Hearing and para-airport children

Area of Science:

• Audiology and Environmental Health

Background:

• Concerns exist regarding the potential impact of chronic aircraft noise exposure on the hearing health of children residing near major airports.
• Previous studies have yielded mixed results on the relationship between noise pollution and auditory function in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the measurable effects of aircraft noise exposure on the hearing acuity of elementary and high school students living near Logan International Airport.
• To determine if proximity to flight paths or runways correlates with increased incidence or severity of hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• Audiometric screening was conducted on 3,322 students.
• Follow-up examinations and data analysis were performed to classify hearing losses (conductive, sensorineural, mixed).
• A new measure, the 'sensorineural gap,' was used to assess high-tone loss in normal-hearing subjects.

Main Results:

• The incidence of bilateral sensorineural or mixed hearing loss was not significantly different between students living near the airport and the general population.
• Exposure to aircraft noise, regardless of degree or duration, did not significantly affect the average sensorineural gap in normal-hearing students.
• No significant correlation was found between living directly under flight paths or adjacent to runways and adverse hearing outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Living in the vicinity of Logan International Airport, even under flight paths, does not appear to cause a significant increase in hearing loss among students.
• The study provides evidence that current levels of aircraft noise exposure in this population do not lead to measurable detrimental effects on hearing, including high-tone loss.