Noise generated by transportation, industries, and other human activities is one of the main environmental problems and can cause various disturbances to the population. To limit noise pollution and regulate noise sources, national noise regulations (LQ 447/95 and its implementing decrees) have established limit values for different types of sources. These limits are divided into those for the outdoor environment (absolute emission and immission limits), based on municipal acoustic zoning, and limits for the interior of residential buildings (differential immission limits).

This indicator describes the monitoring activities conducted by ARPA/APPA through measurements to verify compliance with the legal limits, both outdoors and indoors, distinguishing among different types of sources (industrial activities, service and/or commercial activities, construction activities and temporary events, road, rail, airport, and port infrastructure). In 2023, as in previous years, the most frequently monitored sources were service and/or commercial activities (57.3% of all monitored sources), followed by industrial activities (31.5%). Among transport infrastructures, which account for 7.1% of monitored sources, roads were the most frequently controlled (5.2%). 

The Framework Law on Noise Pollution (LQ 447/1995) requires regions and autonomous provinces to issue their own regulations defining a set of criteria, methods, and procedures necessary for the full implementation of the national law. Since the enactment of LQ 447/95, the regional legislative framework remains incomplete: five regions have yet to adopt a regional law on noise pollution, while some regions, lacking specific legislation, have issued specific regulatory acts.