This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Traffic, trains, nightlife—in cities everywhere, there is a near-constant background hum that most people simply get used to. But research shows that this background noise can affect your sleep and stress levels and even increase your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Indeed, noise is now considered the second-biggest environmental health risk in Europe after air pollution. Around one in five people living in European cities is exposed to harmful levels of environmental noise. I study how sound shapes cities, including how environmental noise affects health and everyday life.
This makes Denmark and England an interesting comparison because, despite facing similar challenges, each country has made different choices about how much noise is accepted as part of urban life. Take both capital cities, for example. At roughly 13 times the size of Copenhagen, London is a much busier and louder city, so you might expect it to have a much bigger noise problem.
But the reality is more nuanced. As the largest cities in their respective countries, both London and Copenhagen experience substantial noise from busy roads, railroads and airports. But while Copenhagen can look from the outside like a quieter city characterized by cycling and low-rise neighborhoods, it would be wrong to romanticize it as quiet.
Indeed, across Denmark, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency has found that almost one in three homes is exposed to road traffic noise above the national guideline of 58 decibels (dB). A noise level of 58 dB is roughly comparable to a normal conversation or the background noise in a quiet office. While it's not loud enough to damage hearing, long-term exposure, especially in the home, can disturb sleep and increase the risk of certain health problems, which is why it's used as a planning guideline.
Overall, around 16% of the population in Denmark—roughly 918,000 people—is exposed to transportation noise above recommended levels, most of it from road traffic. England uses a different threshold, making direct comparisons difficult. Even so, around 40% of adults in England are exposed to long-term road traffic noise above 50 decibels.
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