Health risk assessment in establishing and identifying zones in an airport area

Air transport is a globally recognized source of environmental noise. Health risk assessment is considered an eligible instrument of information support provided for urban development and / or sanitary-hygienic decisions in airport areas. A research object was an airport area within the boundaries of the seventh zone of an airport with average annual passenger flow of approximately 1.7–2 million people. Noise levels were simulated in an average annual flight day with the highest intensity. Health risk assessment was performed by using evolution modeling. Epidemiological studies were based on geocoded depersonalized data about visits to healthcare organizations by: people who permanently lived in the analyzed airport area (244.2 thousand people) and those unexposed to airport noise (the reference group made of 51.1 thousand people). All persons in the selected population were coved. Three zones were determined within the airport area with their boundaries represented by a daily equivalent averaged noise contour LAday with 5 dBA step. Noise level LAday was equal to 55–60 dBA and higher as calculated per upper limits of the analyzed ranges; it was shown to create impermissible health risks. A growth in exposure level leads to a shorter period, during which a health risk moves to a higher category. Epidemiological studies gave evidence that health risk assessment based on evolution modeling described the situation correctly. In the zones with calculated moderate health risks, exposed children had certain disorders more frequently against the reference group (unexposed) including symptoms and signs involving emotional state (OR = 2.03; CI: 1.27–2.23); disorders of autonomic nervous system (OR = 1.34; CI: 1.05–1.75); malaise and fatigue (OR = 4.48; CI: 1.17–20.1) and some others. Adults who lived in this zone had more frequent hypertension (OR = 1.55; CI: 1.19–2.03) and elevated blood pressure (OR = 1.51; CI: 1.2–1.9). In the zones with high health risks, apart from the foregoing diseases, adults also more frequently had essential (primary) hypertension (OR = 1.13; CI: 1.05–1.22) and angina pectoris (OR = 1.21; CI: 1.16–1.25). In the zones with very high health risks, apart from the foregoing diseases, noise exposures were authentically associated with secondary hypertension (OR = 1.8; CI: 1.12–2.86) and strokes (OR = 1.29; CI: 1.08–1.52) among adults. Use of land spots for residential construction and construction of cultural and public facilities within an airport area requires taking specific measures aimed at noise reduction. If necessary, medical and preventive programs should be implemented to protect people from harmful exposure to environmental noise.