Noise Pollution

Nizam Mat Ali

Human hearing and Frequency

0 20 Hz 20 kHz 5 MHz
 The cochlea is long coiled canal whose wall is covered with
small nerve ended hairs – the cilia – which detect the motion
of the fluid.

Section diagram of the human ear

 Loudness of
Loudness of sound
sound

=> The level of sound.

- measuring unit: decibel

written as
written as dB
dB

- The higher the decibel, the louder

is the sound.
- Can be measured with a sound
level meter.
Counting Decibels (dBA)
Pain Threshold
 Boom 125
Car 140
 Jet Takeoff
Hearing 140100
Loss Risk
 Shotgun
Very Annoying 130
90
 Rock Concert 125
Intrusive 70
 Thunder Clap 120
Comfortable 60
 Leaf Blower 100
Very Quiet 30
 Motorcycle 95
Just
 Audible 20
Lawn Mower 90
 Traffic Noise 80
 Conversation 50
 Whisper 30
 Breathing 10
Sound pressure for known sounds
Sound level
Sound level and
and human’s
human’s perception
perception
sound
sound
perception
perception level (dB)
(dB) example
example
level

– 100
– 80
– 60
– 30
quiet soft whisper (25 dB)
very quiet sound
– 10 breathing sound (10 dB)
– the0lowest sound level that can be heard
Sound level
Sound level and
and human’s
human’s perception
perception
sound
sound
perception
perception level (dB)
(dB) example
example
level

– 100
– 80

acceptable
– 60 normal conversation (60 dB)
soft raining (50 dB)
– 30
quiet soft conversation in
– 10 libraries (30 dB)
– 0
Sound level
Sound level and
and human’s
human’s perception
perception
sound
sound
perception
perception level (dB)
(dB) example
example
level

annoying
– 100
– 80 alarm clock (80 dB)
noisy
busy traffic (70 dB)
acceptable
– 60
– 30
quiet
– 10
– 0
Sound level
Sound level and
and human’s
human’s perception
perception
sound
sound
perception
perception level (dB)
(dB) example
example
level
very noisy
damage our
ears

– 100 crying baby (100 dB)

annoying passing train (90 dB)
– 80
noisy

acceptable
– 60
– 30
quiet
– 10
– 0
Sound level
Sound level and
and human’s
human’s perception
perception
sound
sound
perception
perception level (dB)
(dB) example
example
level
very noisy
damage our
ears road drilling
disco(120
(110dB)
dB)
annoying
– 100
– 80
noisy

acceptable
– 60
– 30
quiet
– 10
– 0
Sound level
Sound level and
and human’s
human’s perception
perception
sound
sound
perception
perception level (dB)
(dB) example
example
level
very noisy rocket taking off (190 dB)
damage our jet plane taking
ears off (130 dB)
annoying
– 100
– 80
noisy

acceptable
– 60
– 30
quiet
– 10
– 0