Noise pollution poses a threat to health

When we talk about air pollution, our thoughts immediately turn to smog. But the sustainability of the urban environment also has a less visible and often underestimated aspect: noise. Between road traffic, railways and air routes, noise pollution – particularly from transport – is now one of the main environmental health risks in Europe, as explained in the latest report, ‘Environmental noise in Europe 2025’, by the European Environment Agency (EEA), updated last September. The figures speak for themselves: over 112 million people – more than one in five citizens – are exposed to harmful levels of noise over the long term. If the most stringent thresholds recommended by the World Health Organisation are applied, the figure rises to around 150 million, over 30 per cent of the population. Road traffic remains the dominant source: around 92 million people are exposed, compared with 18 million from rail traffic and 2.6 million from air traffic. With regard to airport noise specifically, at the 98 main European airports, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), 3.4 million people live with noise levels of 55 dB Lden (the 24-hour average) or higher, and 1.6 million are exposed to more than 50 events per day exceeding 70 dB. WHO guidelines emphasise that even between 30 and 40 dB, there is an increase in instances of being woken up and sleep disturbances, whilst above 55 dB the problem becomes a significant public health concern.

In fact, noise is not merely a nuisance; it can have significant repercussions on health. The EEA estimates that, in 2021, prolonged exposure to transport noise was associated with 66,000 premature deaths, 50,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease and 22,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes, resulting in a total loss of over 1.3 million healthy life years (including premature deaths and years lived with illness). Economically speaking, the cost exceeds 95 billion euros a year, approximately 0.6 per cent of European GDP.

“The public is still far from fully realising that noise pollution is one of the main environmental risks to their health,” notes Ilaria Oberti, a lecturer in the Department of Architecture, Construction Engineering and the Built Environment (DABC) at the Politecnico di Milano and head of the Indoor Quality & Ergonomics Lab. “We tend to get used to noise, to normalise it, to the point of considering it inevitable,” explains the expert. For this reason, she warns, the figures should be treated as conservative estimates. “They reflect only the most easily measurable aspect: if all sources were included, WHO thresholds were adopted and emerging health conditions were also taken into account, the actual figure would be higher.”

In the EEA’s estimates, Italia unfortunately features prominently: over 10,000 premature deaths a year attributable to transport noise. “The problem is the lack of consistency, with a regulatory framework that is in place but is applied in a fragmented manner,” notes Oberti. Solutions are, in fact, possible, and they can bring significant co-benefits such as improved air quality: reducing car traffic, lowering actual speeds, managing traffic flows, and maintaining roads and railway tracks. ‘Tackling the source of the noise is the best strategy,’ emphasises Oberti: electrification of the vehicle fleet and sound-absorbing road surfaces can shift the exposure curve. “Downstream, however, architectural design and the quality of the building envelope also help to protect interior spaces,” explains the lecturer.

In the meantime, as long as noise remains a matter of aesthetics rather than health, the city risks losing a piece of its sustainability – one that is just as serious as smog. And we all pay the price.