Environ Monit Assess. 2026 Apr 22;198(5):487. doi: 10.1007/s10661-026-15330-0.
ABSTRACT
Urban environmental noise has emerged as a critical public health risk globally due to its extensive impact on human life and health. This study conducts a comprehensive assessment of Urban Environmental Noise (UEN) and Urban Traffic Noise (UTN) across 36 major Chinese cities from 2007 to 2023, integrating spatiotemporal analysis, Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), and economic valuation. Results indicate that UTN (median 66 to 70 dB) consistently exceeds UEN (median 52 to 56 dB), with significant spatial differentiation observed across the studied cities. Spatially, high-density hub cities (such as Beijing, Shijiazhuang, and Chongqing) bear a substantially higher health burden from noise pollution. Furthermore, the estimated health burden is dominated by sleep disturbance (YLDHSD), which consistently outweighs noise annoyance (YLDHA). Nonlinear relationships were also observed between noise levels and the attributable environmental burden. The annual economic loss attributed to traffic noise across these cities is estimated at 3.59 billion USD, representing a significant economic cost to sustainable urban development that has previously been overlooked. These findings suggest that noise pollution prevention and control in China need to shift from compliance-based monitoring to health-centric interventions and localized noise management strategies are urgently required.
PMID:42014604 | DOI:10.1007/s10661-026-15330-0
