A Sound Approach to Noise and Health

This open access book highlights the negative and positive health effects of chronic exposure to environmental sound. It describes the state of the art in the field from a public health point of view and puts it in a broad societal perspective looking at sound from physical, social, psychological, economic and governance angles. Rather than a mere collection of papers around the theme as usually provided in special issues, this book offers a comprehensive look at the meaning of sound in society and its impacts and provides directions to further advance the field. 

1. Introduction.- 2. Summary of the evidence.- 3. Outlook.- 4. Governance (at EU and Global level).

Dr. van Kamp works at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands. She has an assignment as a senior researcher in the field of healthy living environment and specific expertise in the field of environmental noise. Main research interest is  the interaction between persons and their social and physical environment and effects on physical and mental health. This interest is reflected in her conceptual as well as research work and publications. She currently coordinates the Horzion2020 project on the Early Environmental Quality and Life-course mental health effects (Equal- Life). In 2012 she received the Dutch Golden Decibel Award for her scientific work in the noise field. In 2021 she was awarded the ICBEN Award of Excellence in Research on the Biological Effects of Noise.

Dr. Woudenberg has been trained as a psychologist and received his doctoral degree in psychopharmacology at the University of Utrecht. Currently, he heads the Department of Living Environment at the Municipal Health Service of Amsterdam. Noise and health has been a main focus throughout his career. He is the chief editor of the Dutch journal ‘GELUID’, was the chief editor of the book ‘Geluid and Gezondheid’ (Noise and Health), and was in the board of the Nederlandse Stichting Geluidshinder (Noise Annoyance Foundation of The Netherlands) for 12 years. He was also a member of the Dutch health council for 23 years.