Taking The Measure Of Noise Pollution During COVID-19 Lockdown
Faizan Hashmi Published July 03, 2020 | 12:59 PM
Samuel Challeat was riding his bike in the city of Toulouse in the hours before France's strict COVID-19 lockdown took hold when the thought came to him
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 3rd Jul, 2020 ) :Samuel Challeat was riding his bike in the city of Toulouse in the hours before France's strict COVID-19 lockdown took hold when the thought came to him.
What impact will confinement have on the urban sound environment, and how could it be measured, he wondered.
That same day, Challeat, a geographer at the University of Toulouse II, launched an appeal to scientists and researchers around the world to measure the "unique perturbation" of city sounds during confinement.
The project, called Silent Cities, was up and running within 48 hours, and now has more than 350 participants in 40 countries around the world, including France, the United States, Brazil, Challeat told AFP in an interview.
Participants captured ambient sound -- recording one out of every 10 minutes -- and uploading the data into an open-source database.
Because the project is open-source, anyone can access the data and the sound files for free.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has tagged noise pollution as the second most dangerous environmental risk factor for humans after air pollution.
One in five Europeans is exposed to long-term noise pollution that is harmful to health, according to the European Environment Agency.
Confinement was the perfect natural experiment for establishing a baseline for noise pollution in cities, according to Jerome Sueur, a bioacoustician at Paris's natural history museum.
Recent Stories
ICC Womens T20 World Cup Qualifier, Match 2: Ireland Women open with Comfortable ..
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
Shahzeb Chachar to hold khuli kachehri on April 26
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
Tourism must change, mayor says as Venice launches entry fee
Court adjourns Judicial Complex attack case till May 17
Nasreen Noori’s book ‘Popatan Jahra Khwab’ launched
Wafaqi Mohtasib inspection team visits Excise and taxation office
AJLAC announces 5th Conference titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil ..
Pak-US officials engage to enhance trade, investment ties
IBCC to promote educational excellence, expand regional presence
Pakistani 'Blue Helmets' serving UN Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo set to leav ..
More Stories From World
-
Slot 'confident' of Liverpool job as 'negotiations' take place
6 hours ago -
Google parent Alphabet's Q1 profits beat estimates: company
6 hours ago -
WADA asks 'independent prosecutor' to examine Chinese swimmers case
6 hours ago -
New York court overturns Harvey Weinstein sex crime conviction
6 hours ago -
Bagnaia and Spanish rivals chase victory at Jerez
8 hours ago -
Russian, Ukrainian strikes kill at least 10 in frontline regions
8 hours ago
-
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
8 hours ago -
Tourism must change, mayor says as Venice launches entry fee
8 hours ago -
Pakistani 'Blue Helmets' serving UN Peacekeeping Mission in DR Congo set to leave after 20 years of ..
9 hours ago -
Putin says plans to visit China in May
9 hours ago -
US reinstates open internet rules rescinded under Trump
9 hours ago -
Honda announces US$11 bn EV battery and vehicle plant in Canada
9 hours ago