The Painful Sound and Debris

Marsha Rummel

THE FIRST THREE F-35s arrived in April 2023. More will arrive over the next four years. No sound mitigation would likely occur until the final complement has arrived.

Once the program is operational with 18 F-35A jets and four F-16 jets, the fighter group, scheduled to fly four times a week with takeoffs and landings twice daily, will emit 250 tons of toxic chemicals, carbon monoxide and ultrafine particles annually. Air pollution has been linked to higher rates of cancer, heart disease, stroke and respiratory diseases such as asthma.

Each F-35 jet carries nearly 19,000 pounds of fuel. If it were to catch fire or crash, the burning composites could release toxic gases and fibers posing a risk even after a fire is extinguished. This would affect firefighters, recovery crews, police officers and people in adjacent neighborhoods.

The noise of an F-35 at takeoff and in the air is 110-115 decibels (dB). Damage to hearing occurs with noise of 115 dB for 30 seconds (impulse sound). In infants and children, noise can cause delayed development of speech and cognition and have negative effects on attention, concentration, long-term memory and reading and math comprehension.

Even minimal sensorineural hearing loss has been associated with poor school performance, social and emotional dysfunction. Besides hearing loss, exposure to loud or prolonged noise can result in high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease and increased cortisol levels with stress response in adults.

This level of noise can have a detrimental effect on people with PTSD, autism, mental illness, and other neurological and sensor vulnerabilities. Children will especially be affected. Physicians for Social Responsibilty FAQ.

November-December 2025, ATC 239