Health

ABSTRACT

Before the opening of the new Munich International Airport in May 1992 and the close down of the old
airport, children at both sites were recruited into aircraft noise groups (aircraft noise at present or to
come) and matched control groups with little aircraft noise. A total of 327 children took part in one data
collection wave before and two waves after the switch over of airports.

A number of physiological and psychological tests were performed at each wave. Among the perceptual and cognitive tasks, long-term memory and mastery of a difficult German word list was impaired in the aircraft noise group at the new
airport, and was improved in the formerly noise exposed group at the old airport.

Running memory improved after the old airport was closed. At the new airport, ratings of annoyance remained at a higher
level for the experimental group, as did the signal-to-noise ratios in a listening task.

https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR020002/TR020002-005715-Matt.Feekings-The%20Munich%20Airport%20Noise%20Study.pdf#: