Background: During live concerts attendees are exposed to excessive high intensity sounds for durations considered dangerous to the auditory system. Thus, regular live music concert attendees are at risk for developing Music Induced Hearing Loss (MIHL) due to their recreational habits. Although MIHL is preventable, current hearing conservation is limited at live music venues. As personal hearing protection is poor within this community, a need for alternative hearing conservation strategies is evident. Method: The objectives of this multi-method quantitative research study was to determine whether venue-based hearing conservation strategies in live music venues are a plausible means of reducing the risk of music induced hearing loss. Four live rock and heavy metal music venues in Johannesburg (South Africa) were included in the study. The current venuebased hearing conservation strategies as well as the acoustic and structural characteristics of these venues are described. In addition, the Sound Pressure Levels (SPLs) were measured throughout the venues. The variance of the mean SPLs between different areas within these venues were then calculated and effects of the structural characteristics on the variance of the sound levels within the venues were determined. Results: The results indicated that hearing conservation including awareness programs and availability of Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs) are not currently occurring in the music venues. Music venues further do not comply with the OHSA (2003) regulations nor are they compliant in terms of the acoustic and structural recommendations for reducing the intensity levels in music venues. Statistical analysis indicated at least one pair of significant differences in the mean SPLs recorded in the different areas in each venue. Results further indicated trends in the variance of intensity levels between different areas confirming a positive relationship between each of these five trends and the variance of sound levels. Thus, this study indicates that venue-based hearing conservation strategies may be a plausible means for reducing the risk for MIHL in attendees at live music venues. Implications: Implications of this study are discussed in relation to clinical and practice guidelines for both audiologists, and occupational health personnel, whilst the need for changes in legislation are highlighted.

This lecture takes a dual-targeted approach in: 1) acquainting the audience with newer neuroimaging techniques applied to the consequences of vestibular dysregulation following noise or blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); and 2) considers treatment and rehabilitation modalities of vestibular and balance dysfunction in order to help veteran’s resume normal activities-of-daily-living. Relevant examples from each targeted lecture will be provided. Intended Audience: Professionals interested in the area of vestibular and balance assessment, neuroimaging, and rehabilitation.

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No description available.

Two of the primary occupational health threats to employees in the mining industry are noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and occupational lung diseases (OLD) with Tuberculosis (TB) included in the latter. The objective of this study was to investigate the hearing profile of a group of gold miners with and without TB to determine the effect of TB and its associated risk profile on hearing. Workers in AngloGold Ashanti mine in South Africa were recruited due to the fact that they present with these two health threats namely NIHL and TB. The audiological and medical surveillance data of 2698 subjects (between the years 2001 and 2009) were used in analyses. Hearing thresholds for the air conduction frequencies (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 KHz) in both ears were analysed in conjunction with biographic and occupational data. Subjects were divided into three groups, two experimental groups (Single TB treatment, n= 911 and Multiple TB treatment, n= 376) and one control group (n= 1411). A highly significant difference (p<0.01) was noted between the control group and both TB treatment groups across most frequencies and hearing parameters analysed, although the higher frequencies were more affected. Pair wise comparisons revealed the largest differences in hearing thresholds throughout between the control group and the multiple TB treatment groups. The smallest differences in hearing thresholds were evident between the two TB groups with the multiple TB treatment group presenting with the poorest thresholds. TB and its related risk profile had a pronounced influence on the decline of hearing thresholds. Thresholds for the multiple TB treatment group indicated more deterioration than the hearing thresholds of the single TB treatment group. This may point to the possibility that the influence of repeated TB on the subjects’ hearing thresholds over time was more pronounced than a single incidence of TB. It is still necessary however to separate the effects of the disease from the effects of the treatment on hearing. / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / Unrestricted

Der Risikofaktor Lärm stellt vor allem in urbanen Gebieten ein großes Umweltproblem mit teilweise erheblichen gesundheitlichen Langzeitauswirkungen für die Stadtbevölkerung dar. Dabei hängt die Ausbreitung des Schalls von einer Störquelle, wie z.B. dem Straßenverkehr, besonders auf größeren Strecken von der Atmosphärenstruktur ab. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit bestand darin, den Einfluss der tageszeitlich variierenden urbanen Grenzschicht auf die Schallausbreitung unter Verwendung eines Schallstrahlenmodells abzuschätzen. Basis dieser Berechnungen bildeten analytisch erzeugte urbane Vertikalprofile der Temperatur, Windgeschwindigkeit und Windrichtung. Die Auswertungen der Karten der meteorologisch bedingten Zusatzdämpfung zeigten eine sichtbare zusätzliche Beeinflussung der Schallausbreitung durch die spezielle Struktur der urbanen Grenzschicht. Besonders im Nahbereich der Quelle traten nachts in Windrichtung bei labiler Atmosphärenschichtung Zonen erhöhter Lärmbelastung auf. / Especially in urban regions the risk factor noise is a huge problem, which may have a notable impact on (human) health on long-time scales. The sound propagation of a disturbing source, e.g. traffic noise, depends for larger distances in particular on the structure of the atmosphere. The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of the urban boundary layer on the propagation of sound using a sound ray model. Therefore, urban vertical profiles of temperature, wind speed, and wind direction for day and night time conditions were calculated analytically. The resulting maps considering excess attenuation of sound due to meteorology yielded an additional influence on the sound propagation in consequence of the defined structure of the urban boundary layer. Particularly in downwind areas close to the source the impact of noise increases regionally at night for the cases of unstable atmospheric layering.

Lärm ist ein nach wie vor ungelöstes Umweltproblem. Die wichtigste Lärmquelle in urbanen Räumen ist der Straßenverkehrslärm, der gesundheitsschädliche Langzeitwirkungen haben kann. Die Ausbreitung von Schallwellen bis zum Immissionsort wird, besonders bei längeren Entfernungen, durch die Atmosphärenstruktur beeinflusst. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, diesen Atmosphäreneinfluss auf die Schallausbreitung mit Hilfe von Messungen an Autobahnen in der Nähe von Chemnitz abzuschätzen. Mit je zwei Messstellen in 25 m und 150 m Entfernung von der Autobahn wurde der Effekt der Atmosphärenschichtung und des Windprofils auf die Schallimmission frequenzaufgelöst untersucht. Die Resultate dieser Studie zeigen eine deutliche Variation des über 60 Minuten gemittelten Schalldruckpegels, die auf die unterschiedliche Atmosphärenstruktur zurückgeführt werden kann. Die Messungen ergaben dabei bis zu 5 dB höhere bzw. 11 dB geringere Schallpegel als Ergebnisse von Berechnungen mit Ingenieurmodellen, die den Atmosphäreneinfluss nur sehr vereinfacht enthalten. Es wird außerdem aufgezeigt, wie die Wirkung von Schallschutzbauten an Autobahnen insbesondere durch den Windeinfluss verändert wird. / Noise is still an unsolved environmental problem. Street noise, that will able to cause long-term effects on the state of health, is the main source of noise in urban areas. The sound propagation is influenced by the atmospheric structure, especially for longer distances. This study is aimed at the estimation of the atmospheric influence onto the sound propagation by using measurements at highways near Chemnitz. Two measurement places in distances of 25 m and 150 m from the highway were used to study the effect of atmospheric stability and wind profile on the frequency-resolved sound level. A variation of the averaged (60 minutes) sound level dependent on the atmospheric structure is clearly visible in the results. The measurements yielded up to 5 dB higher and 11 dB lower sound levels in comparison to results of engineering models which contain the atmospheric influence only in a simplified way. Furthermore, the study shows how the impact of noise screens is changed dependent on the wind influence.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an atypical pattern of early acoustic stimulation on auditory development. Previous human research suggests that the acoustic environment of pre-term human infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) negatively affects some aspects of auditory development. Animal research suggests that premature auditory stimulation interrupts auditory development. Because mice are born before their auditory systems are developed, they make an excellent model for research on fetal and postnatal plasticity of the auditory system. The premature auditory state of newborn mice is similar to that of the NICU pre-term infant, albeit, natural for mice C57 mouse pups were exposed to an augmented acoustic environment (AAE) of a nightly 12-hour regiment of 70 dB SPL noise burst, beginning before age 12 days (onset of hearing) and lasting for one month. The prepulse inhibition (PPI) of mice exposed to the AAE was compared to that of non-exposed mice to observe short-term and long-term effects. Results showed that the prepulse inhibition of the AAE exposed mice did not differ significantly from that of the non-exposed mice. However, it is possible that the measurement used, PPI, may not have been appropriate or that the AAE may not have been an appropriate simulation of the NICU environment.

Thesis (M. Tech.) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2006 / Occupational noise affects industries in many countries around the world, and there is strong evidence from previous research linking it to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). More than 30 million workers in the United States of America alone were exposed to hazardous noise at the workplace before 1998. In South Africa, workers are not supposed to be exposed to a noise rating limit at or above 85dB(A). Abattoir employees are subjected to high noise levels when compared to the occupational noise rating limit of 85dB(A). Noise is generated from various mechanised and manual processes and activities in the abattoir during the slaughter of different animal species. Noise sources include conveyers, circular saws, air conditioners and pumps, pneumatic and other mechanical equipment. The aim of this study was to characterise noise exposure in different grades of abattoirs during the slaughter of cattle and sheep. The grading of abattoirs was previously done according to Grade A-E. Grade A-C is now referred to as high throughput abattoirs while Grade D and E are referred to as low throughput abattoirs. Personal and environmental noise exposure levels of workers in Grade A, C and D abattoirs in the Free State were therefore investigated. Noise measurements were done in accordance with the methods stipulated in the South African National Standards (SANS) Code of Practice 10083. Environmental and personal sampling were conducted with a calibrated Type 1 Quest integrated sound level meter (ISLM) and a Quest noise dosimeter respectively. Calibration was checked before and after taking measurements to ensure reliability and validity of results. The average noise exposure level in the high throughput abattoirs was above the recommended standard of 85dB(A). In the low throughput abattoirs the noise exposure levels were below this level. There were no statistically significant differences between the noise exposure levels during the slaughter of different species (P>0.05), or between Grade A and Grade C (P>0.05). There was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) however between Grade A and Grade D noise exposure levels. The results indicate that workers in Grade A and C abattoirs are exposed to unacceptable noise levels. Further research is recommended to include all categories of abattoirs and to determine the impact of noise exposure on the worker’s hearing in order to develop strategies to protect employees from the effects of excessive exposure to noise.

Com o avanço técnico-científico e a necessidade de rapidez nas comunicações dos diversos segmentos da economia e da vida moderna, a utilização de fones de ouvido não se restringe mais somente aos serviços de Telefonia (telefonistas, atendentes, técnicos e cabistas), operadores de telemarketing ou teleatendimento, mas também a outras profissões como pilotos de aeronaves e de helicópteros, músicos, operadores de áudio e vídeo, além de profissionais de inúmeras outras atividades que necessitam utilizar fones para comunicações, como na indústria naval, do petróleo, da mineração (telemineração, mineração remota), etc. Com isso, a avaliação de risco de surdez ocupacional deve ser adequada à realidade de milhares de pessoas hoje envolvidas com a utilização de fones de ouvido. Essa questão se amplia quando se considera uma legião de pessoas que diariamente passa horas ouvindo música em seus tocadores digitais de música com o volume tão alto que qualquer um ao lado delas pode também ouvir os mesmos sons. Principalmente devido aos outros tipos de exposição, mais difundidos, a exposição ocupacional ao ruído é um assunto bastante discutido, e há, inclusive, critérios adequados de avaliação dos níveis sonoros, que estão, no entanto, voltados para os sons que podem ser medidos na zona auditiva em campo aberto, mas não no interior do pavilhão auricular, que é o caso do presente trabalho. Considerando tal lacuna relacionada aos critérios adotados na avaliação dos níveis sonoros, este trabalho objetiva: estudar os trabalhos sobre as medições sonoras que são atualmente realizadas no interior do pavilhão auricular; demonstrar que o estudo da avaliação do nível sonoro em atividades que utilizam fones de ouvido ainda é incipiente, complexo e oneroso; identificar qual(is) norma(s) é(são) mais adequada(s) para avaliar os níveis de ruído em fones. Para tanto, fez-se uma revisão da literatura, utilizando como materiais e métodos, de forma comparativa, os resultados das experiências e dos estudos do autor e de outros especialistas frente às normas disponíveis pertinentes relativas aos critérios metodológicos de medição dos níveis de ruído em fones de ouvido. Concluindo, esta pesquisa traz importantes parâmetros necessários para uma avaliação confiável e subsídios para o desenvolvimento de uma Instrução Técnica ou elaboração de uma Norma de Higiene Ocupacional NHO específica para este tipo de avaliação. / New electronic technologies have improved the communication systems in general ways, and consequently sound devices have become better, cheaper and widely used. In the professional field, millions of workers use every day headsets and headphones talking to clients, transmitting information and news to control centers, and also listening music. It is a common practice among telephone operators, telemarketing attendees, pilots, musicians, police officers, etc; also, young people using modern sound and video players with individual speakers. If on one side the communication systems are much better, on other way the sound pressure levels inside of headsets or headphones are a big concern, especially when people are listening their favorite songs. Sometimes the sound levels are so high that anyone around is able to listen its music. It is a fact very known that the acoustic energy may destroy the cochlea cells after long noise exposures at high levels. Therefore, million of users of those electronic apparatus are exposure to a potential hearing loss risk in spite of experimenting pleasure moments or just doing their job. The problem of hearing losses is more complicate to headset or headphone users because there is not criterion very well established as it is common to general workers. The standards for prevention of hearing losses are addressed to environment noise that is measured outside of the auricular pavilion. The technology applied to measure sound levels inside of auricular pavilion is complex and there are a few instruments available in the market. However, the most important limitation is absence of technical criteria that define which acoustic situations could be considered a hearing loss risk. Considering all these limitations, this paper has the following objectives: review technical articles that present evaluations of noise inside of auricular pavilion; demonstrate that published studies in this matter are embryonic face to complexity and costs involved with; identify the most appropriate standard to evaluate noise levels inside of auricular pavilion. Thus, the Material and Methods adopted in this paper are based on a comparative review of the literature available, including results from experiences developed by the own author, and other data published by several experts. The numbers, records and levels, etc presented here are related to the respective methods or criteria. Therefore, the information, data, discussion, analyses, and conclusions presented in this paper are addressed to motivate new studies and debates that may result in a new national or international standard easier and less expensive than those are complied today. New proceedings should be developed with clear instructions that avoid misunderstanding and guide different practitioners to reproduce studies with similar methodologies. Concluding, this paper introduces important parameters that are necessary to evaluate noise generated by headphones in workplaces, and, also, gives some guidelines and subsidies to develop a measuring procedure or a technical standard related to occupational hygiene in this matter.