ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE LEVELS

140 dB SPACE ROCKET AT BLASTOFF

      JET ENGINE AT TAKEOFF   

FIREARMS

130 JACKHAMMER

125 FIRECRACKERS

120 AMBULANCE SIREN

AMPLIFIED ROCK BAND

THUNDER CLAP

117 THE SHUTTLE TAKE-OFF IN “ARMAGEDDON”

115 SANDBLASTING

CHILDREN’S TOYS AT EAR (BIKE HORNS, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,CAP GUNS,BEEPERS)

114 GODZILLA SHREIKING IN “GODZILLA”

110 WOODWORKING SHOP 

RIVETING MACHINE

VIDEO ARCADES

PERSONAL STEREOS

SNOWMOBILES

MOTORCYCLE

THUNDER

100 PNEUMATIC DRILL

CHAIN SAW

90 AVERAGE DENTAL DRILLS (77-96)          

LAWNMOWER

SHOP TOOLS

PRINTING PRESS PLANT

TRUCK TRAFFIC

NOISY RESTAURANT

TOYS

TV COMMERCIAL (87)

HAIR DRYER

80 CITY TRAFFIC

INSIDE SPORTS CAR (50 MPH)

LOUD MUSIC FROM RADIO

75 KITCHEN APPLIANCES

VACUUM CLEANER

70 CROWDED FAMILY RESTAURANT

65 CONVERSATIONAL SPEECH

BIRDS SINGING

60 SEWING MACHINE

50 AVERAGE HOME INTERIOR

ELEGANT BISTRO

MODERATE RAINFALL

INSIDE CAR AT 50 MPH

LARGE STORE (50-60)

40 QUIET RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY

30 WHISPER AT 5 FT

20 LEAVES RUSTLING IN A BREEZE

10   NORMAL HEARING

110 dB     Regular exposure of more than 1 minute risks permanent hearing loss.

100 dB     No more than 15 minutes unprotected exposure is recommended.

  90 dB     Any prolonged exposure above 90 dB may cause gradual hearing loss.

When people have their hearing examined by an audiologist, pitch sounds between 250-8,000 Hz are routinely measured. These are tested because they are the most important for understanding speech.

More recently, some researchers have begun to look at how noise may affect hearing for the very high pitch sounds- those between 9,000 & 18,000 Hz, known as the extended high frequencies.

Research has found that some people who are exposed to loud noise have reduced hearing in the extended high frequencies, but not in the more conventional (250-8,000 Hz) frequency range. Based on these findings, it has been suggested that a noise induced hearing loss may be detectable at an earlier stage by testing hearing in the extended high frequencies.