Noise exposure and dwellings exposed to noise around Schiphol airport, 1990-2002

The levels of noise exposure around Schiphol fell slightly in 2002. The standards for noise exposure were not exceeded in that year.

	1990	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002 *

Number of sites with exceedances outside the 35 Kosten units zone
	-	35	14	11	5	0	0

	numbers of homes (x 1000)
Homes within 35 Kosten units zone
	15.1¹⁾			18²⁾	18²⁾	18²⁾	18
Homes with noise exposure of 35 Kosten units or more²⁾
	14.5	15	12.5	13.5	12	11.5²⁾	11
Homes exposed to 26 dB(A) L_Aeq night or more²⁾
	25	9.1	4.6³⁾	4.8	4.7	4.3²⁾	4

Source: RIVM/NLR, 2003.	RIVM/MC/Feb04
1) ADECS housing stock. 2) ACN housing stock. 3) Bridgis housing stock.

Noise exposure around Schiphol decreasing

As a result of the continuing deployment of more modern airplanes, the noise exposure around Schiphol continued to fall in 2002. Outside the statutory zones, no exceedances were observed of the 35 Kosten units or 26 dB(A) L_Aeq levels. The number of homes in the statutory zones exposed to noise levels above these values has fallen slightly.
In addition, the number of complaints was approximately 15% lower in 2002 than in 2001. The number of complainants fell by 1%.

See the indicator Complaints about aircraft noise from Schiphol, 1986-2001

There were 417,000 flight movements at Schiphol in 2002. The figure for 2001 was 432,000. In 2001, air traffic to and from Schiphol did not increase for the first time in many years.

The aim of different noise zones

The Aviation Act of 1978 requires noise zones to be established around airfields. The zones are intended to fulfil three aims: First of all, they play a role in enforcing the noise standards. Annual assessments take place to determine whether noise exposure has exceeded a certain value in any location. The aim is to limit noise nuisance in the vicinity. New nuisance is also prevented by banning building activities within the zone. Finally, the zones provide a statutory basis for sound insulation in housing.

There are different noise zones depending on the type of air traffic (small or large aeroplanes flying only during the day or also at night). Around Schiphol, there are zones for both total noise exposure generated by 'large' air traffic (in Kosten Units, Ke) and for noise exposure generated by air traffic during the night (11 p.m. - 6 a.m.) (in dB(A) L_Aeq night).

The Ke is a unique, Dutch measure for the annual average noise from air traffic around airports, which 'adds up' the peak levels from all flights. It includes only those flights that generate peak levels in excess of 65 dB(A). The L_Aeq night is an equivalent measure without a cut-off which 'adds up' on an annual basis the levels of all flights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Because absorption by building facades is taken into account, the standard is used for noise exposure indoors.

Enforcement locations replace noise zones

Noise zones have not been used as an enforcement instrument since the new, fifth, runway went into operation in 2003. The new system under the amended Air Traffic Act is based on testing using limit values for total and night noise exposure at, respectively, 35 and 25 enforcement locations positioned around the former noise zone and using the limit value for the Total Noise Volume (Tweede Kamer, 2001/2002). The Total Noise Volume sets a limit for the total amount of noise produced by air traffic using Schiphol.

Because of the introduction of an EU directive for noise, the limit values are stated as equivalent noise units (Lden for total noise and Lnight for noise at night). A threshold value is not used when calculating Lden and Lnight. The use of a threshold value of 65 dB(A) to calculate Kosten Units resulted in the exclusion of an increasing number of movements. At slightly larger distances from Schiphol Airport, where more but quieter airplanes fly over, the observed noise exposure in Ke appeared to decrease more than has now proven to be the case on the basis of the equivalent noise level.

Ke values cannot be converted directly into Lden values. 35 and 20 Ke correspond approximately to 58 and 53 dB(A) Lden respectively; 20 and 26 LAeq to approximately 41 and 49 dB(A) Lnight respectively.

Schiphol: Interactive noise and safety atlas

Noise nuisance caused by air traffic, and the safety risks of Schiphol, have been the subject of occasionally heated public debate for years. How are these complex problems related? And how is the government trying to tackle them? An interactive atlas designed for the Internet allows everybody to understand the noise and risk policy for Schiphol.

Relevance

Exposure to airplane noise can result in severe noise nuisance, sleep difficulties and more clinical health problems. More information about this subject can be found in the discussion of the impact of noise exposure on the residential environment.

See the Overview of environment-related health risks in the Netherlands.

References

RIVM/NLR (2003). Verantwoord ondernemen Schiphol Group 2002", indicatief gecorrigeerd voor actuele woninglocaties door het Milieu- en Natuurplanbureau. RIVM, Bilthoven.
Tweede Kamer (2001/2002). Wijziging van de Wet luchtvaart inzake de inrichting en het gebruik van de luchthaven Schiphol, Eerste en Tweede Kamer der Staten Generaal, Dossier nr. 27603, 2000-2001, ff.

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium

Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium

Data about noise nuisance broken down according to a number of demographic characteristics, such as gender, age, level of education, socio-economic group, composition of household and urbanisation of the municipality, can be found in the Statistics Netherlands database Statline.
Busink, J.J. (2000). Geluidbelastingsberekeningen voor Schiphol in het kader van de Milieubalans 2000. Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium, Amsterdam.
Busink, J.J. (2002). Geluidbelasting en effect van beleid - De geluidbelasting rondom de luchthaven Schiphol in 1980, 1993 en 2000. Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium rapport CR-2002-311, Amsterdam.
Gezondheidseffecten van geluid (Nationaal Kompas Volksgezondheid)
TNO: Omgeving en gezondheid
Website 'Geluid in Nederland' ('Noise in the Netherlands') of RIVM and the Netherlands Association of Provincial Authorities