Non-auditory Effects Of Noise Research Articles

Acoustical privacy in the built environment: Past, present and future

Although the need to consider acoustics in the built environment is well-accepted, an understanding of 'what' constitutes 'good acoustics' is not. The authors present posteriori-reviews of historical events and of empirical evidence-to develop an understanding of the current landscape of Standards, Guidelines, and Codes. More specifically, special attention is devoted to the development of speech privacy metrics, as well as that of auditory and non-auditory effects of noise and sound on health. With a refreshed understanding of theory, a priori-i.e., an acoustical framework for design and/or performance verification with a special interest in speech privacy-is renewed and its impacts on the ongoing development of Standards, Guidelines and Codes is discussed.

Noisy Autonomy: The Ethics of Audible and Silent Noise.

In this paper, I summarize the medical evidence regarding the auditory and non-auditory effects of noise and analyse the ethics of noise and personal autonomy in the social environment using a variety of case studies. Key to this discussion is the fact that, contrary to the traditional definition of noise, sound can be noise without being annoying, as the evidence shows that some sounds can harm without being perceived. Ultimately, I develop a theory of ‘noisy autonomy’ with which to guide us in discussing the public health ethics of noise and other sounds.

A study of self-reported health problems of the people living near railway tracks in Raipur city.

Noise is pervasive in everyday life and can cause both auditory and nonauditory health effects. Noise-induced hearing loss remains highly prevalent in occupational settings. Nonauditory effects of noise can cause tinnitus, headache, auricular plenitude, dizziness, and gastric, visual, sleep, and mood disorders, endocrine imbalance, and cardiovascular disorders. A cross-sectional study among resident above the age of 18 years of the selected urban slum near railway track of Raipur City with a sample size of 400 was conducted. 23.0% of the study subjects responded of facing auditory fatigue, followed by 11.5% of the study subjects reported of hearing loss, 6% of the study participants perceived that the surrounding noise led to an increase in their blood pressure. Loss of sleep/insomnia was reported by 6% of resident in our study. Health effects of environmental noise are manifold, serious and, because of the widespread exposure, very prevalent. These factors stress the need to regulate and reduce environmental noise exposure.

Effects of Occupational Noise on Blood Pressure

BACKGROUND: Noise has been found to have non auditory effects. One of the possible non auditory effects of noise is its effect on blood pressure. Available data on the effect of noise on blood pressure has been found to vary. Hence, the aim of this study was to find if there is a predictive effect of noise on blood pressure.
 
 METHOD: Study was done among sawmill workers in Ile-Ife. The noise in each sawmill was measured with a sound meter and blood pressure of each participants were recorded. A regression analysis was done using systolic and diastolic blood pressures as dependent variables and noise as the predictor.
 
 RESULTS: A total of 420 sawmill workers were recruited into the study with an average age of 33.53±8.59 years. The average noise level in the sawmill was 88±1.87 dB and the average systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 132 ± 21mmHg and 85 ± 13mmHg respectively. There was no significant effect of noise on systolic blood pressure {F (1, 419) = 0.958, P>0.05} but there was a significant effect of noise on diastolic pressure {F (1, 419) = 7.543, P<0.05}.
 
 CONCLUSION: This study found that exposure to noise is a predisposing factor to increase in blood pressure.

Noise exposure of cyclists in Ho Chi Minh City: A spatio-temporal analysis using non-linear models

The auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health are today well known. A number of studies have recently shown that cyclists represent a population that is especially strongly exposed to noise in urban environments, particularly because of their proximity to road traffic. These studies have however very rarely examined the case of the cities of the South, despite the fact that these cities are known to have higher levels of exposure to noise. The objective of this article is therefore to analyze variations in cyclists’ levels of noise exposure in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) by integrating three dimensions: that is, the characteristics of the trip, neighbourhood effects, and the temporal dimension. Three participants cycled more than 1000 km in the city, equipped with noise dosimeters and GPS watches, for a total of 3300 one-minute segments, each of which measured noise intensity (LAeq dB(A)). It is not surprising that the levels of exposure registered were particularly high (average 78.8 dB(A)), notably compared with earlier studies conducted in Europe and North America. The use of generalized additive models in particular made it possible to highlight the effect of the complex interaction between the slope and the cyclists’ speed on the levels of noise exposure, the effect and duration of the morning and afternoon rush hour periods, and the spatial distribution of residual environmental noise. One of the main findings was that in sectors with the highest levels of exposure to noise (central neighbourhoods or areas near the airport), these levels are up to four times higher than in more peripheral or rural areas.

Transportation noise exposure is strongly correlated with increased morbidity and mortality

Transportation noise has long been considered just a nuisance but numerous studies now show that transportation noise exposure is strongly correlated with increased morbidity and mortality. Noise interferes with human activity at 45 decibels. Nighttime noise interferes with sleep, needed for optimal human health and function. At 55 decibels daily time-weighted average (TWA), noise causes increases in stress hormone levels, correlated with changes in lipid and glucose metabolism, hypertension, stroke and heart disease, and hospitalization and death. At 70 decibels TWA, noise causes hearing loss. Other than death, the non-auditory effects of noise on health are small for each individual, but great in aggregate. Approximately 100 million Americans are exposed to noise loud enough to damage health. The loss of the nighttime quiet perioid in cities is a major contributor to this problem. Technologies for a quieter America are well known and, with the exception of those needed to reduce aircraft noise, neither ...

Recent advances in research on non-auditory effects of community noise.

Non-auditory effects of noise on humans have been intensively studied in the last four decades. The International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise has been following scientific advances in this field by organizing international congresses from the first one in 1968 in Washington, DC, to the 11th congress in Nara, Japan, in 2014. There is already a large scientific body of evidence on the effects of noise on annoyance, communication, performance and behavior, mental health, sleep, and cardiovascular functions including relationship with hypertension and ischemic heart disease. In the last five years new issues in this field have been tackled. Large epidemiological studies on community noise have reported its relationship with breast cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. It seems that noise-induced sleep disturbance may be one of the mediating factors in these effects. Given a large public health importance of the above-mentioned diseases, future studies should more thoroughly address the mechanisms underlying the reported association with community noise exposure. Keywords: noise; cancer; stroke; diabetes mellitus type 2; obesity

Pilot study of methods and equipment for in-home noise level measurements

Knowledge of the auditory and non-auditory effects of noise has increased dramatically over the past decade, but indoor noise exposure measurement methods have not advanced appreciably, despite the introduction of applicable new technologies. This study evaluated various conventional and smart devices for exposure assessment in the National Children’s Study. Three devices were tested: a sound level meter (SLM), a dosimeter, and a smart device with a noise measurement application installed. Instrument performance was evaluated in a series of semi-controlled tests in office environments over 96-h periods, followed by measurements made continuously in two rooms (a child’s bedroom and a most used room) in nine participating homes over a 7-day period with subsequent computation of a range of noise metrics. The SLMs and dosimeters yielded similar A-weighted average noise levels. Levels measured by the smart devices often differed substantially (showing both positive and negative bias, depending on the metric) from those measured via SLM and dosimeter, and demonstrated attenuation in some frequency bands in spectral analysis compared to SLM results. Virtually all measurements exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s 45dBA day–night limit for indoor residential exposures. The measurement protocol developed here can be employed in homes, demonstrates the possibility of measuring long-term noise exposures in homes with technologies beyond traditional SLMs, and highlights potential pitfalls associated with measurements made by smart devices.

Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health: An ICBEN perspective

Noise is pervasive in everyday life and induces both auditory and non-auditory health effects. Noise-induced hearing loss remains the most common occupational disease in the United States, but is also increasingly caused by social noise exposure (e.g., through music players). Simultaneously, evidence on the public health impact of non-auditory effects of environmental noise exposure is growing. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ca. 1.6 Million healthy life years (DALYs) are lost annually in the western member states of the European Union due to exposure to environmental noise. The majority (>90%) of these effects can be attributed to noise-induced sleep disturbance and community annoyance, but noise may also interfere with communication and lead to cognitive impairment of children. Epidemiological studies increasingly support an association of long-term noise exposure with the incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Up-to-date exposure-response relationships are needed for health impact assessments, to reassess the validity of current noise policy and to better mitigate the negative health consequences of noise. The International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) is a non-profit organization constituted 1978 that promotes all aspects of noise effects research and its application through International Noise Teams and an International Congress every three years.

ICBEN review of research on the biological effects of noise 2011-2014.

The mandate of the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) is to promote a high level of scientific research concerning all aspects of noise-induced effects on human beings and animals. In this review, ICBEN team chairs and co-chairs summarize relevant findings, publications, developments, and policies related to the biological effects of noise, with a focus on the period 2011-2014 and for the following topics: Noise-induced hearing loss; nonauditory effects of noise; effects of noise on performance and behavior; effects of noise on sleep; community response to noise; and interactions with other agents and contextual factors. Occupational settings and transport have been identified as the most prominent sources of noise that affect health. These reviews demonstrate that noise is a prevalent and often underestimated threat for both auditory and nonauditory health and that strategies for the prevention of noise and its associated negative health consequences are needed to promote public health.

Implementation of Auditory and Non-Auditory Effects of Noise in the Risk Assessment Process in Mechanical Engineering

Abstract It is generally known that long-term and repeated exposure to noise has a negative impact on the sense of hearing. However, less is known about the fact that not only auditory organs are affected by noise. Research has shown that noise has effects on the entire organism, especially central and autonomic nervous system. Peterson et al. (1981) conducted a study using monkeys to explore the effects of long-term exposure to noise on blood pressure and auditory function. The animals’ blood pressure remained elevated even after noise exposure was terminated, while their auditory sensitivity was not decreased. The paper proposes a methodology of noise assessment, taking into consideration legislative requirements as well as non-auditory effects of noise. The methodology is applicable even in the first phase of product development.

Indoor environment and children's health: Recent developments in chemical, biological, physical and social aspects

Much research is being carried out into indoor exposure to harmful agents. This review focused on the impact on children's health, taking a broad approach to the indoor environment and including chemical, microbial, physical and social aspects. Papers published from 2006 onwards were reviewed, with regards to scientific context. Most of publications dealt with chemical exposure. Apart from the ongoing issue of combustion by-products, most of these papers concerned semi volatile organic compounds (such as phthalates). These may be associated with neurotoxic, reprotoxic or respiratory effects and may, therefore, be of particular interest so far as children are concerned. In a lesser extent, volatile organic compounds (such as aldehydes) that have mainly respiratory effects are still studied. Assessing exposure to metals is still of concern, with increasing interest in bioaccessibility. Most of the papers on microbial exposure focused on respiratory tract infections, especially asthma linked to allergens and bio-aerosols. Physical exposure includes noise and electromagnetic fields, and articles dealt with the auditory and non auditory effects of noise. Articles on radiofrequency electromagnetic fields mainly concerned questions about non-thermal effects and papers on extremely low-frequency magnetic fields focused on the characterization of exposure. The impact of the indoor environment on children's health cannot be assessed merely by considering the effect of these different types of exposure: this review highlights new findings and also discusses the interactions between agents in indoor environments and also with social aspects.

Noise as a Public Health Problem: International Congress Focuses on New Research

Noise as a Public Health Problem: International Congress Focuses on New Research

ANNOYANCE FROM ROAD TRAFFIC NOISE: A REVIEW

In this paper the negative effects resulting from exposure to road traffic noise on people's well being is reviewed in the light of the latest published findings. Annoyance is particularly focused on, which is considered to be one of the first and most widespread reactions to environmental noise. The nonauditory effects of noise on humans are viewed as being generally stress-related, following observations that noise exposures engender physiological reactions typical to those of stress. First, a short presentation is made of what noise in general is. Subsequently, in order to assess some subjective judgements of noise, some of the important noise descriptors, which are often used to quantify various aspects of road traffic noise are introduced. In general terms, it is found from the present review that the continuous exposure of people to road traffic noise leads to suffering from various kinds of discomfort, thus reducing appreciably the number of their well-being elements.Drawing such a conclusion is hindered by difficulties when nonacoustical factors, for instance socio-economic situation, age and gender, are also taken into account along with the usual acoustical factors of road traffic noise. One of people's first and direct reactions to noise is in terms of annoyance. The results of several decades of research on this topic have permitted lately the establishment of a more or less quantitative relationship between the objective quantities characterizing road traffic noise and the human subjective reaction to it as expressed by annoyance. These findings are important at both the society and the individual level, in as much as they may help in regulating in a more efficient way the planning of road traffic activity in order to secure at least the minimum of comfort to the affected population.

Part I. Noise exposure

The auditory and nonauditory effects of noise can be quite profound, affecting approximately 15 to 20 million Americans. As with most occupational toxins, recognition and careful assessment of noise exposure are the foundation on which preventive measures and treatment are based. Dosimeters can measure noise exposure over specific time periods. Pure tone air conduction audiometric monitoring should be performed on an annual basis in workers at risk for significant noise exposure. Occupational infectious disease involves far more than hepatitis and turberculosis. Periodic fever, dermatologic manifestations and other symptoms peculiar to a specific disease may be important clues to an occupationally related exposure. Whereas strict attention to hand washing and isolation are cornerstones of prevention, use of protective gear is mandated in certain situations. Zoonotic disease, agriculture exposure, water transmission, and biologic contaminants in buildings can be important but subtle exposures sources. Recognition of these infections often depends on the alertness of the primary care giver.

Subjective, behavioral and psychophysiological effects of noise.

The subjective and psychophysiological responses to noise and the effects of noise on performance have been reviewed in this article. Emphasis was placed on moderate-intensity noise and on the effects relevant for occupational noise exposure. It was concluded that in many respects research presents a rather inconsistent picture of these effects. Still, it is evident that the nonauditory effects of noise may be serious enough to warrant as much general attention in the occupational setting as has for some time been accorded in residential settings.

Non-auditory effects of noise in industry. VII. Evaluation, conclusions and recommendations.

The results of epidemiological studies on non-auditory effects of noise in industry are commented upon. The present state of the art does not permit any definite conclusion to be drawn about the risk of hypertension. Annoyance by noise is widespread; it has many different aspects and it has been studied in detail in this project. Combinations of working conditions should be studied that produce interaction effects overloading psychological or physiological systems. Some examples are given. Standards and guidelines for industrial exposure to noise should also prevent wellknown, non-auditory effects, such as communication problems, which result in social isolation.

Non-auditory effects of noise in industry. VI. A final field study in industry.

Non-auditory effects of noise were studied among 539 male workers from seven industries. The LAeq, assessed by personal noise dosimetry, has been used to study acute effects. Various indices of total noise exposure, involving level and duration, were developed for long-term effect studies. In the analysis close attention was paid to prevent confounding, e.g. by other adverse working conditions. As expected, hearing loss increased with total noise exposure. Tinnitus was related particularly to hearing loss. Dizziness and hoarseness, however, were not related with noise exposure in this study. Also no correlation could be demonstrated between blood pressure and total noise exposure after correction for age, relative weight and various confounding variables. Use of hearing protection, selection processes and incomplete analysis of interactions between independent variables are suggested for possible explanation. About two-thirds of the workers reported noise annoyance. Various aspects were mentioned, such as irritation, surprise and impairment of communication and perception. Mentally stressful tasks appeared to be the most noise-sensitive. Particularly annoying noise sources, mental work load and time pressure had a relatively large impact on noise annoyance in comparison with the influence of noise level (LAeq) itself. Stress responses were not simply related to the noise exposure level, although consistent positive relations could be demonstrated between symptoms of stress and noise annoyance. Various findings led to the conclusion that noise exposure together with stressful mental activities may lead to disturbed concentration, irritation and annoyance. Experienced stress in turn may render workers more susceptible to noise. To overcome some limitations of this study, cohort studies and studies designed to assess interaction-effects are recommended.

Non-auditory effects of noise in industry. V. A field study in a shipyard.

Workers of a shipbuilding and a machine shop department of a shipyard, with average noise levels of 98 dB(A) and 85.5 dB(A) respectively, were compared with respect to auditory and non-auditory effects. The distribution of years of noise exposure and of age was similar in both departments. No difference in blood pressure was observed after correction for age and relative body weight, however, the cross-sectional study design may have obscured a relationship. Analysis of other adverse working conditions could not explain the absence of a relationship between noise exposure and blood pressure. Noise-induced hearing loss and noise annoyance were observed far more frequently in the shipbuilding department in comparison with the machine shop. There were no differences in the consumption of pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Non-auditory effects of noise in industry. IV. A field study on industrial noise and blood pressure.

Audiometry and casual blood pressure measurements were carried out among industrial workers exposed to noise levels exceeding 80 dB(A). Workers with long-term noise exposure had increased blood pressure, after correction for age. Only a weak correlation was observed between noise-induced hearing loss and the corrected blood pressure. The influence of other working conditions and of the relative body weight could not be evaluated.