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Noise and pollution: the most exposed areas of Paris

undefined undefined 1 juin 2024 undefined 10h00

undefined undefined 3 juin 2024 undefined 10h45

The Editor

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On Tuesday, May 28th, Airparif and Bruitparif teamed up to release a study uncovering the locations most impacted by pollution and noise pollution in Île-de-France. And it's no surprise that the capital is especially affected by these two issues. So, which are the most vulnerable areas of the city?

We all know that Paris is dirty, noisy, and polluted. A taste of hell for some, populated by bed bugs, angry honking drivers, and motorcycles emitting noxious gray smoke. Yet, in terms of noise and pollution, it seems that not all neighborhoods are created equal. Proof of this is a new study from Airparif (air quality specialist) and Bruitparif (responsible for noise levels). So, which place is the worst? Alarming Figures To conduct this study, the two associations collected data throughout the year 2022 regarding these two issues. Criteria, to then combine them thanks to a mapping of the region which, it must be said, is chilling. According to the results, we can see that "9.7 million residents of Île-de-France (80% of"The population would be subject to simultaneous exposure to both noise and air pollution at levels that greatly exceed WHO recommendations. A worrying percentage that unfortunately only gets worse when it comes to the capital, as most of those affected reside in Paris, in nearby suburbs, and, with a small exception, close to airports.


The areas in Paris most affected by pollution

Thanks to a color code that speaks volumes (ranging from a soft sky blue to a bright scarlet red), it's incredibly easy to see at a glance which areas of Paris are suffering the most from these two types of pollution. Not surprisingly, the entire perimeter of the city is very impacted, as dictated by the ring road. And with the upcoming speed limit of 50 km/h, it's unfortunate to think that these numbers may not improve. Among the other neighborhoods with a red alert, we can see the areas around the Arc de Triomphe, previously named as the noisiest district in Paris, as well as the Bercy/Bastille axis, due to the quais that are heavily trafficked by motorists on a daily basis. The only piece of good news is that efforts are being made to address this issue.The silver lining in all of this is that it seems that some small oases have managed to escape the worst in the capital. So, hospitals, cemeteries, and parks in Paris are rather spared from high pollution levels, and that makes us happy. It goes to show, there may still be a little hope!