Why Are Noise Exposure Guidelines So Complex?

Details

• Personal Author:
  Carroll Y ; Eichwald J ; Kardous CA ; Themann, Christa L.
• Description:
  Almost all noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is preventable. However, once acquired, NIHL is permanent and irreversible. In addition to hearing loss, evidence shows that prolonged or repeated exposure to high levels of noise is associated with other health effects, such as heart disease, hypertension, and insomnia. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) attest that exposure to loud sounds (noises) adversely affects the lives of millions of people at home, at work, and in the community. If just 20% of NIHL was prevented among working-age individuals, $123 billion could be obtained from increased earnings, an economic impact excluding costs associated with health care, special education, and reduced quality of life. Noise is the most common modifiable environmental cause of hearing loss among young and middle-aged adults, and the most common self-reported cause of hearing loss among men. Several recommendations for limiting noise exposure to avoid adverse effects have been developed over the years. However, noise exposure guidelines vary. Four main factors contributing to differences across noise exposure guidelines are: 1. Exposure definitions - how exposure is measured (e.g., averaging characteristics, exchange rate, weighting scales). 2. Health outcomes - what health effects are covered (e.g., auditory, non-auditory, annoyance). 3. Target group - who is being protected (e.g., the general population, workers, children). 4. Allowed risk - what proportion of the target group might still develop the outcome due to differences in sensitivity to noise effects. In this article, we describe how these factors, and other considerations, make developing and applying noise exposure guidelines difficult. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Economics Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Auditory System Economic Impact Guidelines Noise Exposure Noise Induced Hearing Loss
• ISSN:
  0745-7472
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  75
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066321
• Citation:
  Hear J 2022 Oct; 75(10):18,20-21
• Contact Point Address:
  John Eichwald, Office of Science, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Atlanta, GA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Hearing Journal
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dadea9cff6204881ce5a9ee69e0354ec93e28ab0f1824e4551c186e5816d936d3dfaee11dcc6c402bca29ce4741b2910b53d195778323bcf062e965d61895d5b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212792/cdc_212792_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.46 MB ]