Noise pollution: A threat to our mental and physical well-being

Abstract

While noise may not yet be in the forefront of the environmental movement, it is being recognized worldwide as a major environmental pollutant. In New York City, noise is the number one quality of life complaint, far outweighing other quality of life complaints, and throughout the United States it has been noted as a major reason for people moving from their homes. Although there is a need for additional research to confirm the health/noise link, the World Health Organization has already recognized noise pollution as a serious health issue. There is certainly sufficient research to warrant warnings that noise is injurious to mental and physical health. Yet, despite this growing body of literature attesting to the relationship between noise and health impacts, government bodies have not yet invested the dollars needed to abate noise nor to educate people to the dangers of noise. Organizations such as the League for the Hard of Hearing, the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, and the United Kingdom Noise Network have assumed the tasks of educating the public to the harmful effects of noise, of advocating anti-noise measures, and of urging public officials to move more assertively in lessening the din of our ever-increasing noisy society.

How residents in multifamily housing cope with neighbour noise: The role of attitude towards the neighbours

“…Noise is an environmental stressor that has been shown to have adverse impacts on human well‐being (Bell, Fisher, Baum, & Greene, ; Bronzaft, ). It can cause not just auditory health problems such as hearing impairment but also various nonauditory health risks, for example, sleep disturbance.…”

Residents’ reactions to environmental stressors in Kathmandu: A Comparison of the inner city versus the outskirts

“…For example, uncontrollable noise can produce a rise in blood pressure, changes in hormone production, and changes in heart rate (Bronzaft, 2002). Similarly crowding has been linked to both physiological stress (Evans, 1979;Lundberg, 1976) and psychological distress (Baum and Valins, 1977).…”

“…For example, in the United States and other countries, urban traffi c is the most signifi cant source of complaint (Bronzaft, 2002). Similarly, crowding within households and in public areas (e.g.…”

Fostering a Healing Presence and Investigating Its Mediators

“…Lower levels of system organization such as physical-chemical and the toxic and esthetic, [148][149][150][151][152] built and natural [153][154][155] characteristics of the sensory environment merit evaluation for their impact on healing presence. Human beings may maintain an "ecological unconsciousness" that when exposed to natural surroundings is activated and provides benefits for physical and mental health.…”