The noise is a chaotic mix of different sounds. The physical characteristic of its volume is decibels. They indicate the degree of sound pressure.
The noise level, which is within the natural limits for humans, ranges from twenty to thirty decibels. Such a sound volume is not capable of causing any harm and is considered comfortable. For example, such noise is made by rustling leaves on trees. However, each person gives individual preferences to a certain level of ambient sounds. There are people whose performance drops sharply if the surroundings are too quiet. To eliminate discomfort, they can turn on background music. Silence for others should be broken only by the tick of the clock.
The noise level, which is measured at a distance of two meters from the housing, according to sanitary recommendations, should not be higher than fifty-five decibels. These are sounds from a normal conversation between people or a kettle boiling on a stove (if you are half a meter away from it).
In large cities, compliance with these standards is not possible. Busy motorways and new construction contribute to this. The noise level in decibels from a car passing near you will be about seventy. The motorcycle, bus and truck cause us even more discomfort. Their noise levels reach a limit of ninety decibels. Thus, walking along the highway, a person picks up sounds that far exceed the sanitary norm.
The noise level of stations and airports in our lives is the maximum. Trains and planes are capable of making sounds whose volume reaches a limit of one hundred decibels.
Increased noise levels are hazardous to human health. If sounds exceeding eighty decibels are constantly affected by our hearing organs , then such an environment is considered harmful to the body. Workers who work under such production conditions should be periodically given a referral for a medical examination.
The noise level that reaches the border of one hundred and thirty decibels can cause physical pain. A mark of one hundred and fifty causes a loss of consciousness. One hundred and eighty decibels destroy the metal and are fatal. Fortunately, in everyday reality this level of pressure is extremely rare.
In order to understand how bad the environment is for your health, you need to decide how to measure the noise level. There is a special device for this, available in various versions. It is called a sound level meter. In order to measure the volume readings in residential premises, there are domestic, and in industrial - industrial devices. A wide range of sound level meters is also available that can detect the level of infra- and ultrasound.
Tones that are in the range of low and high frequencies are perceived by us as quieter. The sound level meter is equipped with a special electronic filter that modulates various indicators and normalizes measurements.
Constant loud noises reduce our hearing. Loud noise can cause acoustic injury. This pathology may be acute or chronic. The first type of injury can be obtained from sharp sound signals that sounded in the immediate vicinity of the hearing organs (the whistle of a passing train, the rumble of some installation). The consequence of this kind of exposure can be:
- pain in the auricle;
- internal hemorrhage;
- swelling and displacement of cells located in the inner ear.
Over a period of time, it seems to a person that deafness has come. Sometimes loud sounds can cause the eardrum to rupture.
With a constant long-term stay in a noisy room there is an acoustic injury of a chronic type. Its consequence is dullness of hearing.