How loud is your neighbourhood?

The Star took a decibel meter to different spots across the city for an unscientific snapshot of noise levels, recording both maximum and minimum levels for one minute. The readings are taken in A-weighted decibels (dBA), an expression of the relative loudness of sounds in air as perceived by the human ear.

The scale is logarithmic, which means small jumps make a big difference in loudness. The level found in an average office is about 45-50 for example, but doubling that to 100 is extremely loud and would damage a person’s hearing depending on how long they were exposed to it.

For context, the sound of a jet plane from 100 ft. is about 135 dBA, according to the U.S. public health campaign Dangerous Decibels.

Hearing damage can occur after less than a minute of exposure at 112 dBA, and at lower levels, if you’re exposed to the sound for longer.

While noise-monitoring studies are typically done over a 24-hour period, the readings offer a glimpse into some of the loudest and quietest places in Toronto.