The environmental standard NADF-005-AMBT-2013 of Mexico City’s Environment Ministry establishes a maximum of 65 decibels for the hours between 6:00 and 20:00 , and 62 decibels from 20:00.
According to data of the Environmental and Territorial Order Prosecutor Office (PAOT) , directed by Mariana Boy Tamborell , from January to July 2019 , there have been 549 claims for excessive noise in commercial establishments , factories , and works of r eal estate development .
Five boroughs concentrate most part of registers: Cuauhtémoc, with 170 ; Benito Juárez , 69 ; Miguel Hidalgo , 63 ; Coyoacán, 48 ; Iztapalapa, 42 .
From 2002 until mid-July 2019 , 8,029 files were opened regarding noise and vibrations , which represents 19.7% of all claims of the PAOT. Noise issues are the second most common claim before the PAOT only under land use and over animal cruelty .
“The boroughs where more noise cases have been investigated are, in order of frequency, Cuauhtémoc, Benito Juárez, Miguel Hidalgo, Iztapalapa, and Coyoacán , which are areas in which there is a lot of activities of restaurants, bars, and commerce . The main establishments denounced are bars, canteens, restaurants, karaokes, and nightclubs ,” says the report of the PAOT.
Toll on health
The expert on noise matters and academic of the Ibero-American University , Jimena de Gortari Ludlow , detailed that, in Mexico City, there are growing noise contaminants that cause discomfort to the people’s rest, for instance, in Iztacalco there are more and more claims against factories .
“In Iztacalco, they are not necessarily commercial establishments but workshops or factories . Not everything is noise by leisure [like bars and nightclubs], even the work-related [in factories] that sometimes is excessive and they work in hours that are not normal or established by law ,” said the specialist.
She explained that the World Health Organization recommends, at least, “for a citizen to be exposed to up to 55 decibels. Europe is pretty restrictive; they have a night schedule that must not exceed 40 decibels at your home.”
Some of the affectations caused by excess noise are sleep disorders , loss of attention , concentration , and performance , stress in all its forms and consequences, and even hearing disorders such as progressive hearing loss.
Jimena de Gortari considered that the PAOT has done a well-organized job , but other agencies must cooperate so that claims can be immediate. She said that the Social Prosecutor’s Office should be in charge of community noise among neighbors, and the Environment Ministry (Sedema) should be in charge of construction works. “Regarding noise, you can’t make an immediate claim ; the PAOT has to measure the noise, but it is temporary. Probably there is nothing regarding your claim when the technician goes to make the measurement, the uncomfortable source is gone,” commented the expert.
She detailed that there are neighbors that record or measure the decibels with their cellphones, but this, by law, still does not necessarily work .
“The PAOT is a small institution in terms of staff ; however, its technician s are not specialized and they cannot cope in terms of noise in the City,” she pointed out.
She added that there must be legislation on this issue so that sound sources from construction sites have a certain level, for in busy areas and with different projects in process, neighbors cannot rest and complain and the PAOT cannot do anything.
On that regard, the environmental prosecutor, Mariana Boy Tamborell , detailed that through the campaign “ Turn Down the Noise ” ( Bájale al ruido) there are operations so that commercial establishments be aware of the damage that can be caused by excessive noise and, despite not having enough personnel to address claims immediately, they will reinforce the program .
“An [mobile] app to measure noise would not be feasible because we lack the technology to do so and it is not the same to measure noise from our devices as with our phones. Claims for high decibels have increased in the last months , but we are still addressing each of them,” she said to EL UNIVERSAL.
Boy Tamborell says that after visiting different boroughs what follows is to monitor the commitments adopted for the reduction of noise emissions and given the case that they are not fulfilled, there will be an approach with the authorities that can prosecute since noise levels must lower so that there is better air quality .
The prosecutor added that claims have increased because society has seen the efficiency of the investigations and the trained staff to work on each case, which could go from violence against animals to excessive noise .
Asked about the increasing claims in industrial areas of the City, she said that it is because there are more houses near factories and it is evident that “it’s annoying for people.”
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