More than 110 million Europeans, or around 20% of the population, are exposed to long-term transport noise from roads, railways and air traffic, according to a report by the European Environment Agency. Data from Statistics Poland also show that more than 280,000 people living in Polish cities with over 100,000 residents were exposed to noise levels exceeding legal limits. Experts warn that the problem is growing and may have serious health consequences.
“Environmental noise is increasing because the number of devices that generate it is growing very rapidly. We live in the loudest times in history, because never before have people had so many devices, machines and entertainment tools that produce noise. Unfortunately, this has a very specific impact on how people feel, how productive they are and how they function in life. We are more stressed, constantly sleep-deprived and exhausted,” said Agnieszka Kantaruk, editor of the educational portal “Coraz głośniej”, in an interview with Newseria.
The problem of excessive noise exposure was recognised as early as 1995, when International Noise Awareness Day was first observed at the initiative of the US-based Center for Hearing and Communication. In 2002, the European Union introduced legal regulations for assessing and managing environmental noise. These use the day-evening-night noise indicator, LDEN, which measures irritating noise, as well as the night-time noise indicator, LN, which helps assess sleep disturbance.
According to EEA estimates, the number of people in the European Union severely annoyed by transport noise fell by only 3% between 2017 and 2022. This pace is insufficient to meet the EU target of reducing the number by 30% by 2030.
Under Poland’s Environmental Protection Law, mayors of cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants are required every five years to submit strategic noise maps to the Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection. These maps are prepared by acousticians based on long-term noise measurements.
A Statistics Poland report based on 2021 maps shows that in 36 Polish cities with more than 100,000 residents, 270,000 people were exposed to road noise measured by the LDEN indicator. Industrial noise affected 9,900 people, rail noise 2,200 people and aircraft noise 2,500 people. The highest share of exposed residents was recorded in Gliwice, Chorzów and Szczecin, while the lowest was reported in Toruń, Dąbrowa Górnicza and Olsztyn.
“At the moment, we have 27 million vehicles in the country, while some time ago there were 3 million, so the increase is enormous. Of course, this did not happen from one year to the next, but over decades. Still, people who were children 20 years ago lived in a completely different acoustic environment than children today. This will affect how these children develop. This pollution takes a lot away from us,” Kantaruk said.
Children are among the groups most exposed to the effects of noise because of their stage of development.
“It is harder for them to adapt to constant noise. They are exposed to it practically all day, starting at school or kindergarten, where noise during breaks can reach 100 decibels. After leaving school, a child is already tired, and in the afternoon and evening this fatigue will only grow. In some situations, they may also have problems at night, because certain night-time sounds can wake them up and make it difficult for the body to fall asleep again. Healthy, restorative sleep is continuous sleep, without short awakenings,” explained Grzegorz Bogusz, a medical doctor.
The EEA report shows that noise pollution can cause serious health problems. It usually leads to irritation, fatigue, increasing stress and sleep disorders, but the long-term effects are much broader. Prolonged exposure may contribute to cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders and mental health problems. The agency estimates that long-term exposure to transport noise is linked to up to 66,000 premature deaths.
“Everyone focuses mainly on one aspect, which is the risk of hearing loss. But noise also affects other organs. The mechanism is quite simple and has long been known. During evolution, our bodies developed defence mechanisms designed to react quickly and efficiently to external threats signalled by sudden noises, sounds, the roar of a large animal, volcanic eruptions or war cries from another tribe. The response to such a phenomenon is fight or flight,” Bogusz said.
He explained that this reaction involves the release of hydrocortisone and adrenaline, an increase in blood pressure, faster heart rate and greater muscle tension. These mechanisms are intended to prepare the body for action.
“With continuous noise exposure, this stops being a defensive response and becomes a disease-causing reaction. We are constantly tired because the body has to use a lot of resources to keep all systems in a state of tension. After some time, these resources start to run short elsewhere, and problems begin,” Bogusz added.
Experts stress that while legal limits for environmental noise exist, they are often not observed. In addition, not all noise sources are covered by current standards.
At the same time, more initiatives are emerging to reduce noise pollution. One example is the municipality of Kościelisko, which introduced a resolution regulating noise and damage caused by quads, motocross bikes and other off-road vehicles. There has also been a proposal that people intending to conduct noisy activities in residential areas should be required to obtain permission from local authorities. Kraków is also fighting to reduce noise at night. Residents exposed to excessive noise are also taking action.
“It is possible to fight noise, and there are different ways to do it. The basic thing is that it is worth acting together. Where people organise themselves and form a group, these matters are resolved much faster and more easily than when a single person acts alone. That is why, whenever possible, we can describe our problem on the Noise Problems Map. This is an application designed to mark problems and find other people who are facing the same issue in the same place,” said Kantaruk.
She emphasised that the first step should be to report the problem to the person or entity causing the disturbance, or to the building administration, housing cooperative or homeowners’ association. Residents may also contact district or municipal authorities.
“If that does not work, or if the case is more complicated because it falls outside the competence of the mayor or city president, there are other competent authorities that can solve the problem. First, we need to determine where a specific noise problem should be reported and then take action. If that path proves ineffective and the authorities responsible for protecting people from noise do not act properly, there is always the criminal law route, which is a simpler version of court proceedings and is free of charge. If that also fails, the final option is a civil case. In court, people can pursue their right to peace and quiet within their own four walls,” Kantaruk said.
