Noise Pollution Calculator

Noise pollution refers to harmful or excessive levels of sound in the environment that can negatively impact human health. The International Labor Organization defines it as any sound that may cause hearing loss, damage health, or pose other dangers. Common sources include traffic, construction, industrial machinery, and loud music.

Sounds above 85 dB can cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure. The louder the sound, the less time it takes to cause harm — at 100 dB, damage can occur in as little as 15 minutes per day under NIOSH guidelines. Brief exposure to sounds over 120 dB can cause immediate, permanent damage.

OSHA sets a permissible exposure limit of 90 dB over an 8-hour workday using a 5 dB exchange rate, meaning safe time halves for every 5 dB increase. NIOSH recommends a stricter limit of 85 dB over 8 hours with a 3 dB exchange rate, where safe time halves for every 3 dB increase. Most hearing health experts recommend using the NIOSH standard.

Noise dose is the percentage of the allowable daily noise exposure you have used up. A dose of 100% means you have reached your maximum safe limit for the day. It is calculated by dividing your actual exposure time by the maximum permissible exposure time at your current noise level, then multiplying by 100.

Noise decreases with distance from the source following the inverse square law — doubling your distance from a point source reduces the sound level by approximately 6 dB. Moving farther away from a loud noise source is one of the most effective ways to reduce your exposure and protect your hearing.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can be temporary or permanent. Temporary threshold shift (TTS) causes muffled hearing after short-term loud exposure, which usually recovers with rest. Permanent threshold shift (PTS) results from repeated or intense noise exposure that permanently damages the hair cells in the inner ear, which do not regenerate.

Use hearing protection such as earplugs or earmuffs when exposed to sounds above 85 dB. Limit your time in noisy environments, increase your distance from noise sources, and take regular hearing breaks. In workplaces, engineering controls like sound barriers and quieter machinery are also recommended.

Heavy traffic registers around 85 dB, a lawnmower around 90 dB, a motorbike around 95 dB, a rock concert around 110 dB, and a jet engine at close range up to 140 dB. Even headphones at high volume can exceed 100 dB, posing a significant risk with prolonged daily listening.