ISTANBUL – More than 110 million people across Europe face harmful noise pollution, which contributes to an estimated 66,000 premature deaths each year, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The report identifies transport noise as one of the most serious environmental health threats in Europe, ranking just behind air pollution and temperature-related risks.
Each year, long-term exposure to transport noise leads to around 66,000 early deaths, 50,000 new cases of heart disease, and 22,000 diagnoses of type 2 diabetes. Nearly 16.9 million Europeans report persistent annoyance caused by transport noise, while about 4.6 million experience severe sleep disruption.
The report also connects noise pollution to thousands of cases of depression and dementia. Around 15 million children live in areas where noise levels exceed safe limits—posing even greater health risks than secondhand smoke, the report notes.
Researchers estimate that transport noise causes at least €95.6 billion in economic losses annually across Europe, or about 0.6 percent of the continent’s GDP. These losses stem mainly from health-related costs.
The study warns that the European Union is unlikely to reach its goal of reducing the number of people chronically affected by transport noise by 30 percent by 2030 without stronger action.
To address the issue, the report urges governments to implement source-level solutions backed by regulation. These include lowering urban speed limits, investing in public transportation, and promoting walking and cycling to reduce road traffic noise.
SOURCE: ANADOLU
