Shanghai mulls the sounds of silence

Personal redress

Online complaints are plentiful, but Ren Yuhong, a senior environmental protection lawyer at the Yingke Law Firm in Shanghai, said it's difficult for individuals to find any form of personal redress

"As noise pollution, or any other kind of pollution, usually has an impact on groups of people, it's better that they work together and seek help from environmental protection organizations, which will hopefully exert a greater degree of social influence and help solve the problem quickly," said Ren, who is also a member of the All-China Environment Federation.

"In the past five years, especially after the Tort Law of the People's Republic of China took effect in July 2010, people's awareness of their legal rights has been greatly raised. We have also noticed that people are increasingly concerned about the environment in which they live. Shanghai is taking the lead nationwide in terms of addressing the social noise pollution," she said.

A woman prepares to play music to accompany her morning exercise in Jinshan park in Beijing. Wei Xiaohao / China Daily

Some individuals can avoid going to noisy parks or squares, but commuters find it difficult to avoid the noise on public transport. Given the rapid proliferation of cellphones and other digital devices, it's obvious that complaints will continue if substantial steps aren't taken.

Although the economic slowdown has limited the growth in sales of cellphones to just 1 percent so far this year, the number of cellphone users in China was still 1.05 billion at the end of June, according to Enfodesk, a think tank engaged in research into new media economics. If the figures remain steady, Enfodesk predicts that the number will rise to 1.1 billion by the year-end.

Moreover, 2.34 million tablet personal computers were sold in China during the first half of the year, an increase of 7.8 percent year-on-year.

According to a report called Burden of Disease from Environmental Noise, released by the World Health Organization's regional office for Europe, people affected by noise pollution are likely to experience a variety of negative responses, such as anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, withdrawal, helplessness, depression, anxiety, distraction, agitation or exhaustion. Furthermore, stress-related psycho-social symptoms such as tiredness and stomach discomfort have been found to be associated with exposure to excessive or prolonged spells of noise.

"If the basic noise level in a specified environment is regularly between 50 and 60 decibels, the person working or living in it will be emotionally affected. They are likely to become short-tempered and easily distracted," said Huang Zhiwu, director of the otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) department of Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Huang conducted research into the hearing of 300 college freshmen in 2009. He discovered that 14 percent of the students had developed symptoms of hearing loss because of excessive use of MP3 players and similar devices. Huang described the figure as "extremely high".

"The average maximum volume of MP3 players is around 110 decibels. As for video-game platforms, the maximum volume is around 90 decibels. The basic noise level in the subway is around 60 decibels. Therefore, we highly recommend that people don't use these devices in subways because even conversations then have to be conducted at a higher volume," he said.

"Hearing is connected to many parts of the body, such as the nervous system. Therefore people can be affected by excessive exposure. The impact of noise increases exponentially and is transmitted to the entire human body," he added.

Altering mindsets

Historically, less importance has been attached to the study of noise pollution than other problems such as the pollution of air, water and land. Checking the lists of environmental science departments in China, it soon becomes apparent that noise pollution is the poor relation and that few academics specialize in the field.

"It is true that noise pollution is seldom the focus of research, because it is relatively easy to control. The study is always left to physics departments to devise methods to eliminate noise," said Chen Zhenlou, deputy director of the College of Resources and Environmental Science of East China Normal University in Shanghai.

It may be easy to eliminate the source of noise at a scientific level, but it's far more difficult to alter people's mindsets. In other words, an awareness of what constitutes a public area is an issue that needs to be addressed.

In Japan, people on public transport listen to music through headphones, send text messages in silent mode or just read. Talking on a cellphone is prohibited on all public transport, except taxis cabs. Buses and trains always display notices to remind travelers of their obligation not to disturb other people.

Back in China, Bei Ye, a well-known author and arts critic, commented on his micro blog that the beauty of a public space will only become apparent when public awareness is raised, otherwise bad habits will become ingrained, to the detriment of all.

"Just as Chinese people emphasize family and country, we need to learn to be better citizens, especially in our behavior in the public realm. We need more education in this field," said Mee Kam Ng, director of the Urban Studies Program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"We will become more civilized eventually, when learn to live together harmoniously. Education is the first step," she said.

Contact the reporter at shijing@chinadaily.com.cn