Best of 2025 – noise in the news
It’s an annual tradition: we gather some notable stories and studies about noise, by month. The concerns are often the same from year, and often no solutions are offered — only data. The trends in 2025 included aircraft noise, data-center noise, excessive horn honking, and impacts on health. As always, this isn’t everything published about noise in every locale and language, but just a sampling. Contact us if you feel that we missed a significant story from 2025!
JANUARY
Radio Free Asia: “Loud, eerie noises from North Korean speakers take a toll on villagers across border”, by By Jamin Anderson. “North Korea has been blaring ominous noises — howling wolves, clanging gongs and other irritating sounds — from speakers within their half of the Demilitarized Zone.”
Reasons to be Cheerful: “The Curative Power of Quieter Cities”, by Elizabeth Hewitt Update on nonprofit and research efforts to educate the public and influence leaders on the harmfulness of constant exposure to persistent noise, including Dr. Erica Walker of Community Noise Lab.
FEBRUARY
The Guardian: “I always needed background noise in my life. Then I turned off my phone and embraced the silence”, by Krissi Driver. This author describes how she created constant background sound in her environment to drown out the cacophony of life. “I’m no scientist, but it seems clear to me that the more sound we allow to surround us as a society, the less connected we become to one another.”
JACC Journals: “Higher Aircraft Noise Exposure Is Linked to Worse Heart Structure and Function by Cardiovascular MRI,” authors Constantin-Cristian Topriceanu, Xiangpu Gong, Mit Shah, Hunain Shiwani, Katie Eminson, Glory O. Atilola, Calvin Jephcote, and Gabriella Captur. Results of a study aimed to explore the impact of aircraft noise on heart structure and function.
MARCH
ABC Australia: “Noise pollution makes us anxious and stressed, and can even impact the health of our heart and brain,” by Anastasia Safioleas and Tom Wright for Life Matters. On how noise impacts your health, and the power of silence.
Fauqier Prince William Times/YouTube: “Data Center Noise at Great Oak Community outside Manassas“
City of Toronto: “Noise Action Plan Update”
APRIL
Times of India: “Soundproofing a city deafened by its clamour: Hyderabad grapples with rising noise pollution,” by Amisha Rajani. “Professor Rama Ratnam, an auditory neurologist at Ahmedabad University …found that in India, noise is 8 to 10 times higher than in the US and Europe.”
More Perfect Union/YouTube: “I Live 400 Yards From Mark Zuckerberg’s Massive Data Center”
The Portugal News: “Lisbon cracks down on noise”. Lisbon is updating its noise map, and officials discovered that 13.6% of its residents are exposed to noise levels above legal limits.
MAY
CleanTechnica: “Volvo to Produce Electric Semis in Australia Next Year,”, by David Waterworth. “A significant order for electric semis, from Linfox, has encouraged Volvo to start production of BEV semis earlier than planned. Following a trial of two smaller electric trucks, Linfox announced plans to purchase 30 electric prime movers from Volvo Group.”
Nature/Urban sustainability: “Soundscape co-governance for a healthy megacity”, by Dunhu Chang, Xinyue Chen, Yuxin Bai & Zhanfeng Dong. “Our findings indicate that non-industrial noise in megacities causes more severe health impacts, as assessed by residents, compared to industrial noise. However, public participation in soundscape co-governance is notably lower for non-industrial noise.”
JUNE
The Guardian: “Noise pollution harms health of millions across Europe, report finds,” by Damian Carrington. “More than 110 million people across Europe suffer high levels of health-damaging noise pollution, according to a report.”
Planet Detroit: “Ypsilanti Township residents speak out against University of Michigan’s ‘biggest, baddest’ data center, by Brian Allnutt. “Construction will begin on the project in 2026, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp., a public-private partnership that provided a $100 million grant for the facility.”
Potomac Local News: “Data Center Noise Still Shakes Homes in Great Oak, County Slow to Act”. Prince William County leaders faced mounting pressure from residents to address noise from the nearby data centers.
Business Insider: “The AI boom’ pits neighbor against neighbor”, by Dakin Campbell. Virginia residents are grappling with a construction boom for data centers that’s pitting homeowners devoted to their quality of life against other residents who might profit from the next data center project.
Santa Monica Mirror: “SM.a.r.t Column: Cities That Never Shut Up – The Roaring Cost of Urban Noise”. Cites local noise issues and compares Santa Monica’s noise standards versus other cities.
Inserm: “Pollution sonore : Mais quel brouhaha!” “L’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) considère d’ailleurs la pollution sonore comme le deuxième facteur environnemental qui a le plus d’impact sur la santé des Européens après la pollution de l’air.”
JULY
Media India: “Unchecked noise pollution in India leads to alarming rise in hearing loss,” by Garima Sharma. “India is witnessing a sharp rise in noise-induced hearing loss as urban noise pollution worsens, especially among young populations.”
Long Island Press: “Gillen responds to Nassau residents upset by airplane noise, announces FAA audit”, by Isabella Gallo & Gianna Costanzo. US Representative Laura Gillen requested a meeting with the FAA to address concerns from constituents about the excessive noise from airplanes taking off and landing at nearby John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.
AUGUST
EuroNews: “Too loud to sleep: Which EU country is most affected by noise pollution?” by Carolina Cardoso & Damaso Jaivenois. Lists the percentage (of population) by country where people are exposed to noise measuring ≥55dB day / ≥50dB night.
Noise and Health: “Effect of Chronic Exposure to Low-Frequency Noise on Musculoskeletal Pain, Psychological Distress, and Quality of Life in Employees,” Authors: Chen, Siyu; Song, Caixian; Ding, Defang. “This study focused on 256 employees from a local automobile manufacturing company who experienced shoulder, neck, lower back, and leg pains from August 2022 to August 2023.”
SEPTEMBER:
NPR: “India’s honk-happy drivers are switching to even louder horns”, by Omkar Khandekar. “In one not-so-scientific survey NPR conducted at an intersection near its bureau here at 3 p.m. one day in August, there were 27 honks in just one minute.”
The Hindu: “Noise pollution is rising but policy is falling silent”, by Rohan Singh. “In 2011, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) launched the National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network (NANMN), which was envisioned as a real-time data platform. A decade later, the network functions less as a tool for reform and more as a passive repository.”
Inside NOVA: “A straight middle finger’: Prince William data center advisory group sounds off over noise ordinance,” by Sébastien Kraft. “The proposed noise-level rollbacks are designed to more seamlessly accommodate local business interests as the county looks to implement the new ordinance incrementally, members say.”
Earthjustice: “Granbury Residents Demand Answers from MARA’s Bitcoin Mine As Lawsuit Over Noise Nuisance Continues”, by Ana Hall. Earthjustice is seeking a permanent injunction against MARA Holdings, demanding that the cryptomining company implement measures to significantly reduce the harms against residents caused by excessive noise and vibrations.
Romania Insider: “Bucharest approves strategy to cut urban noise levels”, by Irina Marica. One in five city residents is exposed daily to sound levels above the legal limits. The city will be measuring noise and collecting data in 2026 to analyze it, use it to make urban planning decisions, and update the city noise map.
OCTOBER:
Mid-Day: “Diwali 2025: Mumbai doctors highlight the alarming effects of noise pollution from firecrackers,”, by Nascimento Pinto. “The noise from firecrackers can reach levels of 140–160 decibels (dB)—similar to a jet engine or gunshot.”
Nature: “Effects of noise on health-related quality of life: The roles of outdoor noise, indoor noise, and noise sensitivity,” From “Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology,” by Sang Hee Park & Pyoung Jik Lee. A study that investigated the effects of transportation noise on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults residing in multi-story buildings.
Inside NOVA: “Prince William supervisors greenlight new noise ordinance for businesses, data centers”, by Sébastien Kraft. In a vote of 5-2, the county supervisors in this Virginia community voted to change the allowable noise level to 73 decibels during the day and 68 decibels at night.
Appleton Post-Crescent: “Appleton residents pressure police to crack down on excessive noise from cars, motorcycles”, by Duke Behnke. Residents of this Wisconsin community formed a group to pressure the local officials to create noise ordinances that address noise from revving cars, motorcycles, and more.
Scientific Reports: “The relationship between the spatial and temporal patterns of urban noise dispersion and social perceptions”, by Boyang Xu, Sheng Li, Rui Ji, ZhuQiang Hu, JingLun Wang & YiDing Chen. This study analyzes 13,504 noise complaints from a government platform in Hangzhou, China, using Spreadsheet Software and GIS software to explore the spatial and temporal distribution of noise.
SEI: “Air–noise pollution linkages: testing innovative community‑based adaptation and mitigation strategies in Kenya”, by Ngongang Wandji Danube. “This case study examined how environmental monitoring, specifically air and noise quality tracking can inform mental health interventions for perinatal adolescents in healthcare facilities and households across Nairobi and Kilifi counties in Kenya.”
Haut Commissariat á la Stratégie et au Plan: “Les politiques publiques de santé environnementale | LE BRUIT, Rapport pour l’Assemblée nationale
NOW Toronto “‘My patience is at its limits,’ Torontonians raise the alarm over noise levels, advocacy group warns of health risks”, by NEESA MCRAE-MCNICHOLLS. Includes insights from Ingrid Buday of No More Noise Toronto.
NOVEMBER
The New York Times: “Arline Bronzaft, Who Campaigned for a Quieter City, Dies at 89.” A giant in her field, Dr. Bronzaft was a podcast guest and contributor to Soundproofist and many other noise-related organizations and publications.
Mississippi Today: “Southaven residents fear pollution, complain of noise, from Elon Musk’s xAI data-center turbines”, by Alex Rozier and Katherine Lin. Neighbors report a noise at all hours that sounds like a leaf blower. It’s coming from a cluster of natural gas turbines about a half mile away, which help to power a new data center.
Datawrapper: “How Loud are Cities?”, by David Kokkelink. The author lists traffic noise stats for several countries, and notes that Southeast Asia has some of the loudest cities.
DECEMBER
BBC: “Covid 2020: The year of the quiet ocean,” by Frankie Adkins. Using hydrophones, scientists study noise in the oceans, from the loud sounds made by the claws of snapping shrimp to the disruption caused by freight and shipping. The latter was slowed down considerably in 2020.
Bloomberg Business/YouTube: “This is What a Data Center Looks and Sounds Like”