After ‘dieselgate’ and VW’s billion dollar fine, we are apt to think of only exhaust fumes as being dangerous. Cars are themselves dangerous, running into each other and the road toll becomes important. However, new research claims cars may be killing us by making too much noise.
The research comes from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and claims that noise disturbances from cars, like exhausts, horns and sirens, could pose serious health risks for people.
The authors, who examined research on noise pollution and heart disease, say that loud sounds not only disrupt sleep, which can lead to health problems, but can also initiate the stress response, releasing a rush of hormones that, over time, can damage the heart. (Note the phrase “over time”.)
“Ten years ago, people were saying that noise is just annoying, but now I think there’s considerable evidence that noise makes you sick, and one of the predominate diseases is cardiovascular disease,” said lead author Thomas Münzel.
While the noise disturbances are not a direct cause of heart disease, the research suggests noise pollution should be categorized as a risk factor, like high cholesterol and obesity. Münzel claimed that shocking or surprising noises can cause the release of stress hormones in the body, and that anything over 60 decibels can increase risk for heart disease.
This is all very sensational, but the ‘fight or flight’ response with release of adrenaline is well known and to say that 60 dB is the cut off is nonsense. A time weighted average of 85 dB is closer to the recommended levels by Health and Safety pundits. And if they wanted to do some real investigation, they should come to a Thai party with dB levels around 120 with speakers big enough to blow your ears off.
