How Loud is Too Loud? When Does Noise Become Dangerous?
We live in a noisy world, constantly surrounded by sounds: traffic noise, the sound of construction work being carried out on building sites, dogs barking, loud music, cell phones ringing – noise takes on many different forms. Since the way sounds are perceived depends on the specific preferences, mindsets and moods of each individual hearer, there is no fixed value for determining what we experience as noise. Yet as soon as a sound reaches a volume that irritates people or even causes damage to their health, we refer to it as noise.