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Feb 13, 2008 6:43 pm US/Eastern
Study Suggests Airport Noise Raises Blood Pressure
WINTHROP, Mass. (WBZ) ―
Airplane noise may be more than just a nuisance, particularly for people who live near airports.
A new study finds the sound of all those takeoffs and landings can be enough to raise your blood pressure.
Winthrop residents love their homes.
"I mean, hey, I don't have to live here," said Winthrop resident Henry Stempien. "I chose to live here."
But they also have a big no rather noisy problem.
Their neighbor is Logan Airport and whenever planes land or take off it's so loud.
"In the summer time, a five-minute conversation takes about half hour in between planes," Stempien said.
A study by the European Heart Journal reports people who live near airports may have high blood pressure because of the noise.
"At night it's much more insidious to the people -- much louder," said Bob Driscoll, with the Airport Hazard Committee.
The study finds "nighttime aircraft noise can affect your blood pressure instantly…Measures need to be taken to reduce noise levels from aircraft, in particular during the night."
"I got the high blood pressure, I'll attest to that," Stempien said. "I don't know if it's so much the airplanes."
"If it's affecting high blood pressure, then we do have a serious problem," Driscoll said.
Tom McNuff has sound-proof windows but with a handheld noise reader the decibles are still high.
The FAA says 65 decibles is the threshold. Under federal law any project that creates new noise levels above 65 will have to be reduced.
This past fall, the FAA approved new noise reduction plans for jets leaving Logan. People who live within 25 miles of the airport should notice the difference.
Jets will have to soar some 2,000 to 3,000 feet higher as they fly over the North and South shores enroute to their final destinations.
The changes go into effect next month.
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