Transportation Noise Poses Health Risks for Children

Transportation noise is an established risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases and mental health problems in adults. However, research on the effects in children is still limited. On behalf of the European Environment Agency (EEA), researchers from Swiss TPH analysed the impact of transportation noise at school and home on children and adolescents. Applying a threshold of 55 dB, they estimate that in Europe thousands of children are impacted by noise. Specifically:

• 564,000 children suffer from reading difficulties due to transportation noise.
• 63,000 children experience behavioural problems attributed to noise exposure.
• 272,000 children have overweight linked to transportation noise.

The study combined a comprehensive literature review with a burden of disease calculation for Europe to assess the impact of transportation noise on children and adolescents.

“These estimates might even be too low since the guidelines proposed by World Health Organization are below 55 dB,” said Martin Röösli, Head of the Environmental Exposure and Health Unit and senior author of the study. “The results are worrying, as impaired development during childhood and adolescence can have long lasting consequences into adulthood potentially reducing career opportunities and contribute to early disease development.” As noise exposure is most prevalent among disadvantaged populations, this could further increase inequalities in societies.

The most common noise source in Europe is road traffic noise. The authors underline the urgent need for comprehensive policies to reduce noise exposure, particularly in urban areas where transportation noise levels are highest. A combination of electrification with lowering speed limits, low noise pavement and tyres is most efficient to reduce transportation noise.