Eurasia Press & News
Feeling stressed or not sleeping? No wonder. Noise levels in Belgrade are now up to 30 per cent higher than the limit allows.Noise levels in the capital were above the permitted levels at all 35 measured locations and at 18 the noise level was constantly above the recommended level, Belgrade’s Institute for Public Health says.
The noise on the streets was about 20 to 30 per cent higher than the legal limits, while the noisiest streets were Bulevar despota Stefana, Glavna ulica in Zemun and Krivolacka Street in Vozdovac.
High levels of noise were also recorded at Zeleni venac, Dalmatinska, Uzun Mirkova and Karadjordjeva near the city centre, as well as in Bulevar Mihajla Pupina, Pohorska and Jurija Gagarina in New Belgrade.
The permitted levels in residential areas are 55 decibels by day and 45 at night, while around hospitals the recommended noise level is 50 decibels by day and 40 by night.
In the city centre and in zones along the highway and main roads, the recommended noise level is 65 decibels by day and 55 by night.
The main reason for the increased level of noise is increased traffic, as 90 per cent of noise in the capital comes from vehicles.
Research shows that noise levels have increased by one to two decibels a year in Belgrade. In residential areas the daily levels of noise are now 10 to 15 decibels higher than they should be.
Noise can affect people’s health and is connected to such conditions as insomnia, heart problems, high blood pressure, stress, headaches and depression.
About 10 per cent of people are highly sensitive to noise. Most vulnerable are children under the age of six and those older than 65.
