Involuntary and Persistent Environmental Noise Influences Health and Hearing in Beirut, Lebanon
Table 2
Brief USEPA and WHO recommended sound levels for community noise.
Level
Effect
Area
USEPA
All outdoor areas including residential zones, farms, and other places where people spend varying amount of time and places in which quiet is the basis for use.
Leq(24) < 70 dB*
Hearing outdoor activity
Ldn < 55 dB**
Interference and annoyance
Leq (24) < 55 dB
Outdoor activity interference and annoyance
Outdoor areas where people spend limited amount of time such as school yards, and playgrounds.**
WHO
Leq (24) = 55 dB
Serious to moderate annoyance
Outdoor living area
Leq (24) = 70 dB
Hearing impairment
Industrial, commercial shopping, and traffic areas, indoors and outdoors
*Level equivalent of sound (Leq) is the energy average noise level (usually A-weighted) integrated over some specified time. Also referred to as Equivalent sound pressure levels.
**Ldn = loudness.
