title: Increase in mortality rates due to aircraft noise.
abstract: In a study using data from the 1970-1980 decade, we find that people near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) suffer a 5% increase in mortality rates due to increases in a number of fatal diseases. We comment also on the effect of changes in noise level over the last decade. It is found that there is an 18% increase in cardiovascular deaths, for people over 75 at a 97% confidence level, in areas around the airport. Approximately 200,000 people are involved in the study, split into two groups, test and control, near LAX. The two areas were adjusted to be alike in race, age and economic level. The number of suicides in the age bracket 45-54 was increased by the jet noise by over 100% at a 99% confidence level. Total accidental deaths increased by over 60% in the age group above 75 at a 96% confidence level. If we add together all increases there are an average of 24 extra deaths due to aircraft, primarily jet, noise in the high noise area. If we included all people living within the extended high noise contour, there is reason to believe that there is an increase of over 60 deaths in the LAX area per year.
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Meecham
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000401:Aircraft; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009624:Noise, Transportation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013018:Sound Spectrography