22264061

PMC4685462

Objective

Identify the distribution of typical noise levels present in daily life and identify factors associated with average sound levels.

Design

This was an observational study.

Study sample

Participants (N = 286) were 20 to 68 year old men and women, drawn from the general population of Kalamazoo County, Michigan . A total of 73 000 person-hours of noise monitoring were conducted.

Results

Median overall daily average levels were 79 and 77 dBLeqA,8,equiv , with average levels exceeding EPA recommended levels for 70% of participants. Median levels were similar between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and varied little across days of the week. Gender, occupational classification, and history of occupational noise exposure were related to average noise levels, but age, educational attainment, and non-occupational noise exposures were not.

Conclusions

A large portion of the general population is exposed to noise levels that could result in long-term adverse effects on hearing. Gender and occupation were most strongly related to exposure, though most participants in this study had occupations that are not conventionally considered noisy.

CDC Public Access

CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
CDC/NIOSH 211-2009-31218/PHS HHS/United States