What are the health and environmental issues associated with the noise and air pollution at airports?
— John Cermak, via e-mail Researchers have known for years that exposure to excessively-loud noise can cause changes in blood pressure as well as changes in sleep and digestive patterns–all signs of stress on the human body. The very word “noise” itself derives from the Latin word “noxia,” which means injury or hurt. On a 1997 questionnaire distributed to two groups–one living near a major airport, and the other in a quiet neighborhood–two-thirds of those living near the airport indicated they were bothered by aircraft noise, and most said that it interfered with their daily activities. The same two-thirds complained more than the other group of sleep difficulties, and also perceived themselves as being in poorer health. Perhaps even more alarming, the European Commission, which governs the European Union (E.U.), considers living near an airport to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, as increased blood pressure from noise pollution can trigger these more serious
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