Living next to a noisy road does not impair a child's reading ability and can actually improve memory recall, according to a new study published on Friday (June 3) into the effect of noise on childhood learning ability. However, living under a flight path brings with it distinct disadvantages.
And a combination of the two is deeply unhealthy, according to a three country study in the Lancet medical journal.
Based on a sample of 2,800 children aged between nine and 10 years from 89 primary schools near three major airports - Amsterdam's Schiphol, Madrid's Barajas and London's Heathrow - the study is the largest of its kind.
It found the reading age of children exposed to high levels of aircraft noise was put back by two months in Britain and up to a month in the Netherlands for a five decibel change in noise exposure.
On the other hand, exposure to road traffic noise did not delay reading age and was unexpectedly found to help memory recall.
As expected, the scientists who conducted the study found that schools located under flight paths were not conducive to a healthy educational environment.
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