Excessive noise 'kills 66,000 Europeans annually'

Around 66,000 Europeans die each year because of dangerously high noise levels, according to a new report.

The European Environment Agency's report claims 20 percent of people in the European Economic Area, which comprises the European Union's 27 member nations alongside Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, are grappling with excessive noise caused by automobiles, trains, and planes.

The agency, which is known as the EEA, said at least 110 million people across the study area are exposed to damaging levels of noise, with many experiencing physiological stress and a lack of sleep that contributes to their early deaths, through cases of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and more.

Eulalia Peris, a noise and health scientist at the EEA, told The Guardian newspaper: "Noise pollution impacts our health by keeping our bodies in a constant state of fight or flight, even if we don't consciously realize it."

She said that heightened state "can lead to harmful physiological responses, such as inflammation and oxidative stress, and, over time, this increases the risk of various health issues."

She said the issues include stroke, obesity, cognitive impairment in children, and mental health problems.

The report found 17 million Europeans are living with particularly high levels of noise pollution. And almost 5 million are suffering from "severe" sleep disturbance. It said noise is causing more harm to people than the damage caused by secondhand tobacco smoke, or by exposure to lead.

And the economic cost is almost as high as the health cost, with the bill hitting almost 100 billion euros ($116 billion) a year, the analysis found.

The EU has set itself the target of cutting the number of people who are chronically disturbed by transportation noise by 30 percent by 2030, but the EEA report said the target will not be met without additional action.

The analysis focused on transportation pollution, which it said was the most widespread and significant type of noise pollution, and did not take into account intermittent noise, such as from parties or road works.

The research concluded that 92 million people across Europe are detrimentally impacted by noise from roads, and that 18 million suffer because of noise from train tracks. It said 2.6 million have their lives negatively impacted by noise from planes.

The report found that, in addition to the 66,000 premature deaths each year it attributes to noise pollution, there are likely around 50,000 cases of cardiovascular disease annually, and 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes.

The researchers said Europe can improve the situation by reducing speed limits in urban areas, and by increasing the use of low-noise tires. They also called for more public transport, and for incentives aimed at getting more people walking and cycling.