Abstract
Data from a chinchilla model of noise-induced hearing loss will demonstrate the value of using the statistical metric, kurtosis, along with an energy metric to evaluate complex industrial noise environments for hearing conservation purposes. Complex noises are non-Gaussian noises consisting of a combination of Gaussian continuous noise and noise transients, either impacts or noise bursts. Chinchillas were exposed to an interrupted and intermittent 97-dB sound pressure level broadband, non-Gaussian noise for 8 h/day for 3 weeks. The experimental noises were designed to model an industrial exposure. Groups of animals with 8/group were exposed to 1 of 12 different complex noise environments having a fixed spectrum and energy but with different temporal structures achieved by varying the transient peak, interval, and duration histograms. Preliminary results show that (1) hearing and sensory cell loss increase with increasing kurtosis despite a fixed energy; (2) at a given value of kurtosis, hearing trauma is invariant with respect to changes in the temporal structure of the noise exposure. A metric such as the kurtosis may be a necessary adjunct to spectral energy in the evaluation of industrial noise exposures for the purposes of hearing conservation. [Research supported by NIOSH Grant R01 OH 002317.]
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
