Social cost of noise: The acoustic quality of the housing in question

The CINOV GIAc union - which brings together independent consulting engineers and design offices specializing in acoustics in the building, environment and industry sectors - points out for its part the acoustic quality of buildings, which is largely insufficient the present time to protect occupants.

Noise, a major environmental cause of health damage in Europe

We can now remember that noise and air pollution represent two societal issues whose health and social impact is similar and whose costs for our society are very significant. It is estimated that around 20% of the European population is chronically exposed to noise levels harmful to human health, which represents more than 100 million people affected.

The ADEME study points to 3 main causes of this noise pollution and the social costs induced: (68%) come from transport noise for € 106,4 billion, € 26,3 billion (16,9%) from noise neighborhood and € 21 billion (13,5%) of noise in the workplace. Spending on surveillance and research is estimated at € 2 billion (1%) 1.

Noise exposure aggravated by the poor acoustic quality of buildings

The CNB / ADEME study attributes 106,4 billion to transport noise, and 26,3 billion to neighborhood noise. CINOV GIAc notes that these 132,7 billion have been assessed by considering the negative effects of noise received by residents at their homes and specifies that this noise received at home, if it does depend on

sure of the sources, also depends on the propagation between the source and the ear, and therefore on the acoustic quality of the residential building of the affected resident.

"Another reading of this study can, and must therefore be done" considers Jean-Paul van Cuyck, president of CINOV GIAc. “The acoustic quality of housing is insufficient to protect occupants, and this lack of protection costs 132 billion euros each year! "

According to CINOV GIAc, solutions to this major health and economic problem must be sought both in terms of sources of noise pollution and in buildings.

“At a time when the“ living ”component of the climate and resilience bill is being debated in parliament, it is becoming essential to take acoustic quality into account in housing renovation programs. It is a moral duty and a social necessity, but it is also a question of public health and savings. " declares Jean-Paul van Cuyck, president of CINOV GIAc. "This reflection on the acoustic comfort of housing is all the more necessary as recent news raises fears of a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and possible new containment measures, once again transforming housing instead of work. "