Noise Pollution in London is one of the city’s unnoticed dangers, people go about their day-to-day life not realising what the sound they are being exposed to can cause them. Noise pollution affects people in London in many ways, so I am going to break it down into parts.
- Disadvantaged People
People who are less fortunate than others that live on busy roads surrounded by bus stops, cars, and trains are more likely to be exposed to constant noise at all times of the day. In more wealthy areas of London, the constant noise of traffic and transportation is blocked by trees or by living in well-built apartments, maybe even both. In areas of London where income is much less, greenery such as trees and better-built flats is more of a rarity. So the wall of noise is more likely to affect you. This can lead to stress and anxiety due to being exposed to noise at all times of the day.
2. The London Underground
The London Underground (The Tube) is one of the loudest and most common areas to be exposed to dangerous levels of noise in London. The Jubilee Line, Bakerloo Line, and Victoria Line have been known to reach upwards of 110db on some of their stops, which is 50db higher than what the average human ear should be exposed to without hearing protection. People living above tube lines that run on a night service have recorded it can reach 52db in their flat, 35db being the average for a normal night’s sleep according to the World Health Organisation. This can of course effect your sleep which can be detrimental to your mental health and normal life if not consistent. Even if the night tube was removed there would only be 5 hours of no noise, which is less then the average 8 hours of sleep recommended for people.