We used a professional device called a sound level meter to record the decibel levels of common sounds and environments. According to the World Health Organization, average road traffic noise above 53 dB or average aircraft noise exposure above about 45 dB are associated with adverse health effects. This chart shows how many people in the United States may be exposed to various outdoor noise levels, on average. Scientists believe that pronounced fluctuations in noise levels like this might compound the effects on the body. Nighttime noise shows similar inequities.

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Persons: D’Lo, Jackhammers clack, San Diego —, Reagan, George Jackson, Mendenhall, Carolyn Fletcher, Ron Allen Organizations: Bankers, San Diego, thunders, Massachusetts General Hospital, World Health Organization, Department of Transportation, Queens, High Tech Middle School, San Diego International Airport, dBs, Noise, Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety, Health, European Union Locations: San, Bankers Hill, San Diego, Greenpoint , Brooklyn, Brooklyn, D’Lo, Miss, Mississippi, New York City, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, United States, U.S, Point Loma, Swiss, Paris, Berlin, Switzerland