Millions of people throughout Europe are exposed to harmful noise levels deriving from transport, which makes noise one of the main environmental risks for health in Europe. I know it shows from the report of the European Environment Agency which presents a complete analysis of the noise pollution linked to transport and related health impacts. According to the report, at least one in five European European lives in areas where exposure to noise exceeds health limits, with serious health risks.
In EU 150 million people exposed to harmful noise levels
Only in 2021, prolonged exposure to the sound of transport in Europe was connected to about 66,000 premature deaths, 50,000 new cases of cardiovascular diseases and 22,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes. And children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of noise leading to developing behavioral problems but also overweight. And the main source of environmental noise is obviously road traffic, especially in densely populated urban areas.
The report highlights how economic and social costs are also high, since associated health and health problems have a negative impact on the economy. The report states that the noise pollution deriving from transport involves annual economic costs of at least 95.6 billion euros in Europe, equal to 0.6% of the total gross domestic product.
The long -term impacts of noise on our health and the environment are widespread and contribute significantly to premature deaths, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and mental health problems.
Leena Ylä-Mononen Executive Director of the AEA
Compared to other environmental threats for health in Europe, the sound of transport is among the first three, immediately after air pollution and climatic factors related to temperature. In addition, it has an impact on greater health than more known risks such as passive smoke or lead exposure.
The report identifies effective solutions to mitigate noise, including the improvement of green spaces in the cities, the creation of bearing areas between the transport corridors and residential areas, the lowering of the speed limits of cars, better maintenance of railway infrastructures, the increase in the use of low noise tires, the optimization of the landing/take -off items in airports and the promotion of the use of the use of the use More silence aircraft and sustainable mobility, such as public transport, movements on foot and by bicycle.
Noise patients in Italy: 10 thousand premature deaths
The document can also be obtained from the data referring to Italy (referring to the year 2022) which show how about 10,810,600 people are suffering from noises caused by too strong car traffic (≥55 dB) in urban areas, while 3.8 million even outside the cities. Over one million are people who coexist with railway noise, 177 thousand with the airport. And at night it is not better: 7.6 million must keep the windows closed in order to rest and close the traffic noise outside the home, 583 thousand people sleep along railways and near noisy stations even at night.
As we have already highlighted, continuous noise leads to a deterioration of the quality of life and health: 6 thousand premature deaths are estimated for the noise that comes from road traffic, over 4 thousand (among the highest values in Europe) for the railway. Important numbers that highlight how Italy is one of the countries with the greatest absolute number of people exposed to harmful noise levels, particularly as regards road and railway noise.
The high exposure and health impact of the railway noise is particularly relevant, with among the highest numbers in Europe. From the point of view of Dalys, Italy has a significant impact, with a total of 350 Dalys per 100,000 inhabitants per year, indicating Lys
A weight relevant to public health: statistical data highlights 350 people every year every 100 thousand inhabitants accuse medical problems related to the effects of noise.
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