A total of 130,000 healthy years of life are lost to noise pollution in the UK each year alone, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with 40% of Britons exposed to unhealthy levels of road traffic noise.
Research on the health effects of light pollution is less developed, but it too can disrupt circadian rhythms and sleep, with potential social and economic consequences. Sleep disturbance is estimated to cost the UK economy £34bn a year, and both light and noise pollution are contributing factors.