Analysis of potential health impacts of road and rail traffic noise, using noise at residential locations in Austria as an example.

Background: Environmental noise, particularly from road and railway traffic, has been identified as a significant public health concern. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the adverse effects of noise exposure on cardiovascular health, including ischemic heart disease (IHD). Despite the European Union's regulations on air pollution, there are no mandatory limits for environmental noise exposure, necessitating further investigation into its health impacts.

Methods: Noise exposure data were obtained from strategic noise maps and linked to Geographic Information System (GIS) data of Austrian buildings. Mortality data covering 5 years (1 Nov 2016 - 31 Oct 2021) were analyzed using Poisson regressions to evaluate the association between noise exposure at residential locations and mortality, specifically focusing on IHD. The analysis adjusted for age, sex, and noise bands, with sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the findings.

Results: The study included 37,066,299 individuals, with 372,638 deaths recorded over 5 years. Higher noise bands were associated with increased incidence rate ratios (IRR) for IHD and all-cause mortality. The IRR for IHD increased by approximately 3% per 5 dB increase in noise levels. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, with stronger effects observed for railway traffic noise compared to road traffic noise.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the significant health impacts of transportation noise, particularly on cardiovascular mortality. These results support the need for stricter noise regulations and comprehensive health impact assessments to mitigate the adverse effects of environmental noise exposure in Austria.