Noise Pollution in Airport Environment

 Noise Pollution in Airport Environment

Airplanes are loud, we can all agree on that. That is the reason why, nowadays, new airports are being built away from densely populated areas. But the problem comes when the airports are already built. Here in Florida, we can see that most of the major airports are located in the middle of the cities. Miami, Orlando, Tampa, West Palm Beach, and many more cities have their big airports located next to where people live, and this can create a big issue for people's health.

According to the European Commission (2020) "across 47 European airports surveyed, 3.2 million people were exposed to levels higher than 45 dB, and 1.4 million were exposed to levels above 40 dB". It is important to mention that even though these numbers are not harmful to the human ear if people listen to this amount of dB for a prolonged period it can start creating problems for their hearing.

In my personal experience, as a Colombian, I have seen how neighbors from El Dorado airport, located in Bogota, have complained over years about the extreme noise that the operations create, especially in the middle of the night. Sadly, the operations can't stop, as it is the country's most important airport, and generates a lot of money for the nation.

Besides the damage that this can create to a person's ear, it's also important to mention the damages it can create to mental health. Deprived sleep can lead to anxiety, depression, and many other mental disorders. This is why people should not be exposed to the noise pollution generated by airports for long periods. 

References

Administration, F. A. (n.d.). Airport noise compatibility planning information. Airport Noise Compatibility Planning Information | Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.faa.gov/airports/environmental/airport_noise/noise_exposure_maps

Gallagher, T. (2021, November 16). Noise pollution: How are airports and airlines addressing the issue? euronews. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/16/noise-pollution-how-are-airports-and-airlines-addressing-the-issue#:~:text=Noise%20pollution%20and%20health&text=The%20report%20outlined%20that%20across,to%20levels%20above%2040%20dB.

Rodriguez, K. (2020, January 29). La mitigación de Ruido que no les suena a los vecinos del aeropuerto el dorado. ELESPECTADOR.COM. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.elespectador.com/bogota/la-mitigacion-de-ruido-que-no-les-suena-a-los-vecinos-del-aeropuerto-el-dorado-article-901898/