Go out. A gardener uses a blower to blow dead leaves off trees. A municipal worker drills the sidewalk with a drill. A few meters away, the road is crowded with cars whose drivers get impatient the moment the light turns green. The horns of several of them sounded.
We live surrounded by noise. And we have become so used to it that we are barely aware of its presence: we ignore it for the simple matter of survival. And yet his presence clearly and obviously harms our health, both physical and mental.
Prolonged exposure to noise affects us in different ways. Among the most common, sleep disorders, cardiovascular system disorders and cognitive deficiencies, especially in children: we know that those whose school borders noisy areas (industry, airports, busy roads, etc.) learn read later, show greater aggression, fatigue and agitation, a greater tendency to isolation and some relationship difficulties. Similarly, various experiments have shown that at very high noise levels, cancerous process appear and develop more rapidly.
The impacts of noise pollution on mental health deserve a separate chapter. We know that living in a particularly noisy environment is the culture broth perfect for anxiety disorders and stress. When seeking emotional well-being, psychologists agree that tranquility and the absence of noise are essential factors.
The Strongest
Although there are several studies that show conflicting results, they all agree that Spain is one of the noisiest countries in the world. According to hearing specialist company Mimi, the ranking is led by India, followed by the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. After them, Israel, Brazil, Ukraine, Taiwan, Italy, Bulgaria and, later, Spain. Other previous studies, such as the one published by the OECD in 1991, placed our country as the second noisiest on the planet, surpassed only by Japan.
As for cities, Mimi herself cited Madrid and Barcelona in fourth and fifth place, respectively, on its list of the noisiest cities in Europe. The first three places were, in that order, for Paris, London and Rome.
“For professional reasons, I lived for a while in countries like Switzerland, Netherlands and Germany. account Nacho, architect. “There is no color when it comes to noise pollution. You take the metro and silence reigns. You go to a concert and people respectfully listen to the music. It’s another world,” he said. “That’s right. I also tell you that in other countries it is much worse: in Morocco, for example, I had the impression that people speak much louder. And in China, it’s normal for young people to play with their mobile phones at excruciating volume, which is less common here.”
All that noise is measured in decibels. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends not exceed 55 decibels during the day. From 75 dB the noise can be harmful, and at 120 dB it is the pain threshold. It is estimated that a conversation at normal volume is around 60 dB. A truck can produce between 70 and 90 decibels (dB). Airplane and emergency vehicle sirens can exceed 120 dB. In cities, 80% of noise comes from road traffic.
What can we do to reduce all this noise? From the start, contribute as little as possible to generating it. Be aware that our activities have an impact in the rest of the people with whom we share the space. Use combustion vehicles only when absolutely necessary. And, finally, don’t forget that silence is also a right that we all deserve.