Health News: Noise Pollution More Than Nuisance, But Proven Health Risk [View all]

This OP is cross-linked in the GD.



From Harvard Medical School:

“For half a century, US agencies such as the EPA have deemed noise pollution “a growing danger to the health and welfare of the Nation’s population.” The European Environmental Agency reports that noise ranks second only to air pollution as the environmental exposure most harmful to public health.

Recently, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people exposed to high aircraft noise levels could be at greater risk of poor heart function, increasing their risk of heart attack, stroke, and irregular heartbeat.

Residents living near noisy airports had 10% to 20% worse heart structure and function, compared to people who moved to get away from the aircraft noise.

Cardiologists reported people’s heart muscles had grown stiffer and thicker over time, making the organ less efficient at pumping blood, quadrupling a person's risk of heart attack or stroke.

Environmental factors such as air pollution or noise have already been linked to adverse health effects such as cardiovascular diseases and general well-being.



In 2023, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) found that the risk to commit suicide increases for people exposed to high levels of transportation noise. Noise is a constant stressor affecting sleep, levels of stress hormones, changes in brain function, or a sense of loss of control.

The study found that exposure to transportation noise at home was linked to a higher risk of death by suicide. With every 10 dB increase of average road traffic noise at home, risk for suicides rises by 4%. An association with railway noise was also observed, although less pronounced.




Mental health disorders affect nearly one billion people worldwide and are a leading cause of suicide. Noise abatement programs, adding greenery to the urban sprawl, flying less noisier aircraft like the new Airbus C Series, relocating away from airports, and reducing automobile traffic can lower people’s exposure to excess noise, lowering their health risks.


Sources:

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.09.1217

https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/noise-and-health

https://www.swisstph.ch/en/news/news-detail/news/transportation-noise-increases-risk-for-suicides