The Effect of Noise from Overflying Aircraft on a Young Adult Population
Invited paper
GGD Amsterdam
Tuesday 2 june, 2015, 17:00 - 17:20
0.4 Brussels (189)
Abstract:
A student housing complex is situated close to the international Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, under one of the aircraft routes to the airport. Several apartment blocks were built in the late ‘60s. Since then the number of aircraft has risen substantially, at the time of the survey resulting in a noise level of 60 dB Lden and 49 dB Lnight. In recent years the apartments were soundproofed.
A survey was held to investigate self-reported annoyance and sleep disturbance of the residents and their satisfaction with the indoor and outdoor environment. The results could be compared to an earlier health survey that included adults from a municipalities around the complex.
Most residents (96%) were 19 to 26 years old. The results show that 35% of them reported serious annoyance from aircraft noise. This is significantly less than expected for an average adult population (46%). Serious sleep disturbance due to aircraft noise was reported by 15%, where 17% was expected for an average adult population. Noise annoyance was not correlated to the time of residence or the wish to move. Nine out of ten residents were satisfied with the house and the residential environment, which was comparable to young and older adults in the surrounding municipalities.