Hearing damage begins after long exposure above 85 dB

Evidence

Physical and physiological effects. Only a very intense sound (above 120 dB) can have a considerable physical effect. Physiologically, the most important factor is the risk of hearing impairment, which typically occurs after long exposure to levels above 85 dB (A-weighted daily equivalent; see Section 19.3 for more details). From this point of view, a criterion for high-quality sound design is to keep the sound level low enough not to harm humans, animals, or nature. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 2326

Categorization

• QUESTION: The 85 dB A-weighted daily equivalent threshold — worth checking whether this aligns with OSHA/WHO standards on occupational noise limits.
• XREF: Connects to Hempton’s One Square Inch of Silence coverage of noise exposure thresholds and hearing risk. — connects to: Ringing ears indicate damage even below the 85 dB threshold — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 689