Burden of disease from exposure to low frequency noise: a Dutch inventory.

The level of concern and health complaints attributed to low frequency noise (LFN) seem to be increasing, not only in the Netherlands, but also at international level. There is evidence suggesting an association between LFN and symptomatic effects such as annoyance and sleep disturbances. A systematic evaluation of the literature which we recently performed, focusing on epidemiological studies on residential sources of LFN in relation to various symptoms and well-being indicators confirms these findings. However, it is still hard to make a valid estimate of the burden of disease due to LFN. Therefore, based on several Dutch datasets we estimated the prevalence of health complaints due to low frequency noise or attributed to it. Limiting factor is that, although we get a feel for the “extent” of the problem, the available data only concern perceived exposure rather than actual measurements of LFN, preventing to link the exposures to these health complaints. This is one of the main research gaps in the field. In this paper we discuss the preliminary findings. (aut. ref.)