Noise Impacts on:
Noise Impacts on Public Health
Banks, J.L., O’Rourke, B.P. Community impacts of aviation noise: a pilot survey. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00737-z
“Calling noise a nuisance is like calling smog an inconvenience. Noise must be considered a hazard to the health of people everywhere.”
– US Surgeon General William H. Stewart, 1978
Airplane Noise Exposure May Be Bad for Your Health
Recent research from Boston University and Oregon State University reveals a link between aircraft noise and obesity. The study found that exposure to aircraft noise levels as low as 45 decibels (quieter than a typical conversation) can increase the risk of higher body mass index (BMI), an indicator of obesity. This is concerning because obesity can lead to cardiometabolic diseases and other health issues. The study, the first of its kind in the U.S., highlights the potential health risks associated with aircraft noise, even at levels previously considered harmless.
Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
“The Quiet Coalition’s parent organization, Quiet Communities, Inc., has announced the availability of a new presentation, Aircraft Noise and Emissions: Health and Environmental Impacts:
This 18-minute narrated presentation, prepared by the Quiet American Skies team at Quiet Communities, explains the scientific underpinnings of the serious harms caused by aviation noise and emissions. It is meant to be used as a resource for aviation-impacted communities and individuals as they seek to educate and engage with stakeholders, elected officials, and the public about the health and environmental impacts of aviation and encourage the inclusion of provisions in the upcoming Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2023 that will protect the health of the public and environment.
I’m interested in the noise aspects of aircraft operations. As I presented last year at the 183rd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Nashville, Tennessee, the levels of aircraft noise the FAA considers to be suitable for residential land use are unsafe and endanger the health of millions of Americans living near airports or under flight paths.
I hope this new presentation will help those impacted by aviation noise convince their legislative representatives to require the FAA and the Environmental Protection Agency to take action to reduce the impact of aviation noise and pollution on affected communities.
A quieter, cleaner airspace will help make a better and healthier world for all.”
For more on noise impacts on public health, we recommend Quiet Communities, an organization dedicated to promoting quiet as a valuable natural resource and works to reduce harmful noise and related pollution. We take a collaborative, evidence-based, and solutions-driven approach aimed at engaging diverse stakeholders and finding common ground. At the core is a proven model of behavior change.
Noise Impacts on Historic and Natural Resources
Hanscom Field is the only airport in the nation that abuts two National Resources:
Minute Man National Historical Park and
Great Meadows National Wildlife Sanctuary
Specifically because of the adverse impacts from aircraft noise at Hanscom Field, the National Register of Historic Places designated Minute Man National Historical Park & Its Environs (including Great Meadows and surrounding historic sites) as one of the 11th Most Endangered Historic Places in America in 2003. They are still on the list to this day.
Because of these resources’ proximity to the airport, expansion plans at Hanscom can trigger federal/national oversight and reviews by the following agencies and groups:
Public Comments
The proposed North Airfield development may be subjected to a number of reviews by the above entities, as discussed in the Public Comments below. Recent Federal & State Public Comments on Proposed North Airfield Development by: