The constant rumble of traffic and people brings cities to life. But is it also making us sick? The ill-effects of noise pollution are now well documented, with cities declaring open war on the not-so-silent killer. The Down to Earth team takes a closer look.
Clément Dargent lives in one of Paris's liveliest and trendiest neighbourhoods, the 10th arrondissement. Moving into a centrally located apartment seemed like a perfectly sensible idea, he recalls. Dargent and his young family had recently moved back to France from New York City and were excited to rekindle with the French capital. But life quickly became unbearable. The constant noise turned into an obsession, a form of "aggression", in Dargent's words.
With its uninterrupted flow of trucks, scooters, and motorbikes, the road the family lives on is one of Paris's noisiest. Dargent has made it its mission to fight against noise pollution, joining an association that campaigns against car and scooter traffic.
"Solutions exist," he claims, wishing that authorities were doing more to reduce noise in the French capital.
>> Sounding off: The hidden cost of noise pollution in France
A long-overlooked public health issue
According to the World Health Organization, noise pollution is the second-most significant environmental factor contributing to health problems, trailing only air pollution. Excessive noise contributes to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stress and depression. While it affects nearly 20 percent of Europeans, Paris has been crowned the continent's noise capital. More than 5.5 million Parisians are in fact exposed to dangerous noise levels, compared to 2.6 million in London and 1.7 million in Rome. Yet the French capital has declared open war on noise pollution.
Bruitparif, measuring the noise
"Our mission is to measure noise levels, take stock of the situation before we can act," explains Olivier Blond, president of Bruitparif. The association has developed state-of-the-art noise radars that can geolocate the origin of the noise. The aim is to find the culprits and the solutions that can make a difference, such as issuing fines for cars that have been found to exceed noise limits. "We’re ready, we just need the government’s green light," he says.
The impact of noise pollution on biodiversity
Humans are not the only ones suffering from excessive noise. Animals, particularly birds, have also fallen victim to the constant racket of urban life. And it can be even more stressful for birds, according to Olivier Pichard, biodiversity project manager at Cerema. The noises we hear, the sound of traffic for example, are familiar to us but could be interpreted as a threat by other animals. "It can be a problem for the well-being of animal populations and species," he says. Adding greenery in urban areas could help, according to Pichard, both in a bid to protect biodiversity and reduce noise pollution.
A technological innovation: Colas’ noise-reducing pavement
A technological fix might also be needed for the most persistent sources of noise: cars and the traffic they generate. French company Colas has been developing noise-cancelling road pavements for over 30 years. Cédric Leroux, the director of the company's CORE research lab, says that by making the road pavement more porous, the noise produced when car tires rub against the road surface gets absorbed. The City of Paris has chosen Colas' pavement to be part of an experiment. If the results are conclusive, the city could decide to use it elsewhere in the capital.
