Noise pollution is a serious but often forgotten public health problem

An audiologist writes that chronic noise exposure, from traffic to leaf blowers to crowded restaurants, causes hearing damage and is linked to hypertension, coronary disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. Federal guidance caps recommended occupational exposure at 85 A-weighted decibels averaged over eight hours, a benchmark echoed by Australia, the EU and Great Britain.

The piece notes that noise exposure accumulates across a day rather than resetting, so four hours at 88 dBA does the same damage as eight hours at 85. Practical fixes include earplugs, quieter appliances, and battery-powered lawn tools.

The author acknowledges that individual behavior only goes so far: a farmer can't turn down a tractor, and a child can't reroute a highway.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.