---
title: "WHO Noise 2018 Limits: Equivalent Continuous Level | Aethair"
description: "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018) limit values for Equivalent Continuous Level: every value and averaging period, who the…"
url: https://aethair.io/standards/who_noise_2018/
---

Compliance · World Health Organization

# WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region (2018)

Ambient air: environmental noise guideline (WHO Europe)

The **WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region** (2018) set health-based levels for long-term exposure to environmental noise by source. WHO strongly recommends reducing **road traffic noise below 53 dB Lden and 45 dB Lnight**, **railway noise below 54 dB Lden and 44 dB Lnight**, and **aircraft noise below 45 dB Lden and 40 dB Lnight**; it conditionally recommends **wind turbine noise below 45 dB Lden** and the yearly average from all **leisure noise below 70 dB LAeq,24h**.

[Schedule a call](https://calendly.com/d/ctdd-mkr-v9v/aethair-demo-website) [Configure WHO noise 2018 Monitoring](https://aethair.io/build/?params=sound_leq\&setting=outdoor)

At a glance

**World Health Organization** Ambient air: environmental noise guideline (WHO Europe)

1 parameter · 8 limit values

[Equivalent Continuous Level (Leq)](https://aethair.io/parameters/sound_leq/)

1 device measures them all

- **Aethair PRO**

[Official text from World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/9789289053563)

The standard

## What the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines Are

Lden is the day-evening-night level: an annual equivalent continuous level with penalties for the evening and night hours. Lnight is the equivalent level over the night.

Limit values

## WHO noise 2018 Limit Values

Every value World Health Organization publishes for the parameter below, with its averaging period, as the standard states it.

[**Equivalent Continuous Level (Leq)** Noise](https://aethair.io/parameters/sound_leq/)

**53 dB** *Lden, road traffic*

**45 dB** *Lnight, road traffic*

**54 dB** *Lden, railway*

**44 dB** *Lnight, railway*

**45 dB** *Lden, aircraft*

**40 dB** *Lnight, aircraft*

**45 dB** *Lden, wind turbines* conditional recommendation

**70 dB** *LAeq,24h yearly average, leisure noise* all leisure sources combined

Who it applies to

## Who Uses Them

Public health and planning authorities setting noise policy, environmental assessments of roads, railways, airports, and wind farms, and community noise programs. They are guidelines, not law; national and local noise limits, planning conditions, and permits set the enforceable values.

Monitoring

## How Monitoring Relates to Them

The guideline indicators are long-term averages, usually assessed by modeling and measurement over a year. Continuous noise monitoring at a receptor gives the measured Leq, from which Lden and Lnight are built, and shows the events and periods behind them. Class 1 or Class 2 sound level meters to [IEC 61672](https://aethair.io/standards/iec_61672/) are the instruments such measurements rely on.

[Customize this configuration](https://aethair.io/build/?params=sound_leq\&setting=outdoor)

### Who measures each parameter

| Parameter | Aethair PRO | Aethair IAQ | External |
| - | - | - | - |
| [Equivalent Continuous Level (Leq)](https://aethair.io/parameters/sound_leq/) | Built in | — | [2 instruments](https://aethair.io/parameters/sound_leq/) via Thiamis |

Devices

## Devices That Cover WHO noise 2018

How much of this standard one Aethair monitor covers, followed by the third-party instruments in the sensor catalog that measure its parameters. Each connects to Environet through a Thiamis gateway, which adds whatever the monitor leaves out.

Aethair monitors

[**Aethair PRO** Built-in sensors Covers it](https://aethair.io/products/pro/)

Covers it on its own

[**Cirrus Research Cirrus** Noise Monitors](https://aethair.io/sensors/cirrus-research-noise-monitors/) [**TSI SoundPro** Noise Monitors](https://aethair.io/sensors/tsi-noise-monitors/)

Solutions

## Solutions Judged Against WHO noise 2018

### [Noise Monitoring](https://aethair.io/solutions/noise/)

Environmental and occupational sound levels

[All solutions](https://aethair.io/solutions/)

Questions

## WHO noise 2018 FAQ

What level does WHO recommend for road traffic noise?

Below 53 dB Lden for average exposure and below 45 dB Lnight at night.

What is Lden?

The day-evening-night level: an equivalent continuous sound level over a year, with penalties added to the evening and night periods to reflect their greater annoyance.

Are the WHO noise guidelines legal limits?

No. They are health-based recommendations; enforceable noise limits come from national and local law, planning conditions, and permits.