Children's reading and memory could be impared by exposure to high levels of aircraft noise, says new research published in The Lancet.
Children's reading and memory could be impared by exposure to high levels of aircraft noise, says new research published in The Lancet. Scientists studied 2,888 children aged nine and ten from schools located near airports in the UK, the Netherlands and Spain. The reading age of those exposed to aircraft noise was delayed by up to two months in the UK and one month in the Netherlands for every 5 decibel increase in noise exposure. Road traffic noise was not found to affect reading and, unexpectedly, was found to improve recall.
However, exposure to both aircraft and road traffic noise increased children's stress levels and reduced quality of life. Researchers say the effects of exposure to noise at both school and home should be examined.
The study can be found on www.thelancet.com.
