Assessing hazardous noise pollution in the United States

Abstract

The risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from noise exposure has been known for hundreds of years, but Karl Kryter’s seminal work on NIHL represented a major step forward in addressing this disease. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has linked noise to additional non-auditory health effects, including cardiovascular disease, sleep disturbance, and stress. The United States has no national plan to address noise pollution, although standards designed to protect human health from noise do exist. National estimates of U.S. exposures were last created in the early 1980s. We have updated these estimates using current census and research data, and estimate that 104 million individuals in the United States had annual equivalent continuous average levels >70 dBA in 2013 and were at risk of NIHL and other effects. We describe approaches to the assessment of noise exposures at the level of the individual and the community, and outline ways in which noise can be more comprehensively assessed. Based on the number of exposed individuals in the United States and the impact of noise-related health effects, greater emphasis on noise reduction will likely improve public health and quality of life. This increased focus will allow us to continue and expand upon Kryter’s outstanding work.