Image: KEYSTONE
Almost a fifth of the Swiss population is exposed to noise pollution, reveals a recent study. Road traffic is the main responsible for this situation, which can have very harmful impacts on health.
12.07.2025, 07:1012.07.2025, 07:10
“Millions of Europeans” are threatened by an invisible, odorless and intangible evil, but which can have “considerable effects on health”: noise pollution. This is what emerges from a vast report published at the end of June by the European Environment Agency (AEE). His conclusions are alarming: more than one in five people are exposed to excessive noise levels On the contains – ie some 110 million individuals.
For the European Union, we speak of noise pollution when noise exceeds the threshold of 55 decibels on all 24 hours of the day. At night, this limit value amounts to 50 decibels. In Switzerland, the threshold is set at 60 dB during the day and 50 per night. For example, a conversation generates a noise of 60 dB, a horn 85 and a shot, 160.
According to the AEE, all European countries are affected by this problem, including Swiss. In our country, the share of a population exposed to noise pollution is even slightly higher than the European average and is 24%. Just over two million people are affected, the report estimates.
Other countries display much higher values, like Luxembourg, where 68%of the population is affected by the phenomenon, Cyprus (52%) and France (36%). Conversely, only three states have a rate of less than 10%. It is Estonia, Portugal and Slovakia.
Although noise pollution can come from many human activities, the transport system is by far the main person, says the AEE. Road traffic, in particular, directly impacts more than 90 million individuals. Also in Switzerland, roads related to the road represent the main source of noise pollution and affect 1.8 million people.
“If the noise of trains and planes overall affects fewer people, there remains an important source of local sound pollution,” said the AEE.
The threat never stops
The report stresses that long -term noise exposure is associated with “a wide range of negative health effects”. To understand why, you should know how the body reacts to noise pollution, advances Professor Idris Guessous, chief doctor of the Médecine Service of first recourse of the HUG and vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Unige.
“When we are faced with an immediate and sudden threat, say a lion that comes to us, we only have two options: to face or flee,” he illustrates. In both cases, there is a state of rest to an extreme state of stress, characterized by increased arterial stimulation and significant secretion of adrenaline and cortisone. Professor specifies:
“When we are exposed to a noise, it is exactly the same thing, except that the threat never ceases. It is a state of acute and chronic stress ”
Idris Guessous
Idris Guessous is a chief doctor of the Hug’s first recourse medicine service.Image: HUG
For this reason, the night is the most delicate moment, explains Idris Guessous. “During sleep, we are not prepared for noise, we cannot identify its source, contrary to what is happening during the day.” The body is all the more surprised. Consequence:
“Whenever sleep is disturbed in this way, our body is put in this stressful state induced by the threat”
Idris Guessous
There are many consequences on health: chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disorders and metabolism, diabetes, obesity. “Added to this are mental health problems, such as anxiety, fatigue and depression, as well as all other sleep disorders,” adds Idris Guessous.
Thousands of premature deaths
In addition, this state of stress prevents the body from slowing down its activity, which is however essential to have a real restful sleep. “It is as if the body never stopped working at full speed,” summarizes the specialist.
“This accentuates the aging and wear of the body and damages health in an accelerated manner. This is why the noise can lead to premature deaths ”
Idris Guessous
According to the AEE, in 2021 alone, prolonged noise exposure was linked to around 66,000 premature deaths, 50,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease and 22,000 new cases of type 2. in Switzerland, the assessment estimated by the report amounts to 720 dead per year, of which 640 are attributed to the noise of the road.
All this has a cost, specifies the AEE. The years of life lost prematurely because of a disease or death deprive the economy of a “considerable potential” of human resources and represent “a source of loss of productivity”.
Finally, let us add that nature also suffers from this situation. Sound pollution influences the behavior, communication and sensory perception of wild animals, and disrupts the functions of the ecosystem.
The night noise continues to increase
The solutions to fight against the problem are known and effective, notes Idris Guessous, which quotes phonoabsorbent coatings and the renovation of buildings.
“The noise impacts more people living in dilapidated and poorly insulated buildings, which is often the case in working -class neighborhoods”
Idris Guessous
The situation would be improving, but too slowly, deplores the AEE. The number of strongly affected people would only be reduced by 3% between 2017 and 2022. Idris Guessous estimates that a lot of progress has been made, but vigilance remains: “We see that night noise continues to increase”.
“We must also ensure that efforts are well distributed in the territory, including in the most precarious neighborhoods, where there are often other risk factors,” he concludes.
And here are other health articles, here!
A municipal employee of Staldenried (VS) lost his life in a work accident on Thursday. The circumstances of the drama remain indeterminate for the time being.
A municipal employee lost his life Thursday in the village of Staldenried in Haut-Valais. For reasons still undetermined, this 55 -year -old man diedly injured when he used a chainsaw.
