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. 2017 Dec 2;14(12):1497.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121497.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Lowering Permissible Noise Levels Around U.S. Airports

Boshen Jiao  1 , Zafar Zafari  2 , Brian Will  3 , Kai Ruggeri  4 , Shukai Li  5 , Peter Muennig  6
Affiliations

The Cost-Effectiveness of Lowering Permissible Noise Levels Around U.S. Airports

Boshen Jiao et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Aircraft noise increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and mental illness. The allowable limit for sound in the vicinity of an airport is 65 decibels (dB) averaged over a 24-h 'day and night' period (DNL) in the United States. We evaluate the trade-off between the cost and the health benefits of changing the regulatory DNL level from 65 dB to 55 dB using a Markov model. The study used LaGuardia Airport (LGA) as a case study. In compliance with 55 dB allowable limit of aircraft noise, sound insulation would be required for residential homes within the 55 dB to 65 dB DNL. A Markov model was built to assess the cost-effectiveness of installing sound insulation. One-way sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulation were conducted to test uncertainty of the model. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of installing sound insulation for residents exposed to airplane noise from LGA was $11,163/QALY gained (95% credible interval: cost-saving and life-saving to $93,054/QALY gained). Changing the regulatory standard for noise exposure around airports from 65 dB to 55 dB comes at a very good value.

Keywords: aircraft noise; cost-effectiveness; regulatory change; sound insulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Noise levels around La Guardia Airport. Source: MSP FairSkies Coalition and University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, 2010 [23].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Markov model diagram.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Incremental cost-effectiveness scatter-plot, changing the regulatory DNL level from 65 dB to 55 dB versus the status quo.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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