Noise Comparison

**Noise Sources and Their Effects**
Noise Source	Decibel Level	Noise Effect


Jet take-off (at 25 meters)	150	Eardrum rupture
Aircraft carrier deck	140	Earphones at high level
Jet take-off (at 100 meters)	130
Thunderclap, live rock music, chain saw	120
Steel mill, riveting, auto horn at 1 meter	110	Human pain threshold
Jet take-off (at 305 meters), outboard motor, power lawn mower, motorcycle, farm tractor, jackhammer, garbage truck	100	Serious hearing damage (8 hrs)
Busy urban street, diesel truck, food blender
90	Hearing damage (8 hrs)
Garbage disposal, dishwasher, average factory, freight train (at 15 meters)	80	Possible hearing damage
Freeway traffic (at 15 meters), vacuum cleaner	70	Annoying
Conversation in restaurant, office, background music	60	Quiet
Quiet suburb, conversation at home	50	"
Library	40	"
Quiet rural area	30	Very Quiet
Whisper, rustling leaves	20	"
Breathing	10	"
	0	Threshold of hearing

SOURCE: Temple University Department of Civil/Environmental Engineering (www.temple.edu/departments/CETP/environ10.html)

Sound Levels and Relative Loudness of Typical Noise Sources
in Indoor and Outdoor Environments

Decible
level
(dB) Subjective Loudness (Relative to
70 dB)

Overall Level

Community Noise Levels (Outdoors)

Home and Industry
Noise Levels

120 32 times
as loud Uncomfortably
loud Military jet aircraft take-off from aircraft carrier with afterburner at 50 ft (130 dB) Oxygen torch (121 dB)

110 16 times
as loud Turbo-fan aircraft at takeoff power at 200 ft (118 dB) Riveting machine
(110 dB); rock band
(108 - 114 dB)

100 8 times
as loud Very loud Boeing 707 or DC-8 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (106 dB); jet flyover at 1000 feet (103 dB); Bell J-2A helicopter at 100 ft (100 dB)

90 4 times
as loud Boeing 737 or DC-9 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (97 dB); power mower (96 dB); motorcycle at 25 ft (90 dB) Newspaper press (97 dB)

80 2 times
as loud Car wash at 20 ft (89 dB); propeller plane flyover at 1000 ft (88 dB); diesel truck 40 mph at 50 ft (84 dB); diesel train at 45 mph at 100 ft (83 dB) Food blender (88 dB); milling machine (85 dB); garbage disposal (80 dB)

70 Moderately
loud High urban ambient sound
(80 dB); passenger car at
65 mph at 25 ft (77 dB);
freeway at 50 ft from pavement edge 10 a.m. (76 dB) Living room music (76 dB); radio or TV-audio, vacuum cleaner (70 dB)

60 Half as
loud Air conditioning unit at 100 ft (60 dB) Cash register at 10 ft (65-70 dB); electric typewriter at 10 ft (64 dB); dishwasher (rinse) at 10 ft (60 dB); conversation (60 dB)

50 One-fourth
as loud Quiet Large transformers at 100 ft (50 dB)

40 Bird calls (44 dB); lowest limit of urban ambient sound (40 dB)

10 Just audible

0 Threshold of hearing

SOURCE: Table B.1, from Federal Agency Review of Selected Airport Noise Analysis Issues, Federal Interagency Committee on Noise (August 1992). Source of the information is attributed to Outdoor Noise and the Metropolitan Environment, M.C. Branch et al., Department of City Planning, City of Los Angeles, 1970.

Decible level (dB)	Subjective Loudness (Relative to 70 dB)	Overall Level	Community Noise Levels (Outdoors)	Home and Industry Noise Levels


120	32 times as loud	Uncomfortably loud	Military jet aircraft take-off from aircraft carrier with afterburner at 50 ft (130 dB)	Oxygen torch (121 dB)


110	16 times as loud		Turbo-fan aircraft at takeoff power at 200 ft (118 dB)	Riveting machine (110 dB); rock band (108 - 114 dB)


100	8 times as loud	Very loud	Boeing 707 or DC-8 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (106 dB); jet flyover at 1000 feet (103 dB); Bell J-2A helicopter at 100 ft (100 dB)


90	4 times as loud		Boeing 737 or DC-9 aircraft at one nautical mile (6080 ft) before landing (97 dB); power mower (96 dB); motorcycle at 25 ft (90 dB)	Newspaper press (97 dB)


80	2 times as loud		Car wash at 20 ft (89 dB); propeller plane flyover at 1000 ft (88 dB); diesel truck 40 mph at 50 ft (84 dB); diesel train at 45 mph at 100 ft (83 dB)	Food blender (88 dB); milling machine (85 dB); garbage disposal (80 dB)


70		Moderately loud	High urban ambient sound (80 dB); passenger car at 65 mph at 25 ft (77 dB); freeway at 50 ft from pavement edge 10 a.m. (76 dB)	Living room music (76 dB); radio or TV-audio, vacuum cleaner (70 dB)


60	Half as loud		Air conditioning unit at 100 ft (60 dB)	Cash register at 10 ft (65-70 dB); electric typewriter at 10 ft (64 dB); dishwasher (rinse) at 10 ft (60 dB); conversation (60 dB)


50	One-fourth as loud	Quiet	Large transformers at 100 ft (50 dB)


40			Bird calls (44 dB); lowest limit of urban ambient sound (40 dB)


10			Just audible


0			Threshold of hearing

SOURCE: Table B.1, from Federal Agency Review of Selected Airport Noise Analysis Issues, Federal Interagency Committee on Noise (August 1992). Source of the information is attributed to Outdoor Noise and the Metropolitan Environment, M.C. Branch et al., Department of City Planning, City of Los Angeles, 1970.