glad we stayed in Sultan Ahmed district!

Residents of 15 districts in Istanbul, one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the world, are subjected to noise levels that are vastly above 70 decibels, the maximum level that most people can endure without permanent hearing loss, reported daily Sabah yesterday.

According to a recently produced noise map of Istanbul, residents in 15 districts, including big and crowded areas such as Bakırköy, Şişli and Kadıköy, are victims of striking levels of noise pollution caused by traffic, klaxons, music and other daily activities. Noise in these districts often reaches 75-85 decibels and hits 90-100 decibels every three minutes.

The level of noise is recorded as 115 decibels in Tuzla shipyards and 85 decibels in certain spots along the E-5 highway in the neighborhood of Sefaköy around the Atatürk Airport, and the entrance of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on the Bosporus. The noise level in Sefaköy even reaches 100 decibels during the takeoff and landing of airplanes at the nearby Atatürk Airport.

Humans can function when the noise level around them is measured at 60 decibels at most, said Emin Ağaç, general manager of Tekno Endüstri, the company that carried out the mapping process. The rate of hearing loss from urban and environmental noise is 3 percent worldwide, but it has likely increased to 10 percent in Turkey in recent years, added Ağaç. As highlighted by the noise map, the historic neighborhood of Sultanahmet is the quietest part of the city. On the other hand, a person who spends one hour in the district of Mecidiyeköy is at risk for hearing loss during the next five years.

RADİKAL