Noise levels in decibels: acceptable standards and requirements

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

To feel comfortable and at peace, a person does not need absolute silence. The complete absence of sounds will not bring peace of mind, and such a state of the environment is not silence (in the usual sense of the word). The world, filled with subtle, often not perceived by the consciousness, rustles and halftones allows you to take a break from the noise and bustle of the mind and body. However, many sounds of different strength and beauty fill people's lives, bringing joy, providing information, simply accompanying the necessary actions.

How to understand that while enjoying you do not interfere with others and do not harm yourself? How to eliminate annoying and negative influence from the outside? To do this, it is useful to know and understand scientifically established noise standards.

What is noise

Noise is a physical and multi-valued quantity (for example, digital noise in images). In modern science, this term denotes non-periodic oscillations of a different nature - sound, radio, electromagnetic. Before in science in this conceptincluded only sound waves, but then it became wider.

Most often, noise means a complex of irregular sounds of different frequencies and heights, and from the point of view of physiology, any unfavorably perceived acoustic phenomenon.

Noise unit

Measure the noise level in decibels. A decibel is a tenth of a bela, which is practically not used. It characterizes the relationship to each other of two physical (energy or power) quantities of the same name - that is, power to power, current to current. One of the indicators is taken as the initial one. It can be simply a reference or generally accepted, and then they talk about the level of the phenomenon (an example is the power level).

For those unfamiliar with mathematics, it will be clearer than the fact that an increase in any initial value by 10 dB for the human ear means twice as loud as the initial sound, by 20 dB - four times, and so on. It turns out that the quietest sound heard by a person is a billion times weaker than the loudest. The use of such a designation greatly simplifies writing, eliminating many zeros, and facilitates the perception of information.

Bel originates from the methods used to estimate the attenuation of the telephone and telegraph signal in the respective transmission lines. Named after an American scientist of Canadian origin Alexander Graham Bell, who is one of the pioneers of telephony, the author of many inventions and the founder of the world's largest media conglomerate American Telephone andTelegraph Company, as well as a large research center Bell Laboratories.

The ratio of numbers and life phenomena

To understand the numerical expression of the noise level, you need to have accurate guidelines. Without application to familiar life phenomena, numbers will remain abstract signs.

Sound source	Decibel value
Quiet normal breathing	10
Rustle of leaves	17
Whispers/flipping through newspapers	20
Quiet background noise in nature	30
Quiet (normal) noise background in an urban apartment building, the sound of calm sea waves rolling on the shore	40
Calm conversation	50
Sounds in the room of a not very large office, restaurant hall, rather loud conversation	60
Most common TV sound level, busy highway noise from ~15.5 meters away, loud speech	70
Vacuum cleaner running, factory (feeling outside), subway train (from carriage), talking in raised tones, baby crying	80
Working lawn mower, motorcycle from a distance of ~ 8 meters	90
Started motorboat, jackhammer, active traffic	100
Loud baby squeal	105
Heavy music concert,thunderclap, steel mill, jet engine (from 1 km away), subway train (from platform)	110
The loudest snoring recorded	112
Pain Threshold: Chainsaw, some gunshots, jet engine, car horn in close proximity	120
Car without silencer	120-150
Fighter taking off from an aircraft carrier (at a distance)	130-150
Working hammer drill (in close proximity)	140
Rocket launch	145
Supersonic aircraft - shock sound wave	160
Deadly Level: Massive Volcanic Eruption	180
122 mm artillery gun shot	183
The loudest blue whale sound ever	189
Nuclear explosion	200

Effects of noise on the human body

The negative impact of noise on people has been confirmed by many studies. In ecology, a very eloquent concept of "noise pollution" has even formed.

Noise level above 70 dB with long-term exposure is likely to cause disorders of the central nervous system, changes in blood pressure, headaches, metabolic disorders, malfunctions of the thyroid gland and digestive organs, impairs memory, ability toto concentration and, of course, reduces hearing. Noise exceeding 100 dB can lead to absolute deafness. Intense and prolonged exposure can provoke a rupture of the eardrum.

Increase in average noise for every 10 dB raises blood pressure by 1.5-2 mm Hg, the risk of stroke increases by 10%. Noise leads to earlier aging, reducing the lives of the population of large cities by 8-12 years. According to experts, the permissible noise level in megacities is significantly exceeded: by 10-20 dB near iron roads and by 20-25 dB near medium-sized highways, by 30-35 dB in apartments whose windows do not have sound insulation and overlook major highways.

World He alth Organization studies show that 2% of all human deaths are due to diseases caused by excessive noise. The danger is also those sounds that are not perceived by the human ear - lower or higher than a person is able to hear. The degree of impact depends on their strength and duration.

Daytime Noise Levels

In addition to federal laws and sanitary regulations, it is possible to adopt local laws that tighten the national regulations. Russian legislation provides for a noise level limit that differs during the day and night, as well as on weekdays and weekends / holidays.

On weekdays, daytime will be from 7.00 to 23.00 - noise up to 40 dB is allowed (exceeding a maximum of 15dB).

From 13.00 to 15.00 the noise level in the apartment should be minimal (complete silence is recommended) - this is the official afternoon rest time.

On weekends and holidays, the schedule changes slightly - daily rates are valid from 10.00 to 22.00.

Repair work in residential apartment buildings is allowed only on weekdays during the time period from 9.00 to 19.00 with a mandatory one-hour lunch break (in addition to complete silence from 13.00 to 15.00), and their total duration should not exceed 6 hours. Complete repairs in the apartment should be within 3 months.

The following international standards are recommended for workplaces:

• production premises - noise level up to 70 dB;
• open offices (partitions between workstations do not reach the ceiling) - up to 45 dB;
• Closed offices - up to 40 dB;
• meeting rooms - up to 35 dB.

Can I make noise at night?

During sleep, human hearing sensitivity increases by almost 15 dB. According to the World He alth Organization, people become irritable if they are affected by sounds of only 35 dB in their sleep, 42 dB noise leads to insomnia, and 50 dB leads to diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Night time on weekdays is considered part of the day from 23.00 to 7.00, on weekends and holidays from 22.00 to 10.00. Noise level should not exceed 30 dB (exceeding a maximum of 15 dB is permissible).

In exceptional cases, a violation is allowedestablished standards, these include:

• catching criminals;
• actions taken in case of force majeure, during emergency situations and natural disasters, as well as to eliminate their consequences;
• holding citywide celebrations with fireworks, concerts.

Noise measurement

Is it possible to independently determine the number of dB? Determining the noise level is very simple on your own, without professional instruments. To do this, you can:

• use a special program for your computer;
• install the appropriate mobile app on your phone.

True, the results of these measurements can only be used for personal needs.

For a more accurate study, it is better to use the equipment designed for this - a sound level meter (often it can also be found under the name "sound level meter"). However, if you need to prove a violation of the rules for official proceedings, you will have to call a specialist with the same device.

There are sound level meters of 4 classes of accuracy and, accordingly, cost.

To most accurately determine the noise level in the measurement area, please note that the device should not be used at temperatures below -10 °C and above +50 °C. Humidity in the room should not exceed 90%, and the atmospheric pressure should not be between 645 and 810 millimeters of mercury.

Where to go if you need to measurenoise

Measurements can be carried out by representatives of forensic organizations, but only on the basis of a court order. Research is carried out by representatives of Rospotrebnadzor or third-party organizations accredited by it for this activity. Design organizations, members of builders' organizations working on the principles of self-regulation (SRO) will help - for the legitimate activities of construction companies, joining such non-profit associations is a prerequisite.

Complain if noise bothers you

You can contact the police - by calling the duty phone or by calling the district police officer. In some cases, especially when it comes to noise disturbances during repairs, it makes sense to call the representatives of the utility company servicing the house. Sometimes it is advisable to contact the prosecutor's office. You can also complain to Rospotrebnadzor or the authorities of the sanitary and epidemiological station.