Spatial and temporal associations of road traffic noise and air pollution in London: Implications for epidemiological studies
File(s)Fecht_Spatial and temporal_environ_int.pdf (2.82 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Road traffic gives rise to noise and air pollution exposures, both of which are associated with adverse health effects especially for cardiovascular disease, but mechanisms may differ. Understanding the variability in correlations between these pollutants is essential to understand better their separate and joint effects on human health. We explored associations between modelled noise and air pollutants using different spatial units and area characteristics in London in 2003–2010. We modelled annual average exposures to road traffic noise (LAeq,24 h, Lden, LAeq,16 h, Lnight) for ~ 190,000 postcode centroids in London using the UK Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN) method. We used a dispersion model (KCLurban) to model nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxide, ozone, total and the traffic-only component of particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm and ≤ 10 μm. We analysed noise and air pollution correlations at the postcode level (~ 50 people), postcodes stratified by London Boroughs (~ 240,000 people), neighbourhoods (Lower layer Super Output Areas) (~ 1600 people), 1 km grid squares, air pollution tertiles, 50 m, 100 m and 200 m in distance from major roads and by deprivation tertiles. Across all London postcodes, we observed overall moderate correlations between modelled noise and air pollution that were stable over time (Spearman's rho range: | 0.34–0.55 |). Correlations, however, varied considerably depending on the spatial unit: largest ranges were seen in neighbourhoods and 1 km grid squares (both Spearman's rho range: | 0.01–0.87 |) and was less for Boroughs (Spearman's rho range: | 0.21–0.78 |). There was little difference in correlations between exposure tertiles, distance from road or deprivation tertiles. Associations between noise and air pollution at the relevant geographical unit of analysis need to be carefully considered in any epidemiological analysis, in particular in complex urban areas. Low correlations near roads, however, suggest that independent effects of road noise and traffic-related air pollution can be reliably determined within London.
Date Issued
2016-03-01
Online Publication Date
2016-01-11
2016-01-20T09:32:39Z
Date Acceptance
2015-12-01
ISSN
0160-4120
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
235
End Page
242
Journal / Book Title
Environment International
Volume
88
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
License URI
Source Database
manual-entry
Sponsor
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Medical Research Council (MRC)
Identifier
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412015301057?via%3Dihub
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26773394
Grant Number
NE/I00789X/1
MR/L01341X/1
G0801056
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Noise
Air pollution
Road traffic
Exposure assessment
Correlation
London
EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT ERROR
HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURE
LONG-TERM EXPOSURE
TRANSPORTATION NOISE
ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE
COMMUNITY NOISE
MORTALITY
Air pollution
Correlation
Exposure assessment
London
Noise
Road traffic
Air Pollutants
Air Pollution
Epidemiologic Studies
Geography
Humans
London
Models, Theoretical
Noise
Humans
Air Pollutants
Epidemiologic Studies
Noise
Air Pollution
Geography
Models, Theoretical
London
Air Pollutants/*analysis Air Pollution/*analysis Epidemiologic Studies Geography Humans London "Models, Theoretical" *Noise Air pollution Correlation Exposure assessment Noise Road traffic "N1 - Fecht, Daniela" "Hansell, Anna L" "Morley, David" "Dajnak, David" "Vienneau, Danielle" "Beevers, Sean" "Toledano, Mireille B" "Kelly, Frank J" "Anderson, H Ross" "Gulliver, John" eng G0801056/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom MR/L01341X/1/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom "Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't" Netherlands Environ Int. 2016 Mar;88:235-242. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.12.001. Epub 2016 Jan 11.
Environmental Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2016-01-11