Even traffic noise can raise stress levels and hurt children's development
Chronic exposure to noise pollution raises stress levels and lowers intellectual development in children. That's from a new report by the World Health Organization, that reviewed several studies, and conclue that there's overwhelming evidence that exposure to noise has adverse effects on health.
One study estimates one MILLION life years are lost every year in Western Europe, as a result of traffic-related noise pollution.
Another well-known one had psychologists giving test to children in Munich, Germany's old airport location, and then the new one. Children near the old improved in reading and memory skills after the airport left, while children at the new location had a decline in the same skills.
Dr. Rich O'Neill, psychologist at SUNY Upstate, has some summertime tips for reducing stress for yourself and your neighbors:
keep music volume down, don't mow the lawn in 'quiet' hours, and keep your dog inside or under supervision if it's a barker.
The complete study is at the World Health Organization website
