New research by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA ) adds to growing evidence showing major sources of noise such as road traffic, rail and aircraft noise are impacting people’s health in England. The research builds on evidence that living with higher noise levels from transport can lead to stress and sleep disturbance, with an increased risk of developing more serious health problems like heart disease or diabetes. This is the first detailed assessment of the health impact of transport noise in every English local authority.
The study found that 40% of all adults in England were exposed to long-term averaged road-traffic noise levels exceeding 50 decibels (dB). Health effects are more likely to be detected if people are exposed to noise levels exceeding 50 dB Lden, which is around the level of noise seen on a quiet street.
The impact on health is measured in Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) – with one DALY representing the loss of one year of good health. The study reports that in 2018, around 100,000 DALYs were lost in England due to road traffic noise. A further 13,000 were lost from railway noise and 17,000 from aircraft noise. Most of these losses were due to chronic annoyance and sleep disturbance, followed by stroke, ischemic heart disease and diabetes.
The study demonstrates the need to consider the health impacts of noise in the decision-making for new transport infrastructure and urban planning
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