Disruptive effect of urban environmental noise on the physiological recovery response after stress testing

The relationship between stress, physiological response and health has been extensively analyzed (Berglund et al. 1999; Ising et al. 1999; Maschke 2003; Muzet 2007; Stanfeld & Matheson 2003). There is also evidence of how continued exposure to noise is associated with certain diseases (hypertension, ischemic heart disease, sleep disturbances⋯). The main objective of this paper is to analyze the short-term effect of a disturbing noise source on the heart rate recovery after cognitive stress induced by a test. The method used was a crossed factorial design on two groups of 5 subjects/people randomized in which the sequence of exposure is inverted. (AB /BA; A: test with urban environmental noise, B: test with urban environmental noise + disturbing induced noise). Participants (n = 10) are monitored with a computer to record the heart rate at rest (baseline) and at the experimental stress situation (cognitive test). The results show that all participants, despite their order of exposure, present a higher rate of cardiac frequency in the stress testing compared to the baseline one. However, they recover more slowly to baseline rates when they are exposed to the disturbing noise situation, than when they are in a condition of environmental noise. As conclusions, we would like to highlight that urban environmental noise is a stressor which, in addition to other stress conditions, hampers the physiological recovery response. That is, disturbing noise could affect the standard physiological response of people to stress, obstructing the restorative function of urban spaces designed to be use in leisure and relaxation times.