CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

M1n1stJy of Environment. Fo rest & Climate Change

Govl!-m rtl@n t of India

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WHO Guidelines for Noise Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

In WHO noise quality guidelines, values are summarized with regard to specific environments and effects. For each environment and situation, the guideline values take
into consideration the identified health effects and are set, based on the lowest levels of noise that affect health (critical health effect). Guideline values typically correspond
to the lowest effect level for general populations, such as those for indoor speech intelligibility. Noise guideline values are for the onset of health effects from noise
exposures.

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Sp,ecific Environment · •
LAmax, fast [dB]

Outdoor living area 16 50-55

Dwelling, indoors, 16 35
Inside bedrooms 8 30 45

Outside bedrooms 8 45 60

School class rooms and During 35

pre-schools, indoors class

Pre-school bedrooms, Sleeping 30 45

indoors time

School, playground During 55

outdoor play

Hospital, ward rooms, 8 30 40-

indoors 16 30

Hospitals, treatment As low as possible

rooms, indoors

Industrial, commercial, 24 70 110

shopping and traffic
areas, indoors and
outdoors

Ceremonies, festivals 4 100 110

and entertainment
events

Publ ic addresses, 85 110

indoors and outdoors

Music through 85 (under headphones, adapted 110

headphones/earphones to free-field values)

Impulse sounds from 120-140 (peak

toys, fireworks and sound pressure
firearms (not LAmax, fast),
measured 100 mm
from the ear)

Outdoors in parkland Existing quiet outdoor areas

and conservation areas should b e preserved and the
ratio of intruding noise to
natural background sound
should be kept low