Spatio-temporal variation of noise pollution in South Paris during and outside the COVID-19 lockdowns

Abstract

Noise pollution is one of the major environmental problems of contemporary societies. In urban areas, road transport is the main source impacting the spatio-temporal variation of air quality. This work aims to analyse the spatio-temporal variability of the noise level in the 13th arrondissement during peak hours, focusing on the comparison of noise levels between the COVID-19 lockdown and non-lockdown days. This paper provides data that could be used to evaluate noise mitigation options. Mobile surveys, using EXTECH 4017764 sensors, were used to cover 272 points. In this work, the mobile measurements use the median of instant noise levels measured every 5 s over a 5-min period during the peak period. This study confirms that road traffic appears to be the determining factor in noise pollution. The noise levels calculated in 2020 show a strong spatio-temporal variability explained by the proximity of the emission sources, but also that the noise level decreases by 6–10 dB (A) during the lockdowns. Indeed, near the main roads, 57–63 dB (A) are recorded during the lockdowns, compared to 67–72 dB (A) outside the lockdowns. Mainly the number of vehicles contribute to a large part of the noise level, to which the noise of construction sites can occasionally be added as in the south-eastern part of the study area.