For those of us who have lived under and near the Navy's EA-18G Growler flight paths for years, we know the noise is harmful. More and more studies come out every year that back the experiences and impacts we face from the noise. On January 8th, a study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology finding that living near airports can affect heart health and may cause changes to human heart structure and function which can quadruple the risk of heart attack or stroke. The researchers found that residents near noisy airports had 10% - 20% worse heart structure than those who had left the area to escape the aircraft noise - specifically, their heart muscle had grown stiffer and thicker over time, making pumping blood less efficient.
In the study, high aircraft noise was defined as more than 50 decibels (dB) on average during daylight hours and 45 decibels at night which is higher than the safe decibel recommendation by the World Health Organization. In NW Washington, the Growlers have often been measured flying at 75 dB+ directly over homes throughout the day and night with occasional flyovers surpassing 100 dB. Some have reported flights lasting until midnight or 1am. Risk of hearing loss starts at 70 dBA and the CDC recommends taking precautions when noise is 85 dBA or higher. According to the CDC, sounds that are 85 dBA often require you to raise your voice to be heard by someone 3 feet away. As noise reaches 95 dBA or more, you'll likely need to shout to be heard. In military jet noise reports sent to Quiet Skies Over San Juan County (open to all who experience Growler jet noise), people have shared experiences of Growler jet noise easily drowning out TVs, shouting, lawnmowers, and power tools. What are the implications of these noise levels for our health?
In addition to heart health impacts, research has shown that nighttime aircraft noise can affect sleep quality which can lead to long term impacts. Loud noise can also trigger an over-activation of "fight-or-flight" stress response, causing a release of cortisol, a rise in blood pressure, and a slowing of digestion. In the case of the Growler jets, a lack of schedule and warning leads to surprise noise occurrences where people are caught off guard without hearing protection, forced to cover their ears while driving cars or heavy equipment, or watching as their pets run and hide to escape the noise. Regardless of having hearing protection on hand or being able to retreat indoors to reduce the noise, we should not have to protect ourselves from harmful noise in our own homes and backyards, on protected lands such as the Olympic National Park and Ebeys Landing National Historical Reserve, or at schools or hospitals which is the case on Whidbey Island, WA. Above all else, we should not have to protect our health and safety from the very institution built to protect us - our military.
Read more about the study in an article by Dennis Thompson from HealthDay: https://www.healthday.com/health-news/environmental-health/airport-and-aircraft-noise-can-hurt-your-heart
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