Noise, Light, and Emerging Pollutants

Noise pollution—unwanted or harmful sound—affects both human health and wildlife. Chronic exposure to traffic noise above 55 dB(A) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and sleep disturbance. The WHO estimates that traffic noise causes 12,000 premature deaths annually in Western Europe alone. Wildlife impacts are equally severe: ocean shipping noise doubles every decade, masking whale communication across hundreds of kilometers; road noise reduces bird breeding success by up to 25% by interfering with territorial songs. Solutions include noise barriers, quiet road surfaces, vehicle speed limits, marine slow-speed zones, and urban planning that separates noise sources from sensitive receptors.