United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
March 1980
OPA40/0
Noise
Around Our
Homes
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In recent yWrs public concern over noise pollution
has resulted in a number of Federal and local laws
and regulations aimed at quieting jet aircraft,
motor vehicles, and construction and other heavy
equipment.
But a more immediate and continuing problem is
noise around the home. It is reaching levels that
can cause not only annoyance and emotional stress
but actually can damage hearing.
Envlrenmonn! ProtGcticn
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Siting and Construct;^—Part of the
Noise Problem
Noise problems are worse in dwellings where the
construction is of a type that relies on thinner
and lighter materials. These materials do not
effectively block noise and vibration from outside or
between rooms, and in some cases actually can
amplify sound.
Poor siting also may add to the noise problem.
Housing developments often are built near the
landing pattern of major airports, and apartment
houses located near high-speed highways. Poor
housing placement is on the increase in many
communities across the country.
To cope with the problems of lightweight con-
struction and poor planning, the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has
developed "Noise Assessment Guidelines" to aid in
community planning, construction, modernization
and rehabilitation of existing buildings.
In addition, the Veterans Administration requires
disclosure of information to prospective buyers
about the exposure of existing V.A.-financed houses
to noise from nearby airports.
For the community, the control of noise around the
home involves proper land use, zoning, and building
regulations. For the construction industry it means
better engineering. For the homeowner, it means
insistence on quieter appliances and equipment,
and the initiative to create less noisy dwellings.
One of the most effective actions residents can
take regarding noise in the home is to make
appliance dealers and manufacturers aware of their
desire for quieter products and to influence their lo-
cal governments to enact and enforce the necessary
building codes. Beyond that, persons with noisy
appliances and equipment should try to schedule
use of these items when the least amount of
disturbance is created. Discretion should be used in
controlling the volume of TVs and stereos. Hearing
protectors should be worn when operating very
noisy equipment such as chain saws and power
lawnmowers.
EPA has under preparation a model building code
for various building types. The code will spell out
extensive acoustical requirements and will make it
possible for cities and towns to regulate construction
in a comprehensive manner to produce a quieter
local environment.
The Noise Control Act of 1972 provides EPA with
authority, to require labels on all products, both
domestic and imported, that generate noise capable
of adversely affecting public health or welfare and on
those products sold wholly or in part for their
effectiveness in reducing noise (such as acoustic-
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tile, some types *f\ carpeting, certain building
materials, etc.). EPA is initiating a study to rate home
appliances and other consumer products by the
noise generated and the impact of the noise on
users and other persons normally exposed to it.
Results ot the study will be used to determine
whether noise labeling or noise emission standards
are necessary.
Some Helpful Hints for a Quieter Home
• Use carpeting to absorb noise, especially in
areas where there is a lot of foot traffic.
• Hang heavy drapes over windows closest to
outside noise sources.
• Put rubber or plastic treads on uncarpeted stairs.
(They're safer too.)
• Use upholstered rather than hard-surfaced
furniture to deaden noise.
• Install sound-absorbing ceiling tile in the kitchen.
Wooden cabinets will vibrate less than metal ones.
• Use a foam pad under blenders and mixers.
• Use insulation and vibration mounts when
installing dishwashers.
• Install washing machines in the same room with
heating and cooling equipment, preferably in an
enclosed space away from bedrooms.
• If you use a power mower, operate it at
reasonable hours. The slower the engine setting, the
quieter it will operate.
• When listening to a stereo, keep the volume
down.
• Place window air conditioners where their hum
can help mask objectionable noises. However, try to
avoid locating them facing your neighbor's bed-
rooms.
• Use caution in buying children's toys that can
make intensive or explosive sounds. Some can
cause permanent ear injury.
• Compare, if possible, the noise outputs of
different makes of an appliance before making your
selection.
Choosing a New House or Apartment
• Be aware of major noise sources near any
residence you are considering including airport flight
paths, heavy truck routes, high-speed freeways. Ask
the neighbors if there is a local noise problem. When
buying a home, check the area zoning master plan
for projected changes. (In some places, you can't
get FHA loans for housing in noisy locations.)
• Use the HUD "walkaway test." By means of this
method, a couple can assess background noise
around a house. Simply have one person stand with
some reading material at chest level and begin
reading in a normal voice while the other slowly
backs away. If the listener cannot understand the
words closer than 7 feet, the noise is clearly
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unacceptable , / to ^ ",';•' ^ norma;./
unacceptable; at 26 to 70 feet, normally acceptable;
and over 70, clearly acceptable.'
• Look for wall-to-wall carpeting, especially in the
apartment above you and in the corridors.
• Find out about the wall construction. Staggered-
stud interior walls provide better noise control.
(Studs are vertical wooden supports located behind
walls. Staggering them breaks up the pattern of
sound transmission.)
• Check the electrical outlet boxes. If they are
back-to-back, noise will pass through the walls.
• Check the door construction. Solid or core-filled
doors with gaskets or weatherstripping provide
better noise control.
• Make sure sleeping areas are well away from
rooms with noise-producing equipment.
• Check the heating and air conditioning ducts.
Insulation makes them quieter.
Hearing Protectors
In today's mechanized world it is virtually impossi-
ble for an active person to avoid exposure to
potentially harmful sound levels.
For this reason, hearing specialists now recom-
mend that we get into the habit of wearing
protectors, not only to guard against hearing loss but
to reduce the annoying effects of noise.
There are two basic types of hearing protectors:
muffs worn over the ears and inserts worn in the
ears. Well-fitting protective muffs are more effec-
tive, but inserts also do a good job if properly fitted.
Since ear canals are rarely the same size, inserts
should be separately fitted for each ear. Cotton plugs
are virtually useless.
Protective muffs should be adjustable to provide a
good seal around the ear, proper tension of the cups
against the head, and comfort.
Both types of protectors are available at many
sports stores and drugstores. They are well worth
the small inconvenience they cause for the wearer.
Hearing protectors are recommended :
At work—Construction « Lumber • Mining •
Steel • Textiles
During recreational and home activities-
Target shooting and hunting • Power tool use •
Lawn mowing • Snowmobile riding
Note: These are only some of the jobs and activities
where hearing protectors are beneficial. Protectors
are also helpful when concentration is necessary in
the home or office.
For more information concerning noise, its effects,
and what Federal, State, and local agencies are
doing to control it, contact your nearest, EPA Reg-
ional Office whose address appears on the back
cover of this pamphlet.
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Home appliances and home-shop tools can be
grouped into four categories based on the noise
levels they produce.
Machines in the first group, which includes quieter
major appliances such as refrigerators and clothes
dryers, usually produce sound levels lower than 60
dB. Although the level is relatively low, such noise
may be objectionable to a few people.
The second group includes clothes washers, food
mixers, many dishwashers and sewing machines
that produce noise from 65 to 75 dB. Expos-
ure time tends to be brief and infrequent, but the
resulting noise may disrupt the understanding of
speech and may be disturbing to neighbors in
multi-family dwellings.
The third group includes vacuum cleaners, noisy
dishwashers, food blenders, electric shavers and
food grinders. They usually produce 75 to 85 dB.
The risk of hearing damage from them is small since
use is not continuous or cumulative. Generally the
noise from such appliances is annoying.
Appliances in the fourth group produce the
highest noise levels in the home environment-
above 85 dB. They include millions of yard-care
and shop tools. Any amount of exposure to such
equipment will probably interfere with activities,
disrupt your neighbor's sleep, cause annoyance and
stress, and may contribute to hearing loss. Both
gasoline and electric walk-behind lawn mowers
ranged from about 87 to 92 dB at the operator's
ear, and even 50 feet away ranged up to 72 dB;
some riding mowers reach 83 dB at 50 feet.
Noise Around our Homes
Sound Level for
Noise Source Operator (in dBA)
Refrigerator 40
Floor Fan 38 to 70
Clothes Dryer 55
Washing Machine 47 to 78
Dishwasher 54 to 85
Hair Dryer 59 to 80
Vacuum Cleaner 62 to 85
Sewing Machine 64 to 74
Electric Shaver 75
Food Disposal (Grinder) 67 to 93
Electric Lawn Edger 81
Home Shop Tools 85
Gasoline Power Mower 87 to 92
Gasoline Riding Mower 90 to 95
Chain Saw 100
Stereo Up to 120
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Among the noise offenders'^ power mowers,
chain saws, shop tools, dishwashers, garbage
disposals, and other appliances.
Added to the noise caused by these labor-saving
devices are the effects of cost-cutting building
techniques, poorly-insulated walls and ceilings, and
thoughtless pressures by developers to build
dwellings near high-noise areas such as jetports and
freeways.
In the past, too many people believed the answer
to excessive noise was simply to get used to it. But
we know today from medical research and expe-
rience that the rising level of environmental noise in
our technological society is becoming a health
problem resulting in gradual hearing loss and
emotional tension. "Getting used" to noise is
obviously no solution to medical problems that may
progress unnoticed, until it is too late to remedy
them.
This pamphlet presents some basic facts about
noise levels, the health problems they may cause,
and what we can do to make our homes and apart-
ments quieter places to live.
Noise Levels
Sound is measured in logarithmic units called
"decibels," abbreviated "dB." The hearing thres-
hold—the point where a person begins to hear
sounds—starts at zero dB. A soft whisper at 15 feet
equals 30 dB, a busy freeway at 50 feet is around 80,
and a chain saw can reach 100 or more at operating
distance. Brief exposure to noise levels over 140
dB without hearing protectors may even cause pain.
However, one can suffer a hearing loss from
exposure to much lower noise levels. Continuous
exposure for eight hours over a number of years to
noise levels exceeding approximately 80 dB can
cause permanent hearing loss. The degree of
hearing damage may vary with individuals.
Below these levels, noise may still cause hearing
loss and can also have many other undesirable
effects. It can interfere with speech communication
and can impair a child's ability to understand and
pronounce words correctly. Noise can be a source
of annoyance, interfere with study, disturb the
performance of complicated tasks, and reduce the
opportunity for privacy. It can also adversely
influence mood, interrupt sleep, and prevent relaxa-
tion.
It is obvious from all these things that noise not
only affects human health but the quality of life.
As the accompanying chart indicates, we cannot
escape noise even in our own homes. As the num-
ber of appliances and machinery in our lives in-
creases, exposure to noise generated by these
devices takes on greater significance.
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EPA is charged by Congress to protect the Nation's land, air and wat
systems. Under a mandate of national environmental laws focused on a
and water quality, solid waste management and the control of toxic
substances, pesticides, noise and radiation, the Agency strives to formul
and implement actions which lead to a compatible balance between hun
activities and the ability of natural systems to support and nurture life
If you have suggestions, questions
or requests for further information, they
may be directed to your nearest
EPA Regional public information office.
EPA Region 1 t JFK
Federal Bldg. • Boston
MA 02203* Connec-
ticut, Maine, Massachu-
setts, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Vermont •
617-223-7223
EPA Region 2 • 26
Federal Plaza • New
York NY 10007. New
Jersey, New York, Puer-
to Rico, Virgin Islands •
212-264-2515
EPA Region 3 • 6th
and Walnut Streets •
Philadelphia PA 19106
• Delaware, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Virginia,
West Virginia, District of
Columbia •
215-597-4081
EPA Region 4. 345
Courtland Street NE •
Atlanta GA 30308 «
Alabama, Georgia,
Florida, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee,
Kentucky•
404-881-3004
EPA Region 5 • 230 S.
Dearborn • Chicago IL
60604» Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, Michigan, Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota •
312-353-2072
EPA Region 6« 1201
Elm Street. Dallas TX
75270 « Arkansas, Loui-
siana, Oklahoma, Texas.
New Mexico •
214-767-2630
EPA Region 7. 324
East 11th Street«
Kansas City MO
64106 « Iowa, Kansas,
Missouri, Nebraska *
816-374-6201
EPA RegionS • 1860
Lincoln Street «
Denver CO 80295. C
orado, Utah, Wyoming
Montana, North Dakot
South Dakota •
303-837-3878
EPA Region 9 « 215
Fremont Street « Sar
Francisco CA 94105
Arizona, California, Ha\
Nevada, Pacific Islands
• 415-556-1840
EPA Region 10. 120i
Sixth Avenue * Seattl
WA98101 "Alaska,
Idaho, Oregon, Washin
ton • 206-442-1203
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