Noise pollution is a public health risk that’s hard to measure and monitor

A recent debate over using DJs and high-powered sound systems during Pune’s Ganesh festival brought noise pollution and its health impacts into focus. In August and September, residents and citizen groups in Pune called for stricter enforcement of noise limit rules, prompting a parliamentary committee review of noise and light pollution. The National Human Rights Commission also sought a report from Maharashtra’s pollution control board on action taken on noise limit violations during the festival. The impact of urban noise extends beyond festivals. Prolonged exposure to environmental noise is linked to sleep disturbance, hearing impairment and cardiovascular risks, making noise pollution a public health concern in India’s increasingly noisy cities. Gaps in noise pollution data from Indian cities and the challenges of monitoring sound levels at scale are compounding the problem, say researchers. Meanwhile, citizens have been pushing for better policy and better implementation of guidelines, with incremental changes being observed over the years, say noise pollution activists. Under-researched “silent killer” “It’s been known for a long time that noise is more than just a nuisance or an annoyance, but that it’s a serious cardiovascular disease concern,” said Danielle Vienneau, Associate Professor at the UMC Utrecht in The Netherlands, an expert on environmental pollution and its impact on human health. Regular exposure to high levels of noise pollution is linked to hearing loss, poor cardiovascular health, high blood pressure, diabetes, stress and even adverse reproductive outcomes, according to a 2023 review of existing evidence. “When we’re exposed constantly to noise,…This article was originally published on Mongabay