The World Health Organization (WHO) has published guidelines on noise levels in its report “Guidelines for Community Noise” and in the more recent “Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region”. However, it is important to note that these directives are not specific to airborne noise.
According to these guidelines, to minimize the impact of noise on human health, outdoor noise levels in residential areas should generally be kept below 55 decibels during the day to avoid disruption of activity, and below 45 decibels at night to avoid disruption of sleep.
It should be noted that aircraft noise can be particularly disturbing due to its impulsive and intermittent nature, and can have a significant impact on health and well-being. In addition, specific standards may vary from country to country, depending on national and local regulations.
In the event of airborne noise pollution, specific measures may be required, such as soundproofing buildings, redesigning air corridors to avoid dense residential areas, or restricting flight times.
Update (BW): 2023-06-01 2148