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London’s Noise is Overwhelming – Here’s the Health Impact

London’s Noise is Overwhelming – Here’s the Health Impact

A Life Surrounded by Noise

Every day, I wake up to the sound of a chainsaw. A piercing metallic shriek that rumbles me awake. I am agitated, restless and confused. What is that threatening noise? And then I remember, I live in front of a building site – where an eight-storey building is being constructed. At 7:30am on the dot each day (except on Sundays) I watch as the builders climb into their cranes and the metallic screaming resumes. The noise has been going on for over a year, but is at its most intrusive when the weather is hot. I can’t open my window without suffering the clang of construction.

I have lived in my noisy flat for three years, but I’ve lived in the relentless bustle of London for 11. As I set about my day, I walk onto a busy main road close to a dual carriageway. The hum of traffic is overwhelming, and I feel an urgent need to find somewhere calmer and quieter as soon as possible. A park, perhaps, or a nice cafe? Instead, I jump on the roaring Tube. I dodge shouting preachers with a microphone and try to ignore the horns beeping in the traffic on my final sprint to the office.

Like millions of others, I have become accustomed to unpredictable sounds: The blaring of music late at night from outside my window or the screaming of the Tube as it rattles past. But lately, I have wondered what impact this overload of noise is having. Like the city’s fumes, surely this can’t be good for us? I have noticed that since the building works started near my flat, I have felt less calm at home. I have found it harder to concentrate and have become easily irritated.

The Hidden Health Risks of Noise Pollution

A new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has found that over 110 million people across Europe suffer high levels of health-damaging noise pollution. It is one of countless reports showing that loud noises are bad for our health. It found that physiological stress and sleep disturbance caused by noise pollution lead to 66,000 early deaths a year, as well as 66,000 cases of heart disease, diabetes, and depression. And as the world gets busier and the population keeps rising, these noises are only growing louder.

Charlotte Clark, professor of environmental epidemiology at City St George’s University, has been aware of this issue for decades. She grew up in a very loud home surrounded by traffic, which sparked her fascination with noise and its impact. “The evidence has actually got really strong in the last few years,” says Clark. “It’s very much accepted now that noise is a public health issue. Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have been able to say it so confidently. It’s not only the World Health Organisation (WHO) that agrees, but most governments would now accept that noise can affect health.”

Understanding the Impact of Noise on the Body

The WHO defines noise pollution as an “unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including noise emitted by means of transport, industrial and recreational activities.” The most common source? Traffic from cars and aeroplanes. Even if traffic is simply humming softly in the background, it can spark a reaction in the body, says Clark. “When you listen to a loud sound, your brain interprets it as a stressor, and you start to have stress responses. We are programmed in terms of fight or flight, so your body starts to do all the things that would enable you to run away from a predator.” This can look like a faster heartbeat or the release of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. “Over time, that’s not good for you,” she says. “If you live somewhere noisy, that’s a chronic stress response.”

Wind turbines are a low-level form of noise pollution, but can still be harmful. “They are much quieter than road traffic, but people still have those stress responses, particularly in terms of annoyance and effects on sleep. If you’re having those biological responses to noise, your blood glucose can change. Over time, you’re going to have problems with your blood sugar, with your blood fats, and cholesterol. Those are all risk factors related to developing diabetes and heart disease.”

The Unseen Effects on Mental Health

And almost everyone reacts to noise, even if it’s unconscious. Clark explains that even people who have a more muted bodily response are still impacted physiologically over time. “There’s also a little bit of evidence that if an environment is noisy, you’re less likely to exercise in it,” she says. “So that’s yet another pathway by which you might get these effects.” This confirms my fears. I’m particularly concerned when Clark explains that the body is even impacted while we are sleeping. “People don’t realise that,” she says. “If you’ve got noise at night, say from road traffic or aircraft, your body will still have those biological responses. Your heart rate will continue to increase if there is loud traffic, because you’re programmed to do that. The cardiovascular system can be affected.”

The impact on our mental health is still underresearched, but there’s some evidence that people living in noisy environments are more likely to take medication for anxiety and sleep. A recent study from Switzerland found that road traffic was associated with higher suicide rates and also increasing rates of hyperactivity in children. US research has linked noise pollution to rates of dementia, although this link is still not fully understood.

Steps to Reduce the Health Impact of Noise Pollution

What can be done to reduce the health impact of noise pollution? Charities such as the Campaign to Protect Rural England have called for action to make city parks quieter – such as closing roads at weekends, rerouting roads, using natural features as noise barriers, and most of all, policies to reduce car numbers. Clark says other solutions include providing better sound insulation for homes or modifying road surfaces and tyre designs to reduce noise. She is hopeful that electric cars will soon mean our roads are quieter, but there is not much she can do about my local building works. Perhaps it’s time for some earplugs.