Basic HTML Version
August-September 1970
decibels as a health hazard for an
8-hour-day working environment.
Louder work sites, such as the environ–
ment of a jet plane at the passenger
ramp (
11S
decibels) would be danger–
ous to health after only 15 minutes.
Beyond any of these limits lies
per–
manent
hearing impairment.
One fallacy in describing decibels is
attributing a certain noise level to an
object.
For instance, a common statement
is, "A lawn mower measures 100 deci–
bels." This statement may be true if you
stood very near the mower, if the motor
were generating top power, and if it
were a large horsepower motor.
BuT, if you retreated to a more com–
mon listening distance, you would hear
between 70 and
1
00 decibels, depend–
ing on the type of mower.
Decibels are measured by many dif–
ferent factors.
Distance
is a factor.
Q11ality
of sound is a factor. The
so11rce
of pou•er
is a factor.
Decibels are also a factor of
fre–
quency
(high or low pitch of the
sound) . A low foghorn of 100 decibels,
or a symphony orchestra generating 100
decibels may not be offensive. But a
The
PLAIN TRUTH
shrill piercing siren of the same inten–
sity
wo11ld
be offensive. A symphony
orchestra playing a modero discordant
selection would sound louder at the
same decibel level heard in a pleasing
symphony.
Decibel damage to your hearing is
also measured by the all-important
time
factor, the
lmgtb of exposure
to high
noise levels.
Widespread Health Hazard
The U. S. Public Hea!th Service
reports more than 7 million persons are
working where noise levels are high
enough to damage hearing.
Tbe Federal Council for Science and
Technology said that hearing loss caused
by noise amounts to "a major health
hazard in American industry." And it
is expensive. The cost in compensation,
lost production, and decreased efficiency
because of noise and hearing damage, is
estimated to be well over
$4
billion per
year!
The subtle physiological and psycho–
logical side effects of noise are drawing
special concern today. Prolonged high
intensity noises have been found to
37
result in loss of hearing and even total
deafness. Ulcers, severe headaches, stom–
ach upset, aggravation of allergies and
asthma and heart conditions, insomnia,
and emotional breakdown are, in certain
cases, attributable to too much noise!
Dr. Samuel Rosen of New York sum–
marized the noxious effects of noise:
"At an unexpected or unwanted noise,
the pupils dilate, the skin pales, mucous
membranes drain, there are intestinal
spasms, and the adrenals explode excre–
tions. The biological organism, in a
word, is disturbed"
(Today's Healtb,
October, 1967).
The resulting interna! wreckage
caused by a screaming siren includes
gastric ulcers, thymus gland atrophy,
and over-stimulation of the adrenals.
These conditions were contracted by rats
under laboratory conditions at the Uni–
versity of Montreal.
Human effect is no more enviable. A
sudden door slam has been shown to
raise man's blood pressure four times,
higher than the reaction from a shot of
morphine. "The quantity of blood
pumped by the heart may double under
the stimulus of even the sound of a
baby crying. The increased oxygen con–
sumption that comes with rising blood
pressure results in exhaustion and ner–
vousness"
(Science Digest,
August,
1964).
Experiments have shown that noise
which interferes with sleep lessens the
body's resistance to disea$e and physical
stress.
It
is interesting to note that even
those conducting the experiments were
atfected. One doctor said he
cot1/dn't
bear bis watcb tick
foc
/bree
hours after
one experiment ( concerning the effect
of rock-and-roll music). Another found
that his subjects were unable to hear a
whisper just 3 feet away.
Noise also disturbs people in a sub–
liminal manner - apart from conscious
awareness - even while they are
awake. The cumulative etfect of the
subliminal interruptions may cause in–
creasing irritability, anxiety, or a sudden
emotional outburst.
The latter reaction is typified by the
man who comes home after a tense, har–
rowing day in a noisy office. The borne,
he finds, is noisy, with the television
turned up loud and the children running