TRAIN HORN NOISE - HEALTH AND WELL BEING IMPACTS

                                                    ARLINE L. BRONZAFT, PH.D.

Noise- Unwanted, Unpredictable and Uncontrollable Sound

     Early laboratory work in the 1950s had concluded that noise or unwanted sound did not impede mental and psychomotor performance but Glass and Singer (1972) in an extensive survey of previous noise studies, as well as their own studies, found that unpredictable and uncontrollable high intensity noise led to degradation in quality of task performance.  Since then greater attention has been paid to the unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of unwanted sounds. In fact, the research dealing with the health impacts of noise is very much focused on the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of the intrusive sounds.  Thus, noise today is defined as unwanted, uncontrollable, and unpredictable sound.                                                       

Auditory and Non-Auditory Impacts of Noise

      That loud sounds may be damaging to hearing is sufficiently supported in the literature (National Institutes of Health, 1990).  However, sounds that may not be loud to affect hearing and which come in bursts, in a way that is unpredictable and uncontrollable, can have dire consequences for the listener, especially if the intrusive sounds occur over a period of time.  If the source of the noise is an agent or agency that has demonstrated little concern for the individual suffering from the impacts of the noise, and, as a result, has done nothing to abate the noise, then the noise becomes even more disturbing to the individual.

      What are the effects of noise exposure?    Noise acts very much like other stressors and can bring about the following responses: heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, mouth dryness, rises in blood cholesterol levels and excessive secretion of hormones.  If the noise exposure is sustained over a period of time, these cited stress reactions can bring about high blood pressure, cardiovascular disorders, or insomnia.  There is a body of literature ( Bronzaft, 2002; Kryter, 1985 and 1994; Fay, 1991; Passchier-Vermeer, 1993.)  that supports the potential danger of noise to our physiological well-being.  Looking at the wide body of literature on the effects of noise on mental and physical well-being, one has to conclude as Passchier-Vermeer and Passchier (2000) did after they examined the literature on noise and health: “Exposure to noise constitutes a health risk.” 

     Noise has also been linked to mental stress and distress.  Recently, a study by Kozo Hiramatusu and others found that people living near an air base evidenced greater mental instability, depression and overall nervousness as expressed in surveys subjects were asked to complete. In a Bronzaft, et al. paper (2000),  individuals identified six emotional responses to noise with annoyance ranking first and anger second. 

Noise and Quality of Life

     In addition to documented physiological health impacts, noise may dramatically affect an individual’s quality of life.  Individuals living near a constant noise source may not yet have measurable physiological symptoms but their quality of life may be substantially diminished.  In comparing two groups of residents, one living within a flight pattern and one residing in a non-flight area, Bronzaft et al. (1998) found that higher percentages of people exposed to the aircraft noise indicated that they could not open their windows, talk on the telephone, converse with others in their homes, or listen to their radios and televisions, or sleep well.

     The subjects of Bronzaft, et al. investigation may not yet manifest serious physical illnesses but they perceived themselves to be in poorer health.  This was not an unexpected finding because these people were coping with aircraft noise daily.  This finding can be generalized to individuals who are living with other noise sources that are continuously intruding upon their lives. Furthermore, the fact that people coping with noise intrusions perceive themselves to be in poorer health and experience a lesser quality of life, one could hypothesize a future marked by increased health problems.  It has been found that a patient’s perception of health in general is a valid indicator that has proven useful in detecting health outcomes (Davies & Ware, 1981; Ware, 1986).

 Noise and Sleep

     The Bronzaft et al. study (1998) noted that people living in the flight pattern community, identified as being bothered by the noise, reported themselves to have sleep difficulty.  While night flights are of special concern in the area of sleep deprivation, the young, the old and the infirm often tend to sleep during the day, and thus day flights may prove intrusive to these individuals.  Sleep difficulty as experienced by the subjects in the Bronzaft, et al. study may have long-term health consequences.  Furthermore, sleep loss may impair task performance the next day, rendering individuals less productive in  the workplace (Pollak, 1991). Dr. Pollak also cautions about a secondary effect for people living near intrusive noises.  Their inability to sleep may cause them to turn to tranquilizers and other drugs and these drugs in turn may have harmful health implications.

     Even subtle noises at night that may not awaken people may disrupt sleep quality (Heaner, 2004) and Maschke, et al (2004) conclude as follows:

        “Noise-induced activations may interfere with normal sleep stages and cause awakenings.                 Undisturbed sleep brings about health, well-being, efficiency and optimism.  Long-term sleep disturbances, however, may induce adverse health effects of various kinds and intensities.”

Effects of Noise on Children

     That noise in the home or school affects the mental development of children has been supported by a large body of studies (Bronzaft, 2002).  Children’s language development, cognition and learning are impaired by noise.  However, one must also examine the impact on the development of children who are reared in homes where their parents are being bombarded by noises.  Children’s development depends on good parent-child relationships and parents who are stressed by intrusive noises may not provide the kind of environment for their children that would make for healthy development.  

Learned Helplessness

     Individuals who are unsuccessful in stopping the noise feel as if they have lost control over their lives.  Feeling that you lack “control over your life” brings about a feeling of “learned helplessness” and this adds to the distress and in turn exacerbates the adverse affects on the body.  Having promises broken by an agency in control of abating noise contributes to learned helplessness.

Noise: Pervasive and Disturbing

     That our society is becoming noisier and that more people are being disturbed by noise is evidenced by the growing number of anti-noise organizations that are being formed around the world.  Noise complaints are not restricted to major metropolitan areas but have also been registered in quieter suburban areas and rural communities.   Historically complaints have not been a very good measure of noise disturbance because too few people actually complain (Borsky, 1980).  Very likely one factor contributing to lower numbers is the fact that local authorities have not been as responsive to noise complaints as they should be. Too many citizens have found that their complaints “fall on deaf ears” and as a result have given up complaining to the authorities.  Thus, numbers of noise complaints have been underestimated.

     In a recent study, Bronzaft, et al. (2000) found that 62% of the respondents to an international noise survey claimed to be bothered by noises in the neighborhood.  This was an unusually high response that might be explained by the fact that people who responded to the survey were more knowledgeable about the dangers of noise.   Yet, this study does indicate that a large number of people worldwide are actually bothered by noise.   In New York City, the Quality of Life Hotline to the Police Department records noise as its number one complaint, with the second largest number of complaints a distant second.  In 2001, approximately 85% of the complaints to the Hotline were about noises. With the voices of so many being raised against noise pollution, one cannot say that anyone complaining about noise is unusual or being unreasonable.

Generalizing from Studies to Particular Cases

     Studies on community noise are conducted on populations located near noisy sources such as airports, railroads and highways.  In order to get valid and reliable information on the relationship between noise and health, it is necessary to collect data on large populations.  However, the results elicited by this research can be generalized to individuals who are living with other types of noises that are similarly bothersome and disruptive, namely in this case, loud train horns. 

     The residents being asked to live with these loud train horns are very much like their counterparts in the research in that they expect quiet times in their homes so that they can watch television, listen to their stereos, converse, read or relax.   They expect even more quiet when they are trying to fall asleep and they expect to get a good night’s sleep, undisturbed by intrusive horns.  In homes where there are outdoor areas to be enjoyed, it is reasonable to assume that owners of these homes can best enjoy these outdoor areas without disruptive noises.  They are no different from the many community residents in studies whose reactions were examined after they have been intruded upon and exposed to noisy jets or nearby noisy traffic. ( see their comments below)  Thus, it is appropriate to apply the findings of the noise research to the case at hand, namely the people reacting against the very loud train horns that are disturbing their ability to carry out their everyday functions in their homes.   

     A question is frequently raised as to whether individuals bothered by noise are overly sensitive to noise.  That is the wrong question to ask.  Rather one should ask as to whether a reasonable person would be bothered by the noise.  Would a reasonable person find the overhead planes upsetting, or would a reasonable person be bothered by a neighbor’s loud stereo system, or would a reasonable person be irritated by repeated rail horn blasts that are heard day and night?  The body of literature on the effects of noise on people clearly addresses the “reasonable person” issue by noting that large numbers of people are disturbed by intrusive, uncontrollable and unpredictable noises and these noises adversely affect their mental and physical health.

Are Noise Meter Readings Always Necessary to Determine if a Noise is Unreasonable?

     Must one rely on noise meter readings to answer the question as to whether certain noises would be deemed bothersome?  No! From experience alone, one can determine whether certain sounds would be disruptive to ongoing activities or proceedings.  For example, audiences in theaters are asked to turn off beepers, cell phones, and to open their candy wrappings before the play commences.  Recently, the New York City Council has imposed fines users whose cell phones ring in “places of public performance.”  In courtrooms judges request observers to turn off their beepers and cell phones and to refrain from whispering or speaking to each other.  Judges are very aware that court proceedings require “quiet in the courtroom.” 

      Additionally noise meter data and the statistics that they generate often fail to adequately assess noise impacts.   The 65 dB DNL that has been used in the United States by the Federal Aviation Administration to determine the level at which residents would be intruded upon by overhead aircraft, is receiving considerable criticism in the United States for a number of reasons.  The  65 db DNL average has been set too high in that people living within the 55 db DNL area complain about noise impacts.   This measure does not include the low frequency sounds to which people are often exposed.  Averages also fail to give fair weighting to the impact of individual bursts of sound, e.g. a single airplane flying or a single train horn in the middle of the night can awaken a person from sleep (Stenzel, 1996).  Thus, it would be inappropriate to assess train horn noise impacts using DNL.

 Complainants Speak for Themselves

     The European Court of Human Rights gave much weight to personal testimony of people who said they were affected by nighttime aircraft noises (Case of Hatton and others v. the United Kingdom, 2001). In Berkeley Keep Jets Over the Bay Committee v. Board of Port Commissioners, 91 Cal. App. 4th 1344, 111 Cal. Rptr. 2d 598 (Cal. App. 1st Dist. 2001), over 1,000 Berkeley, Californian residents registered their concern over the proposed Airport Development Plan and described how jet overflights disrupted their sleep. This court too has given weight to personal testimony.  Similarly,  the U. S. Federal Aviation Administration in its quest to learn more about how people feel about jets flying over their homes are holding hearings around the country to listen to personal accounts; thus not strictly relying on noise measurements to provide them with pertinent information.

     Thus, it follows that the complainants in the train noise case must have the opportunity to express their own feelings and that these expressions be given the weight they most certainly deserve.  Below is just a sample of the comments made by individuals adversely effected by the train noise.

             E. Z.  “...those of us next to the Dyke Road tunnel will continue to suffer day

                        and night.  None of us will be able to secure a proper night’s sleep, our

                        children’s schoolwork will continue to suffer, babies and shift-workers

                        will be unable to rest during the day, those of us who work at home will

                        have our capacity to earn a living affected and our gardens will remain

                        unusable.”

            J. C.   “I am a keen gardener and bonsai collector and every evening after work I

                        like to spend in the garden.  My peace and relaxation have been completed

                        ruined.  The train horns are constant, they are sounded early in the morning

                        before 7 a.m. and late at night, after 10 p.m.  There is no respite...I have

                        also been unfortunate enough to be walking past a new train when the

                        horn sounded.  I was frightened out of my skin and the noise level

                        actually hurt my ear drum.

            J. B.   “These train horns have made my life unbearable because:

                                  I cannot go to bed when I choose...I have to get up early as it is

                                 impossible to have any sleep after 6:00...having a door or window

                                 open is out of the question...holding a conversation on the phone -

                                 you have to ask the caller to old on until the train has passed by.”

            A. C.  “The horn is very emotionally disturbing and causing great stress...I sometimes

                       find myself getting very emotionally worked up when the horn starts blowing.”

            J. A.  “However the new trains contain horns that are excruciatingly loud.  They

                       are louder than my alarm clock and they go off approximately very 10 minutes

                       during the day, and start at about 5:30 in the morning and on Saturday the

                       last train left at 12:55 at night.  Every time the horn goes off it wakes me up.”

            J. P.  “The effect on our daily lives is considerable...Sleep deprivation is one of the

                     worst effects...I have been woken up startled in the middle of the night on

                     occasions.”

            D. W.   “As someone who often works from home, I find it greatly disturbing.  And to

                          know that there are no moments in the day when one can be free of this

                          frustrating nuisance is a deterioration in our quality of live.  Relaxing in

                          our garden is confined to minutes rather than hours...”

             L.P.    “What were the consequences of this type of sleep deprivation and sustained

                        assault from noise on me and my fellow residents?  Headaches.  Frayed

                        tempers.  Children’s schoolwork suffered through poor concentration.

                        Adults couldn’t work effectively.  Babies were unable to get their

                       afternoon naps.”

     These statements, the other statements  on record, plus the thousands of citizens who have signed petitions to express their distress at a train noise  underscore the need for immediate corrective action.

Concluding Comments

     The residents living with these train horns share with so many others similarly inflicted the pain and discomfort from intrusive noises that have robbed them of their right to use their homes in the manner to which they are entitled.  They also share with so many others exposed to unwanted noises the anger and distress of being robbed of a decent quality of life.  They, like these others, also fear that if the noises continue, they may suffer greater physical and psychological harm.  This fear is real in light of the growing numbers of studies warning people about the hazards of noise to health.  In my opinion, these residents are reasonable to demand that their peace and quiet be restored.  To do otherwise is to subject them to stress, unhappiness, a diminished quality of life, and potential adverse health effects.   We should be especially aware of the effects on children - from the noise itself disrupting their activities and their sleep - and from the stress to the parents who may find it more difficult to deal with their children as they cope with the intrusive noise from the train horns.

     From what I have learned, it appears that the new louder noise horn was introduced without actually testing the impacts on residents.  Furthermore, the highly annoyed estimates used in the Rail Report, rely on the Schultz curve, a work that is over 25 years old and not in keeping with later studies,  indicating that those in charge of this report failed to consider the latest research on noise and its effects.  Relying on the data that generated the Schultz curve underestimates the amount of annoyance to individuals.  Such reliance also neglects the translation of annoyance into stress and then into actual mental and health effects. 

      In light of the efforts by cities around the world, including the  Noise Report recently issued by London’s Mayor and the efforts by the Mayor of New York to update its noise code, it is unthinkable that an agency, such as the present railroad agency, would inflict sounds that are even “noisier than required” on residents living near the railroad without carefully researching the impacts on residents.                                                                  

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