Assessing the exposure-response relationship of sleep disturbance and vibration in field and laboratory settings

Exposure to nocturnal freight train vibrations may impact sleep, but exposure-response relationships are lacking. The European project CargoVibes evaluated sleep disturbance both in the field and in the laboratory and provides unique data, as measures of response and exposure metrics are comparable. This paper therefore provides data on exposure...

Aviation Noise Impacts: State of the Science

Noise is defined as 'unwanted sound.' Aircraft noise is one, if not the most detrimental environmental effect of aviation. It can cause community annoyance, disrupt sleep, adversely affect academic performance of children, and could increase the risk for cardiovascular disease of people living in the vicinity of airports. In some airports, noise...

WHO Environmental noise guidelines for the European Region - What is new? 1. Policy context and methodology used for guideline development

WHO Regional Office for Europe is currently coordinating the systematic review of all pertinent literature in order to provide recommendations for the protection of public health as part of the upcoming WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (the Guidelines). The entire process is transparent and evidence-based and is...

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region - What is new? 4. Implementation of guidelines and implications for practice

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines focus on the WHO European Region and provide guidance to its Member States that is compatible with the noise indicators used in the EU Environmental Noise Directive. The Guidelines aim to serve as a reference for several target audiences, such as decision makers and technical experts, health impact assessment...

WHO environmental noise guidelines for the European Region - What is new? 2. New evidence on health effects from environmental noise and implications for research

The Guidelines include systematic reviews of the scientific evidence of the critical health effects of environmental noise: effects on sleep, annoyance, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular diseases, hearing impairment and tinnitus. Other potential health outcomes with less evidence are also systematically reviewed, but have less impact on the...

WHO Environmental noise guidelines for the European Region - What is new? Guideline recommendations and supporting evidence - What is new?

The Guidelines will include recommendations on transportation noise (air, road, rail), leisure noise and wind turbine noise, focusing on the exposure-response functions for the assessment of health impacts, and/or noise exposure levels above which there is an increased risk of adverse health effects. They will also include a recommendation of...

Method for predicting future developments of traffic noise in urban areas in Europe

Traffic noise in urban areas in Europe is a major environmental stressor. In this study we present a method for predicting how environmental noise can be expected to develop in the future. In the project HEIMTSA scenarios were developed for all relevant environmental stressors to health, for all source sectors and stressors, including air...

Model study of urban traffic noise and quiet facades, in relation with annoyance and sleep disturbance

Annoyance and sleep disturbance caused by urban traffic noise are usually predicted from sound levels at the most exposed facades of dwellings. The predictions may be refined by taking into account sound levels at the other facades, in particular quiet facades. In this article a study is presented of the benefits of quiet facades in a large...

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