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Peru: Noise pollution in Lima quadruples - Two 'rest hours' per day

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

A study done by a Lima university has revealed that the level of noise in the country's capital has quadrupled in the past 30 years - increasing stress levels, lack of concentration and sleep disorders.

According to San Martin de Porres University, an increase in Lima's population over the past 30 years has not only increased the capital's level of noise but has also reduced the number of "rest hours" from six to two.

According to Supreme Decree 085-2003, noise levels should not surpass 50 decibels in protected zones such as areas where hospitals and clinics are located.

The study shows that in these protected areas, noise levels are almost as high as 90 decibels.

Noise levels outside of Ricardo Palma Clinic have been registered at 85 decibels during the day while they have been registered at 87 decibels at Benavides Clinic.

Noise above 70 decibels is annoying, whereas above 90 decibels is harmful, said the World Health Organization.

"Noise pollution is increasing with Lima's disorganized growth and the (city's) chaotic urban transportation system," affirmed Eliana Galarza Rivera, head of the noise pollution study.

Click here to see a map of some of Lima's noisiest streets

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# Splaktar says :
18 June, 2008 [ 11:10 ]

No surprise here.  Something that needs more attention.  Most Police don't really consider 'noise' to be pollution though.  So even if someone is honking repeatedly at 5am or blasting music through their entire building at 2am, they don't do anything.

Again, without enforcement nothing will change other than to get worse.  Same old problem in Peru...

# Cuy_Frito says :
18 June, 2008 [ 17:06 ]

Yes, as a foreign visitor noise pollution is a huge problem.

In central Lima it gets out of control.

In the football quad behind our apartment,
during summer those guys are shouting until midnight.
A zoning issue. Basically I can't sleep there.

When you request Peruvians to turn down the screaming resturant music,
they say "No, the customers like it like that".

I noticed similar issues in improverished Vietnam,
the volume was always cranked up as high as possible.

Lima's biggest issues for me are:
- Air pollution
- Theft related crime
- Noise pollution

Oh, and while I'm on my soapbox,
-Alcoholism as a treasured national pastime.

Cervecitas anyone ?

# frank says :
12 November, 2008 [ 07:52 ]

Hello

does anyone know of any sleep clinics or specialists in sleep disorders here in Lima? If so, please respond with details. Thanks!

# casino gambling history    says :
21 January, 2009 [ 06:39 ]

I  think if their will " no honking day" . the police can't control that pollution. We can see lot of pollution in streets because streets have no so much space so their will be always a big crowd of passers. Even the voice of birs is also the part of noise pollution and the voice of traffic, music and play grounds is also the part of noise pollution so we have to give concentrate on that how we can stop this noise pollution.
 
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# Lee says :
30 January, 2009 [ 10:36 ]

Pollution

As an American, I have to say that the pollution here is beyond my comprehension.  To add insult to injury, the people here don't care one tiny bit.  They beep their horns constantly (did I say CONSTANTLY???), they race around in otherwise quiet neighborhoods in cars with ridiculous aftermarket exhaust systems, they BEEP constantly, they throw trash out their car windows, while they're walking down the street, they BEEP CONSTANTLY, there are travelling street vendors that have giant bullhorns at full blast, ice cream guys blowing their ridiculous "cornetas" like they are trying to kill somebody with them, etc.  The beeping and racing around go on all hours of the day and night.  The beaches in Lima are polluted to the point where I'm afraid to even touch the water.  Last winter, my wife and I would walk on the beach fairly regularly, and get this, there were dead sea birds about every 50 feet on the sand, and that's not to mention the garbage, and I mean GARBAGE.  This next part gets too gross for me, but I have to say it.  A few days ago, we found, uh, human feces at this same beach - it was all over the place - not kidding - and NOBODY NOTICED except us.  There is a "Water Treatment Plant" about a mile north of this beach, I went looking for it one day a while back.  Well, there is no treatment plant, just a spot where raw sewage is being dumped into the ocean, right there on the beach.  There is also a trash dump in the same area.  So, when the ocean currents go north to south, the sewage and the garbage end up on this beach (Chorillos).  When the current goes south to north, we get the foam that appears to be some kind of oil - from the oil refinery (I think), that is a couple miles down the coast.  Pollution is a matter of disrespect and aggression, two things of which I have never seen such an overdose of in my entire life.

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