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Different considerations in economic impacts of aircraft noise

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 35, pages 104–106 (2025)Cite this article

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Aircraft noise represents a significant public health concern, disturbing sleep and producing psychological effects and stress in residential communities [1,2,3]. This stress is believed not only to damage mental health but also to accelerate the process of biological aging, leading to a wide array of diseases, including cardiovascular disease [4, 5]. In severely impacted communities, it may also cause mechanical hearing loss, though this problem is difficult to disentangle from the effects of psychological stress on the pace of biological aging [2].

The disease burden imposed by aircraft noise is associated with extensive economic impacts, making it imperative for policymakers and authorities to implement effective mitigative strategies [6,7,8]. Economic evaluations to assess policy impacts on human life and environment require a careful consideration of all potential harms and benefits. While noise pollution is known to cause various detrimental public health impacts, we believe the broader economic impacts have not yet been fully represented in the existing aviation noise policy discussion. In this commentary, we delve into the multifaceted economic dimensions of aircraft noise. We provide a framework for societal economic impacts of aircraft noise that need to be considered by policymakers and authorities when implementing preventive or mitigative noise measures. We also discuss challenges in cost estimation that lie ahead for health economists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Zafar Zafari & Jeong-eun Park

  2. Institute for Health Computing, North Bethesda, MD, USA

    Zafar Zafari

  3. Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Peter Alexander Muennig

Authors
  1. Zafar Zafari
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  2. Jeong-eun Park
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  3. Peter Alexander Muennig
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Contributions

ZZ conceived the study idea and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; PAM and JP provided policy and clinical insights. All authors provided writing support and commented on the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zafar Zafari.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Zafari, Z., Park, Je. & Muennig, P.A. Different considerations in economic impacts of aircraft noise. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 35, 104–106 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00688-5

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