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Abstract
The increasing interest in the potential effects of the community environment on individual
health has so far excluded those of the acoustic environment. Yet it has long been
recognized that continued exposure to elevated sound levels leads to noise-induced
hearing loss. Noise is defined as unwanted sound that disturbs communication and speech
intelligibility and interferes with sleep and mental tasks. Evidence points to numerous
psychophysiologic outcomes of sustained exposure, including annoyance, reduced performance,
aggressive behavior, and increased risk of myocardial infarction. Populated areas
have experienced a steady rise in outdoor ambient noise resulting from increases in
vehicular traffic and the ubiquitous use of machinery. In 2000, the WHO produced guidelines
on occupational and community noise. The European Union mandated noise surveillance
and abatement programs in cities. In the U.S., a few cities have revised their noise
ordinances, but proactive noise reduction initiatives remain confined to new transportation
infrastructure projects, thus leaving a large portion of the population at risk. Adding
community noise to the public health agenda seems timely. Research needs to measure
population-wide health effects of involuntary long-term exposure to ambient noise.
Further study of the range and severity of co-morbidities will help refine the thresholds
used to protect health. Policies and interventions, including health impact assessments,
will require detailed data on actual ambient noise levels. Reducing noise at the source
will likely require new road standards and lower allowable engine noise levels. Finally,
noise abatement programs have an environmental justice dimension and need to target
the at-risk population.