morphologies in an urban setting, road traffic noise exposure has been calculated and analysed. For five of the building morphologies also vegetation surfaces on facades and roofs were studied. Facade exposures were analysed for both smaller (single-sided) flats and larger (floor-through) flats, considering the direct exposure from the roads as well as the non-direct exposure at noise-shielded positions like inner yards, applying a noise mapping software in combination with a prediction model for the non-direct exposure. Using noise indicators Lden and Lnight, the disease burden, in terms of DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Years) per person, was estimated and analysed, via predictions of annoyance and sleep disturbance. The resulting effects of varying the building morphology and adding vegetation are shown and discussed, including effects of a bonus model for flats having additional facade elements with lower noise exposure.

Subjective Noise Annoyance and Road Traffic Noise Exposure in Munich: Results of Questionnaire Data and Noise Mapping

Epidemiology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. S200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Kohlhuber ◽  
Heidi Mayrhofer ◽  
Dieter Kemmather ◽  
Dorothee Twardella ◽  
Hermann Fromme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Questionnaire Data ◽  
Noise Mapping ◽  
Noise Annoyance

Health impact assessment of road traffic noise in the EU in 2020-2035

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (4) ◽  
pp. 1977-1988
Author(s):  
Erik Salomons ◽  
Michael Dittrich
Keyword(s):  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Health Burden ◽  
Life Years ◽  
The Eu

The negative health effects of road traffic noise in the EU are analyzed over the period 20202035. For a baseline scenario, with autonomous traffic growth and fleet development, it is found that the EU health burden in 2030 is equivalent to the loss of 1.7 million 'healthy life years'. Various noise abatement scenarios are analyzed, with noise solutions such as quiet road surfaces, quiet tyres, and electric vehicles. The health benefits of the scenarios are calculated as healthburden differences from the baseline scenario. The calculation methodology is based on the noise exposure distributions reported in 2017 by EU member states, for urban agglomerations and for major roads. Changes in noise exposure are calculated with EU model Cnossos for vehicle emission, considering different types of roads (residential streets, main roads, motorways,...). The monetized health benefits are used as input for a costbenefit analysis of the scenarios over the period 2020-2035. For quiet tyres, for example, high health benefits and low costs are found, resulting in a high cost-to-benefit ratio. This work was part of a study for the European Commision, exploring different options for reducing the EU health burden caused by noise from road, rail, and air traffic.

scholarly journals Landscape depressions can create silent zones in noise polluted parks

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (4) ◽  
pp. 2550-2554
Author(s):  
Timothy Van Renterghem ◽  
Pieter Thomas ◽  
Dick Botteldooren
Keyword(s):  
Sound Pressure Level ◽  
Sound Pressure ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Pressure Level ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Efficient Measure ◽  
Natural Means

Excessive road traffic noise exposure in (sub)urban parks hinders its restorative function and will negatively impact the number of visitors. Especially in such green environments, noise abatements by natural means, well integrated in the landscape, are the most desired solutions. Although dense vegetation bordering the park or raised berms could come first in mind, local landscape depressions are typically underused. In this work, a case-study of a small suburban park, squeezed in between two major arterial roads, is analyzed. The spatially dependent road traffic noise exposure in the park is assessed in detail by mobile sound pressure level measurements. Local reductions of up to 6-7 dBA are found at landscape depressions of only a few meters deep. It can therefore be concluded that this is an efficient measure and should be added to the environmental noise control toolbox for noise polluted parks.

Long-term air pollution and road traffic noise exposure and COPD: the Danish Nurse Cohort

2021 ◽  
pp. 2004594
Author(s):  
Shuo Liu ◽  
Youn-Hee Lim ◽  
Marie Pedersen ◽  
Jeanette T. Jørgensen ◽  
Heresh Amini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Potential Interaction ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

BackgroundWhile air pollution has been linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), evidence on the role of environmental noise is just emerging. We examined the associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and road traffic noise with COPD incidence.MethodsWe defined COPD incidence for 24 538 female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort (age>44 years) as the first hospital contact between baseline (1993 or 1999) and 2015. We estimated residential annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with diameter<2.5 µm (PM2.5) since 1990 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) since 1970 by the Danish DEHM/UBM/AirGIS modeling system, and road traffic noise (Lden) since 1970 by the Nord2000 model. Time-varying Cox regression models were applied to assess the associations of air pollution and road traffic noise with COPD incidence.Results977 nurses developed COPD during 18.6 years’ mean follow-up. We observed associations with COPD for all three exposures with hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of 1.19 (1.01, 1.41) per 6.26 µg·m−3 for PM2.5, 1.13 (1.05, 1.20) per 8.19 µg·m−3 for NO2, and 1.15 (1.06, 1.25) per 10 dB for Lden. Associations with NO2 and Lden attenuated slightly after mutual adjustment, but were robust to adjustment for PM2.5. Associations with PM2.5 were attenuated to null after adjustment for either NO2 or Lden. No potential interaction effect was observed between air pollutants and noise.ConclusionsLong-term exposure to air pollution, especially traffic-related NO2, and road traffic noise were independently associated with COPD.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the social and economic burden of road traffic noise-attributed myocardial infarction in Bulgarian urban population / Procjena socijalnog i ekonomskog tereta infarkta miokarda povezanog s cestovnom bukom u bugarskog urbanog stanovništva

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel M. Dzhambov ◽  
Donka D. Dimitrova
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Economic Burden ◽  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Traffic Noise ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
World Health ◽  
Road Traffic Noise ◽  
Life Years

Abstract Road traffic noise is a widely studied environmental risk factor for ischaemic heart disease and myocardial infarction in particular. Given that myocardial infarction is a leading disability and mortality cause in Bulgaria and that a significant proportion of the urban population is exposed to high noise levels, quantification of the burden of disease attributable to traffic noise is essential for environmental health policy making and noise control engineering. This study aimed at estimating the burden of the myocardial infarction cases attributable to road traffic noise in the Bulgarian urban population. We used the methodology for estimating the burden of disease attributable to environmental noise outlined by the World Health Organization. Risk data were extracted from a recently published meta-analysis providing updated exposureresponse relationship between traffic noise and the risk for myocardial infarction. Based on these data we calculated the fraction of myocardial infarction cases attributable to traffic noise, loss of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and the economic burden, assuming € 12,000 per QALY. About 2.9 % or 101 of all myocardial infarction cases could be attributed to road traffic noise. Fifty-five of these were fatal. Nine hundred and sixty-eight QALYs were lost to these cases. The monetary value of these QALYs was about € 11.6 million. Although the measures used in this study are crude and give only an approximation of the real burden of disease from road traffic noise, they are indicative of the important social and economic aspect of noise pollution in Bulgaria. Hopefully, these results will direct the attention of epidemiologists, environmental hygienists, and health economists to this pivotal environmental issue.

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