According to a study by the network of Flemish environmentalist groups, Bond Beter Leefmilieu (BBL), 220,000 people that live around Zaventem airport in Flemish Brabant are affected by noise pollution from planes that take off and land at the airport. BBL says that the issues caused by noise pollution such as disrupted sleep patterns also have an economic impact not least on the health and social security bill.
“220,000 people affected by noise pollution around Brussels Airport” environment group says
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The study was carried out on behalf of BBL by the French consultancy group Envisa. Envisa sought to calculate the number of people actually and potentially affected by aircraft noise around the airport. Care was taken not to set one municipality or region against another with the figures showing total numbers of people impacted and not stating whether those affected live in Flanders or the Brussels-Capital Region.
The conclusions of the study estimate that 220,000 people are "severely inconvenienced" by noise nuisance from planes. Of those 109,000 see their sleep seriously disturbed, 51,000 are exposed to an increased risk of high blood pressure and 2,000 are "highly at risk of developing ischemic heart disease".
With this in mind, the study went on to calculate what this means in terms of additional costs for the health care system. It concluded that the health issues caused by night flights cost the public health system around 1 billion euro or 36,000 euro per night flight at Zaventem.
The study was carried out at the same time as the procedure is in progress for the renewing of the airport’s environment permit. Bond Beter Leefmilieu says that the impact of noise pollution on local residents is not sufficiently taken into account when environment permits are issued.