(MENAFN) A recent report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), released on Tuesday, reveals that over 110 million people in Europe are exposed to detrimental noise pollution.

This exposure is responsible for approximately 66,000 premature deaths each year.

The report highlights that transport-related noise is one of Europe’s primary environmental health hazards, ranking just behind air pollution and temperature-related issues.

Long-term exposure to such noise contributes to a significant number of early fatalities, as well as the development of serious health conditions.

Specifically, it is associated with 66,000 early deaths annually, 50,000 new cases of heart disease, and 22,000 incidences of type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, nearly 16.9 million Europeans experience chronic annoyance due to transport noise, while around 4.6 million individuals suffer from severe sleep disturbances.

The study further suggests a link between noise pollution and a rise in depression and dementia cases.

Alarmingly, about 15 million children live in areas where noise levels exceed safe limits, which the report warns present greater health risks than exposure to secondhand smoke.

The economic toll of transport noise is also substantial.

The report estimates that it causes at least EUR 95.6 billion in annual economic losses across Europe, which is equivalent to 0.6 percent of the continent’s GDP, primarily due to health-related costs.

Researchers caution that without additional measures, the European Union is unlikely to meet its goal of reducing the number of people severely affected by transport noise by 30 percent by 2030.

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