Nearly 10 million Paris region residents are exposed to noise and air pollution exceeding recommendations

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2024/05/28/nearly-10-million-paris-region-residents-are-exposed-to-noise-and-air-pollution-exceeding-recommendations_6672938_114.html

by LeMonde_en

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  1. Nearly 9.7 million people in the Paris region, i.e. 80% of the population, are exposed simultaneously to levels of air and noise pollution that greatly exceed the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), Airparif and Bruitparif, the two organizations responsible for monitoring air and noise quality, said in a first of its kind report published on Tuesday, May 28.

    This is the first time the two observatories have produced a [cross-mapping of air and noise pollution](https://carto.airparif.bruitparif.fr/) within France’s most populous region. The Greater Paris metropolis concentrates 86% of people in situations of highly degraded exposure owing to transport-related noise (major roads, airports, railroads), air pollution or both.

    This mapping reveals that 487 municipalities (38% of municipalities in Ile-de-France, the Paris region) are particularly exposed to these two pollutions: More than half their population is simultaneously exposed to air quality deemed poor and noise levels considered significant. A large proportion of these communities are located in what is known as the dense heart of the Paris conurbation: Paris and its inner suburbs, particularly those close to Charles-de-Gaulle and Orly airports.

    It’s a double disadvantage that’s easy to explain: The closer you live to a major traffic artery, the more exposed you are to both noise and pollution (emissions of fine particles and nitrogen oxides) generated by automobile traffic, still largely dominated by combustion engines (gasoline and diesel). With over 40,000 kilometers of roads, including more than 1,000 kilometers of freeways and expressways, the Paris region is criss-crossed by the largest road network in France.

    **Read the full article here:** [**https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2024/05/28/nearly-10-million-paris-region-residents-are-exposed-to-noise-and-air-pollution-exceeding-recommendations_6672938_114.html**](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/environment/article/2024/05/28/nearly-10-million-paris-region-residents-are-exposed-to-noise-and-air-pollution-exceeding-recommendations_6672938_114.html)

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