How loud is too LOUD?

Exposure to sound levels of 90 decibels—the equivalent of a lawn mower or food blender—may cause permanent hearing loss if endured for eight hours per day for a prolonged period. For higher sound levels, a shorter duration of exposure may be damaging.

The risk of noise-induced hearing loss depends on the combination of noise level and noise duration. While more intense and longer duration sounds can cause more hearing loss, some very intense sounds, such as a gunshot or a firecracker, may cause permanent damage with a single brief exposure.

Regular exposure to sounds of 110 decibels (the sound level of a chain saw) for more than one minute risks permanent hearing loss. Experts say that unprotected exposure to sounds of more than 100 decibels should be limited to no more than 15 minutes.

Prolonged exposure to any noise above 90 decibels (the sound level of a lawn mower, motorcycle, or a blaring iPod) can cause gradual irreversible hearing loss. Two warning symptoms of hazardous sound exposure are a ringing in the ears and muffled sounds.

COMMON HEARING LOSS CULPRITS

The following workplace and everyday sounds above 85 decibels (dB) can cause hearing loss:

	Blender – 90 dB
	Vacuum Cleaner – 95-100dB
	Lawn Mower – 100 dB
	Orchestra – 110 dB
	Airplane – 140 dB