According to research into environmental noise, the municipality of Utrecht scores the worst when it comes to noise nuisance, KRO-NCRV reports.
According to a comparison by the data journalism platform De Monitor en Pointer, of all the Dutch municipalities, Utrecht is the noisiest. Municipalities are obligated to map noise levels every five years. The European Environment Agency collects these figures.
In Utrecht and the surrounding municipalities like Nieuwegein and Houten, residents are exposed to sound levels of 55 to 60 decibels a day, making Utrecht the noisiest place in the Netherlands, compared to other municipalities. So, where is Amsterdam on this list? Well, Amsterdam doesn’t even make it to the top when it comes to being the noisiest! Hilversum actually takes the second place, while Amsterdam is somewhere in the middle of the list. The quietest municipality is Almere.
The fact that the municipality is on the noisy side doesn’t seem serious. However, there is strong scientific evidence linking noise nuisance and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. One in three people in the Netherlands are exposed to sound levels that, according to the World Health Organisation, are irresponsibly high.
The European Environment Agency estimates that 12.000 Europeans die prematurely each year due to cardiovascular disease caused by noise nuisance. In the Netherlands, based on municipal figures on exposure to traffic noise, the Dutch Foundation for Noise Pollution (NSG) and experts from the Municipal Health Service (GGD) estimate that around 80.000 people’s sleep is seriously disturbed and about 1.000 people develop cardiovascular disease. Roughly 80 people per year die prematurely due to traffic noise.