Night noise guidelines for Europe - WHO/Europe - World Health ...

104
GUIDELINES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Table 5.2
Summary of effects and threshold levels for effects
where limited evidence is available+
Effect Indicator Estimated, Reference
threshold dB (chapter, section)
Biological
effects
Changes in (stress) * * 2.5
hormone levels
Drowsiness/tiredness during * * 2.2.3
the day and evening
Increased daytime irritability * * 2.2.3
Wellbeing
Impaired social contacts * * 2.2.3
Complaints Lnight,outside 35 4.3
Impaired cognitive * * 2.2.3
performance
Insomnia * * 4.6
Hypertension Lnight,outside 50 2.2.3;
4.5.6
Obesity * * 2.2.3
Depression (in women) * * 4.8
Myocardial infarction Lnight,outside 50 4.5.15
Reduction in life expectancy * * 2.2.3; 2.5
(premature mortality)
Psychiatric disorders Lnight,outside 60 4.8.15
(Occupational) accidents * * 2.2.3; 2.4
+ Note that as the evidence for the effects in this table is limited, the threshold levels also have a limited
weight. In general they are based on expert judgement of the evidence.
** Although the effect has been shown to occur or a plausible biological pathway could be constructed, indicators
or threshold levels could not be determined.
The calculation for the total number of effects from reaction data on events
(arousals, body movements and awakenings) needs a number of assumptions. The
first that needs to be made is independence: although there is evidence (Brink,
Müller and Schierz, 2006) that the order of events of different loudness strongly
influences the reactions, the calculation is nearly impossible to carry out if this is
taken into consideration.
NIGHT NOISE GUIDELINES FOR EUROPE