Introduction: Prolonged exposure to road traffic noise is associated with an augmented risk of health complaints and disorders, including annoyance, sleep disturbances, mental disorders, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and hearing impairments (1–7). In this study, we examine future mobility scenarios and interventions, and assess their potential to reduce noise exposure and its related adverse health effects.
Methods: We conducted a scoping review using MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE (via Ovid), and Web of Science to identify relevant literature published between January 1st, 2000 and September 19th, 2024. Eligible literature included journal articles, books, book sections, and conference proceedings in English, German, Albanian, French, Italian, and Dutch. We focused on studies including the general population that examined road traffic noise exposure and health-related outcomes in the context of future mobility scenarios.
Results: Thirteen studies met our inclusion criteria. The most commonly reported health outcomes were annoyance and sleep disturbances, followed by cardiovascular diseases, preventable all-cause mortality, depressive disorders, metabolic disorders, stress, and injuries. The most common scenarios and mitigation measures were: promoting electric vehicle deployment (5 studies); implementing noise reduction strategies, enforcing a 30 km/h urban speed limit, and reducing traffic flow (3 studies/scenario); and reducing velocity, utilizing noise barriers, low-noise tires and pavements (2 studies/scenario). The least common ones included scenarios like car-free zones, quiet facades, dwelling insulation, quiet residential areas with noise levels <45 dB, and the superblock model – an urban mobility strategy promoting sustainable transportation, active lifestyles, and climate-resilient green infrastructure (8). Using electric buses could minimize traffic noise up to 4.4 dBA over daytime in urban centers of Hong Kong, China. Besides, nearly 60% of the population could benefit from at least 1 dBA noise reduction at the streets and 4.3% > 2 dBA reduction, with all bus fleets electrified. This could prevent 4.15 deaths and 112.99 disease cases per 100,000 inhabitants (9). Two studies conducted in Germany, suggest that a 3 dB reduction scenario could decrease the burden of disease attributable to road traffic noise by 23% in Hesse (10), while in the Rhine-Main region, such a measure was linked with fewer cases of annoyance, sleep disruption, and cardiovascular diseases, particularly for populations living in areas with noise levels >43,3 dB Lden (11). A study from Gothenburg, Sweden (12), found that low-noise tires and pavements, could decrease the number of residents exposed to noise levels > 55 dB by 13%-29% versus baseline scenario. Another study from Lausanne, Switzerland, indicated that speed limits of 30 km/h could yearly prevent one cardiovascular death, 72 hospitalizations, and 17 diabetes cases and substantially reduce noise-related annoyance and sleep disturbances (13). Implementing such a measure in 40 European cities led to drops of 23%, 37%, and 38% in crashes, fatalities, and injuries, respectively (14).
Conclusion: Adopting electric vehicles, implementing noise-reduction measures, enforcing a 30 km/h urban speed limit, reducing traffic flow, using noise barriers and low-noise tires and pavements, and applying the superblock model are promising strategies to reduce road traffic noise, that could be widely adopted in the future for reducing associated health risks.
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Frau PhD student, MPH Linda Ternova
Boysen-TU Dresden- Graduate College, Chemnitzer Str. 48b, Room 042,, Dresden