Thesis (MTech (Environmental Health))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006 / Airport operations have become a major source of concern due to aircraft nOIse, particularly in areas close to airports and aircraft flight tracks. Public opposition to aircraft noise is a threat to the continued growth of civil aviation in South Africa. This study investigated the psychological effects of aircraft noise on residents and school activities at a neighbourhood close to the airport, particularly the area located under the flight tracks or adjacent to the landing and departure pattern of aircraft. Bishop Lavis was chosen as the experimental area and Kensington, about 17km away from the airport, was chosen as a control area. Questionnaires coupled with oral interviews and observations were used to gather information. The findings are focused on annoyance and disturbance. The study revealed that noise exposure caused annoyance, activity disturbance and some mild effects on school results, when compared with the control area. Disturbances were experienced in some activities that need concentration. Aircraft noise also caused communication interference, sleep deprivation and affected the teaching process. The community at the experimental area indicated some non-acoustical effects, such as fear of aircraft crashing over their homes but they indicated no willingness to leave the area. As such, it becomes essential when locating and designing airports to optimise flight paths in a way to reduce noise exposure to nearby communities. Recommendations for mitigation of noise exposure are proposed, which include operational procedure, banning chapter I and 2 aircraft, restricting night flights, proper land use planning and enforcing international environmental regulations.

Considerable research has been conducted regarding the impact of aircraft noise on children’s cognitive performance. Little has been carried out in developing countries however, particularly on the African continent. This study, which was conducted over a three year period, aimed to determine whether the reading comprehension of primary school learners in South Africa was affected by exposure to aircraft noise. The sample comprised 737 learners aged between 8-14 years (mean age = 11.3) in 2009; 650 learners aged between 11-15 years (mean age = 12.3) in 2010; and 178 learners aged between 12-16 years (mean age = 13.1) in 2011. The reading comprehensions of participants from two public schools in KwaZulu Natal in a high aircraft noise area (16h outdoor Leq> 63dBA) were compared with those of participants attending three matched public schools exposed to lower levels of aircraft noise (16h outdoor Leq <56). Reading comprehension was assessed through the use of the Suffolk Reading Scale 2 (SRS2), which was group administered. A univariate General Linear Model was used to investigate the effects of aircraft noise exposure, language and socio-economic status on reading comprehension, while observing for the possible impact of gender and noise sensitivity on the results. The first question aimed to establish whether aircraft noise negatively affects learners’ reading comprehension. The results showed no significant differences between the experimental and control group (F713=0.33, P=<0.8651). The second question sought to determine whether the removal of aircraft noise would lead to improved reading comprehension scores. No significant difference (P>0.05) was observed in interactions between time and the experimental and control groups, in relation to reading comprehension. Establishing whether having a different language to English as one’s home language negatively affects reading comprehension, was the third question that was explored. Significant differences were observed between English first language speakers and English additional language speakers in the favour of the former (F713=19.97, P<.001). The final research question looked at whether low socio-economic status negatively affects reading comprehension performance. The results showed no statistical difference regarding the impact of a low socio-economic status on reading comprehension (F713=1.69, P>0.197). The overall results of this study suggest that chronic noise exposure does not affect children’s reading comprehension, but that language plays a large role in reading comprehension performance. Furthermore, it would indicate that the removal of aircraft noise does not result in improved performance on reading comprehension.

Children have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of chronic exposure to noise and also aircraft noise. Children attending schools in the vicinity of airports have shown cognitive impairments in reading comprehension, different aspects of memory and attention. This cross-sectional study forms part of a larger longitudinal study conducted at schools in the vicinity of an airport in Durban, South Africa, that was decommissioned and moved. The aim was to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to aircraft noise on children’s memory and attention before the moving of the airport. A purposive sample of 834 grade 5 and 6 learners from 5 schools in noisy and quiet areas near the airport were assessed on aspects of episodic memory, working memory, prospective memory and attention with standardised tests in a classroom context. Performance on working memory and one aspect of episodic memory was significantly better in the group exposed to noise. Prospective memory functioning was significantly better in the quiet group. These results, which to some extent unexpected, may prove important in understanding the effects of chronic noise on different aspects of memory functioning. The results and their implications are discussed in relation to previous studies and theories on the effects of noise on memory functioning.