WHO warns noise pollution is a growing hazard to health in Europe

Traffic related noise accounts for over one million healthy years of life lost annually to ill health, disability, or early death in western Europe, according to a new World Health Organization report.

The study finds that among environmental factors contributing to disease in Europe, environmental noise leads to a disease burden that is only second in magnitude to that from air pollution. Noise pollution causes or contributes to not only annoyance and sleep disturbance but also heart attacks, learning disabilities, and tinnitus.

The report concludes that there is sufficient evidence from large scale epidemiological studies …