Noise Awareness Day 2008 | Umweltbundesamt

Noise continues to provide a serious source of stress on the population, a fact corroborated by a survey conducted in large congested urban areas and around roads with heavy traffic.  Constant high levels of noise can have an adverse impact on the human body, triggering among other things sleep disorders or cardiovascular problems. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has proven this fact through numerous studies.  Since 2005 the European Environmental Noise Directive has instructed cities and municipalities to reduce noise levels.  To do so municipalities in Germany had to create noise maps by 30 June 2007, which systematically documented noise annoyance experienced by the population, e.g. along high-traffic railroad tracks, large airports, hospitals or schools.  Municipalities are now called upon to draw up ”noise action plans” by which to make marked improvement in the noise situation.  ”In the near term we must eliminate noise annoyance associated with health risks.  In the longer term, we must achieve compliance with the precautionary values set by the World Health Organization, namely daytime levels of 55 decibels, 45 at night”, said UBA President Prof. Dr. Andreas Troge. ”The EU must further reduce limit values for noise from motor and railway vehicles and more clearly define a limit on noise emissions from vehicle tyres”, continued Troge.