3.13 Noise
Table 3.13-1
Sound Levels of Typical Noise Sources and Noise Environments
Human Judgement
Scale of
of Noise Loudness
A-Weighted
Noise Source
(Relative to a
Noise Environment
Sound Level
(at a Given Distance)
Reference Loudness
in Decibels
of 70 Decibels*)
140
Military Jet Take-off
Carrier Flight Deck
130
with After-burner (50 ft)
Civil Defense Siren (100 ft)
Threshold of Pain
Commercial Jet Take-off (200 ft)
120
*32 times as loud
Pile Driver (50 ft)
110
Rock Music Concert
*16 times as loud
Very Loud
100
Ambulance Siren (100 ft)
*8 times as loud
Newspaper Press (5 ft)
Power Lawn Mower (3 ft)
*4 times as loud
Boiler Room
90
Motorcycle (25 ft)
Printing Press Plant
Propeller Plane Flyover (1000 ft)
Diesel Truck, 40 mph (50 ft)
*2 times as loud
High Urban Ambient Sound
80
Garbage Disposal (3 ft)
Passenger Car, 65 mph (25 ft)
Living Room Stereo (15 ft)
Moderately Loud
70
Vacuum Cleaner (3 ft)
*70 dB
Electronic Typewriter (10 ft)
(Reference Loudness)
*1/2 as loud
60
Data Processing Center
Normal Conversation (5 ft)
Department Store
Air Conditioning Unit (100 ft)
Light Traffic (100 ft)
50
Private Business Office
*1/4 as loud
Quiet
Bird Calls (distant)
40
Lower Limit of
Urban Ambient Sound
*1/8 as loud
Soft Whisper (5 ft)
30
Quiet Bedroom
Just Audible
20
Recording Studio
Threshold of Hearing
10
0
Page 3.13-2
Regional Beach Sand Project EIR/EA
99-69\SECT-03.13.DOC 9/24/02
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