City Noise Task Force Report

Appendix C

Common Noise Levels
Noise level	Sound source	Typical reaction
135 dB	--	Painfully loud
130 dB	Military jet	Limit of amplified speech
120 dB	Jet takeoff at 50m	--
110 dB	--	Maximum vocal effort
100 dB	Jet takeoff at 500m	--
95 dB	Freight train at 15m	--
90 dB	Heavy truck at 15m or busy city street	Very annoying, hearing damage -- 8 hours
80 dB	--	Annoying
70 dB	Highway traffic at 15m or normal television viewing	Telephone use difficult
60 dB	Normal relaxed conversation	Intrusive
55 dB	Light car traffic at 15m	--
50 dB	Noisy office	Speech interference
40 dB	Public library	Quiet
30 dB	Soft whisper at 5m	Very quiet
10 dB	--	Just audible
0 dB	Threshold of hearing	--

Source: Adapted from Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation

Last modified: April 30, 1997
(c) 1996 City of Vancouver