Reaction to aircraft noise in residential areas around Australian airports

• Published in: Journal of sound and vibration 1986-07, Vol.108 (2), p.199-225
• Main Authors: Bullen, R.B., Hede, A.J., Kyriacos, E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acoustics; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Noise: its effects and control; Physics
• ISSN: 0022-460X; 1095-8568
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-460X(86)80051-7

A large-scale study of community reaction to aircraft noise was conducted around five Australian airports, involving interviews with over 3500 residents and the use of intensive and detailed noise measurement data. The major purpose of the study was to produce a valid and reliable dose/response relationship which could serve as a guide for planners, airport authorities, and regulatory authorities. Features of the study include assessment of noise exposure by using measurement-based corrections to standard noise level figures for each aircraft type, and the use of a complex scale for assessment of noise reaction (although simpler measures are included for comparison with previous studies). Much of the dose/response analysis involves binary dependent variables, and probit analysis is used in this case in preference to standard regression analysis. A dose/response function is found which predicts the proportion of residents in an area whose reaction exceeds a defined threshold with a standard error of 4·6 dB. Approximately half this error can be explained by error in the measured variables, the rest being due to real inter-area differences in noise reaction. The only personal characteristic which can unambiguously be shown to substantially affect noise reaction is sensitivity to noise in general, which explains about 11% of the variance in measured individual noise reaction compared with about 13% for noise exposure.