gms | German Medical Science

Background: Environmental noise has a high impact on the European population affecting approximately 80 million people with unacceptable noise levels. Noise is associated with various adverse health effects which may in part depend on the noise source (aircraft, road traffic, railways, leisure activities etc.) [Ref. 1], [Ref. 2], [Ref. 3], [Ref. 7]. Children are often stated to be more vulnerable than adults due to combined effects of exposure to multiple sources of noise. As studies on child-specific health effects of noise are rare and partly inconsistent, little information is available about number of children adversely affected [Ref. 2], [Ref. 3], [Ref. 6], [Ref. 7].

Methods: Based on a comprehensive review of available literature and data, a quantification of noise-induced health effects in childhood was conducted at 3 spatial scales (national, regional and local level). Application of different methods (exposure-based vs. outcome-based approach) and scenarios allowed a sensitivity analysis of the available data.

Results: Exposure to road traffic noise (the most predominant noise source) is associated e.g. with cardio-vascular disease, annoyance, sleep-disturbance, stress related somatic effects, and impacts on cognitive performance. Quantitative dose-response functions (DRFs) are known for adults [Ref. 4], [Ref. 5] but have not yet been studied in detail for children. As causal relationship between road traffic noise and annoyance and sleep disturbance for children seems to be evident, DRFs were used after some adjustments and further evaluation. Uncertainties remain, e.g., in the estimations of noise levels and the number of people, especially children, exposed.

Conclusions: Data on annoyance and sleep disturbance are not collected on a routine basis, but in Health Surveys or specific epidemiologic studies. With the implementation of the EU Directive on Environmental Noise, noise maps for big cities and heavily trafficked roads will be available supplying better and updated exposure data for future QRA development.

Acknowledgements: This study was co-financed by EC Grant Agreement 2004124 (ENHIS 2-project, co-ordinated by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn).