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Noise, air pollutants and traffic: Continuous measurement and correlation at a high-traffic location in New York City
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Noise, air pollutants and traffic: Continuous measurement and correlation at a high-traffic location in New York City

Zev Ross, Iyad Kheirbek, Jane E. Clougherty, Kazuhiko Ito, Thomas Matte, Steven Markowitz and Holger Eisl
Environmental research, v 111(8), pp 1054-1063
Nov 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2011.09.004
PMID: 21958559
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

Air pollution Epidemiology Low frequency New York City Noise Traffic
Epidemiological studies have linked both noise and air pollution to common adverse health outcomes such as increased blood pressure and myocardial infarction. In urban settings, noise and air pollution share important sources, notably traffic, and several recent studies have shown spatial correlations between noise and air pollution. The temporal association between these exposures, however, has yet to be thoroughly investigated despite the importance of time series studies in air pollution epidemiology and the potential that correlations between these exposures could at least partly confound statistical associations identified in these studies. Methods: An aethelometer, for continuous elemental carbon measurement, was co-located with a continuous noise monitor near a major urban highway in New York City for six days in August 2009. Hourly elemental carbon measurements and hourly data on overall noise levels and low, medium and high frequency noise levels were collected. Hourly average concentrations of fine particles and nitrogen oxides, wind speed and direction and car, truck and bus traffic were obtained from nearby regulatory monitors. Overall temporal patterns, as well as day–night and weekday–weekend patterns, were characterized and compared for all variables. Noise levels were correlated with car, truck, and bus traffic and with air pollutants. We observed strong day–night and weekday–weekend variation in noise and air pollutants and correlations between pollutants varied by noise frequency. Medium and high frequency noise were generally more strongly correlated with traffic and traffic-related pollutants than low frequency noise and the correlation with medium and high frequency noise was generally stronger at night. Correlations with nighttime high frequency noise were particularly high for car traffic (Spearman rho=0.84), nitric oxide (0.73) and nitrogen dioxide (0.83). Wind speed and direction mediated relationships between pollutants and noise. Noise levels are temporally correlated with traffic and combustion pollutants and correlations are modified by the time of day, noise frequency and wind. Our results underscore the potential importance of assessing temporal variation in co-exposures to noise and air pollution in studies of the health effects of these urban pollutants. ► We collected and characterized hourly noise, air pollution and traffic. ► Our analysis is the first to disaggregate noise by frequency band. ► Noise was strongly correlated with car and truck traffic and, in some cases, air pollutants. ► Co-exposures between should be considered in some epidemiologic time series studies. Correlations are mediated by the time of day, noise frequency and wind.

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78 citations in Web of Science
94 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Environmental Sciences
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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