xcess noise has been linked to a number of health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. But noise pollution hasn’t been well studied in the U.S., due in part to a lack of federal oversight. The Environmental Protection Agency established its Office of Noise Control and Abatement in the 1970s, but the office has remained unfunded since the early 1980s. 

A new study from Oregon State University aims to better understand noise pollution in Portland. Researchers found that many of the city’s neighborhoods have noise levels that are likely unhealthy.

Matt Bozigar is an environmental epidemiologist and an assistant professor in OSU’s college of health. He joins us with more details.