Citizen study maps environmental noise in Flemish cities

Smart sound sensors will in the coming months record environmental noise in Antwerp, Ghent and Leuven. About 1,200 urban dwellers participate in a large experiment that is part of the citizen study ‘De Oorzaak’. The project examines the impact of environmental noise on public health in Flanders.

‘De Oorzaak’ is an ambitious Flemish citizen study set up by the University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital and Flemish newspaper De Morgen. It investigates the impact of environmental noise on people’s well-being. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), excessive or disturbing noise can amongst others cause stress, sleep disorders and hearing loss.

The project started last year with the launch of a questionnaire. 8,781 Flemings offered the researchers of the University of Antwerp comprehensive answers about the effects of environmental noise on their lives.

About 1,200 urban dwellers from Antwerp, Ghent and Leuven now participate in the next step of the project. All participants will for two months map the environmental noise in the vicinity of where they live. To do so, they will use a smart sound sensor, which they will install on a facade of their home. This records each peak noise. Different community centres in the cities also participate and there are fixed reference sensors at various locations in the cities.

“An algorithm labels each peak sound, for example an aircraft, voices, a car or a tram, and then summarises the main characteristics of the sound, including volume, frequency and duration,” explained Cedric Vuye of the University of Antwerp, the project leader of ‘De Oorzaak’. The researchers then receive the analysed data via the telephone network. No sound fragments are stored on the sensor, nor transmitted to the server. Participants can follow the measurements live on a personal dashboard.

Those interested can still sign up and participate after the summer. In total, about 2,400 people will be able to take part.

In a next phase, the researchers will examine the impact of environmental noise on people’s health and well-being more in detail with a group of 100 citizen scientists, through a medical study.

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