Recent findings on the effects of environmental noise

Many people in Europe consider their living environment – that is, their surroundings – ‘too noisy’. The project addresses the challenge that, whilst environmental noise as a whole ranks among the most significant environment-related health risks in Europe, the existing regulatory framework and assessment methods for ‘environmental noise’ do not cover all the sources of noise affecting people in their surroundings. Consequently, health effects are not fully captured. In addition to traffic and industrial noise, the research project also examines noise from industrial plants, construction, leisure activities and neighbourhood sources. The aim is to systematically collate the current state of knowledge on the health effects of various noise sources, to further develop exposure-effect relationships and assessment criteria, and to establish a sound basis for health and legal thresholds as well as for the further development of noise protection legislation.

The project combines research into the effects of noise, methodological analysis and legal scholarship. The current state of research and existing gaps in knowledge are explored in greater depth through dialogue with experts. Building on this, exposure-effect functions, assessment criteria and concepts for measuring noise nuisance and sleep disturbances are examined, and approaches to quantifying noise-induced health damage are evaluated. Prioritised research gaps will then be explored empirically through a sleep laboratory study and a survey, and the results will be translated into recommendations for regulation and noise protection.