Noise is all around us and affects body and mind. Whether from traffic, construction sites or industry – persistent noise pollution has a negative impact on health and well-being, reduces the appeal of the surrounding area and noticeably worsens quality of life. It also generates costs that fall not on the polluters, but on society as a whole.
Evolution has programmed humans in such a way that we perceive certain sounds from our environment as a sign of potential danger. When we hear these noises, our autonomic nervous system is activated: stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released, and heart rate and blood pressure increase. Our bodies prepare themselves to deal with the potential danger, either by fleeing or by fighting. We still react in exactly the same way today. Stress responses can be subtle, such as flinching when startled by a sudden noise, or a slight increase in heart rate or blood pressure. These responses also occur during sleep, sometimes without us even being aware of it. Noise events become a health risk when they occur frequently and over many years of a person’s life.
Noise also has an economic impact: On one hand, it generates costs for treating and medicating those who are affected. On the other, it reduces property value or income, because buyers and renters are not willing to pay as much for flats or houses in noisy locations.
Impact on health
Chronic noise can cause sleep disorders and stress, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks, high blood pressure and metabolic diseases such as diabetes. These diseases also lead to premature death – in Switzerland, around 500 deaths each year are statistically attributable to traffic noise. However, people also suffer by simply being annoyed from noise.
Sleep disturbances
Individual noise sensitivity
When does noise become a health risk?
Our hearing is a sensory system which is always on alert. Even nighttime noise levels of 40 to 50 decibels (measured on the outside of buildings), can affect sleep. The consequences are awakening reactions, drowsiness and reduced concentration and performance the next day. Particularly vulnerable groups are children, the chronically ill as well as shift workers who also have to sleep during the day when environmental noise levels are mucht higher than at night.
How strongly people react to noise varies greatly. Factors such as genetic predisposition, attitudes, time of day and general state of health affect people’s individual sensitivity.
Noise affects health not only by causing physical symptoms, but also by having a negative impact on well-being. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and has specified the levels at which noise may become harmful to health in its ‘Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region’.
http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/noise/publications/2018/environmental-noise-guidelines-for-the-european-region-2018 (OMS. 2018. Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region)
Economic impact
Noise-related health costs and losses of property values place a considerable strain on the economy. In Switzerland, the external costs of traffic noise amounted to around CHF 2.9 billion in 2021. This figure includes healthcare costs for treatment and medication, as well as reduced prices for properties affected by noise, which negatively affects the appeal of entire residential areas in the long term. There is an economic impact even when noise levels are below the limit values.
Noise-related health costs
Losses of property value
In 2021, around CHF 1.6 billion (55% of external noise costs) were attributed to health costs due to noise pollution. These costs include, in particular, medical treatment costs and diminished productivity.
Noise pollution reduces the attractivity of residential areas, leading to losses in property value. By comparing rental prices for similar flats in noisy versus quiet locations, it is possible to calculate the noise-related reductions of property value. In 2021, CHF 1.3 billion (45% of external noise costs) were due to losses in real estate values.
Studies by the ZKB show that different types of transportation noise and ownership models have different effects on property values.
| Mietliegenschaften | Stockwerkeigentum | |
|---|---|---|
| Strassenverkehrslärm | -0.19% | -0.59% |
| Eisenbahnlärm | -0.26% | -0.47% |
| Fluglärm | -0.11% | Nicht erhoben |
Legal protection against noise
The Environmental Protection Act and the Noise Abatement Ordinance (NAO) are intended to protect the population against harmful or annoying noise. The federal government has established limit values for various types of noise. These specify the levels at which noise pollution is considered to seriously disturb the well-being of residents.
Last modification 19.10.2023
