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Just How Bad Is Noise Pollution?

Noise pollution tends not to be viewed the same way as air pollution. Air pollution is viewed as a major health hazard and is constantly being measured. Efforts are frequently made to reduce air pollution. Noise pollution, on the other hand, is rarely measured and is rarely addressed in any meaningful way. In fact, people are often unaware of the harm it can cause.

Noise pollution, on the other hand, is rarely measured and is rarely addressed in any meaningful way. In fact, people are often unaware of the harm it can cause.

Noise pollution is most common in cities due to the abundance of vehicles, machinery and a high concentration of people in an area. It can also be encountered in more rural areas, but is far less common.

Mimi Hearing Technologies, a German hearing company, did a recent study revealing that noise pollution is doing a lot more damage than we think. The study was conducted with over 200,000 people from all around the world and found that people who live in cities are more likely to suffer hearing loss as a result of noise pollution. Mimi has launched a mobile hearing test for Smartphones, which allows people to complete a quick hearing test.

Shocking Results!

it was found that in the loudest cities (Cairo, New Delhi Istanbul and Paris), people were, on average, ten years ‘older’ in terms of their hearing levels. Hearing loss costs around $750 billion globally, in healthcare and lost earnings. This cost stacks up with the many negatives of noise pollution, including stress, lack of sleep, and irritation, to become quite a problem.

However, people are beginning to take action; various mobile apps have been developed enabling users to measure noise pollution. The apps then generate a ‘noise map’ which highlights those areas at enhanced risk for both the users and the local city councils who can use the data to help minimise it.

With the increased number of electric vehicles on our roads, ambient noise in these large cities is expected to drop dramatically by 2025.

Until Then…

It’s important to remember the health effects of noise pollution. It does damage without you really noticing!

If you’d like to know more about noise pollution, check out this website by the noise-pollution app developers, Noise Nuisance below!
Our content-rich website has a full page dedicated to the harmful aspects of loud environments; otherwise known as a noise-induced hearing loss. Click here for more!