Noise Pollution and Health
Prolonged noise exposure can result in negative mental and physical health outcomes, including heart disease, hearing loss, and anxiety.
Read Time: 2 minutes
Published:
Have you ever been on a bus, headphones in, volume up—yet the world still crashes through? The engine rumbles, brakes hiss, horns blare. A baby wails, and someone next to you argues on speakerphone. No matter how loud you turn up the volume, the city won’t be drowned out. The mix of sounds can be frustrating—even overwhelming—but noise pollution is more than just an annoyance. It can affect both your physical and mental health, adding stress to your life.
Omar Hahad and colleagues conducted a systematic review of research on how environmental noise affects mental health, exploring potential mechanisms and gaps in understanding its impact on the brain and other organs.
The figure highlights the negative mental and physical health impacts of noise exposure. It outlines the major contributors to noise pollution, such as transportation, industrial activities, and urban environments. The top section focuses on the physical health effects of noise exposure, including noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), heart disease, hormonal imbalances, and a heightened risk of diabetes. The bottom section explains the mental health impacts, showing how prolonged exposure can lead to stress, anxiety, disrupted sleep, and cognitive impairment.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends keeping community noise at 55 decibels and sets 70 decibels as the threshold where chronic noise has a meaningful probability of causing hearing loss. Much of this community noise is attributed to roadways, railways, and occupational exposures. An individual’s risk can increase significantly if their recreational activities include using firearms or listening to loud music.
The researchers suggest several ways to mitigate the health effects of noise pollution, including exercise, meditation, and green spaces, as well as technological solutions, such as using noise-canceling devices.
However, these solutions are a placeholder for meaningful policy reforms and structural changes in the built environment. Policy solutions, such as clear product labeling, improvements to soundproofing, and noise-reducing infrastructure through urban planning and environmental regulation, like tree belts, can significantly reduce noise pollution’s impact on public health.
