The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Committee on the Environment adopted the report by Azerbaijani Milli Majlis (parliament) delegation member Rafael Huseynov describing the harm caused by noise and light pollution to man and other living species. Such pollution can have serious repercussions, such as disturbing ecosystems and provoking diseases in humans, organization's official website reported.
In the European Union, around 40% of the population is thought to be exposed to transport noise of 55 dB during the day and 22% (representing 80 million people) to 65 dB. Over 30% of the population is believed to be exposed to noise levels exceeding 55 dB during the night.
- the acoustic nuisance scale begins at 65 dB. Prolonged exposure to noise, particularly among the young, poses a real health threat.
The rapporteur believes that the fight against noise and light pollution is a major environmental and public health challenge. He calls for an integrated approach to the problem and for efforts to raise awareness of the whole of society. The Committee also suggests that member states take measures to introduce threshold levels for noise and light and impose penalties for exceeding those levels.