MILITARY AVIATION NOISE Noise-induced hearing impairment and noise protection
نویسندگان
چکیده
This research on military aviation noise was conducted because the personnel working with military aircraft were concerned about noise induced hearing damage. In addition, comprehensive data on hearing impairments and occupational exposure of military pilots in the Finnish Air Force was not available. Moreover, data on the effects of overflight noise of military jets was necessary for the evaluation of noise induced hearing deteriorations of members of the public who might be exposured accidentally for the low-level jets' overflights. The averaged noise exposure levels of pilots varied during a flight from 97 dB(A) to 106 dB(A) in the cockpit and from 83 dB(A) to 100 dB(A) at the entrance of the ear canal. Radio noise was 4–10 dB higher than background noise inside the helmet. The attenuation provided by air crew helmets varied from10 to 21 dB(A) in the laboratory, and was at the same level during real flights. The attenuation measured in the laboratory and in working conditions was about 30 dB(A) for earmuffs. An active noise cancellation (ANC) device decreased averaged noise exposure (LAeq8min) 4–8 dB over the noise attenuation of the same helmets when the ANC system was off. The noise of overflights by military jets were measured and the noise levels were lower than those known to cause the permanent threshold shifts. However, noise induced hearing damages might be possible in certain conditions. In order to assess the hearing loss risk of pilots, hearing thresholds were measured before and after one flight using both conventional and extended high frequency (EHF) audiometry. Minor temporary threshold shifts (TTS) were revealed. The risk of noise-induced damage at the studied exposure levels is, in all probability, rather small. A novel NoiseScan data management system proved to be an interesting tool in assessment of the risk of developing hearing impairment on the basis of known risk factors. Due to the small number of risk factors, the hearing of pilots was shown to be at considerably less risk than that of industrial workers in Finland.
منابع مشابه
Effects of Exposure to Impact Noise on the Hearing of Armed Forces and Evaluation of the Methods to Control and Decrease its Consequences: A Review Study
Background and Aim: Exposure to impact noise (short-term, high intensity) higher than permitted levels results in injury to the auditory system. Armed forces are one of the occupational groups exposed to these types of noises resulting from gunshots. In this study, relevant articles and research on the adverse effects of impact noise, hearing loss, and tinnitus in armed forces and effective con...
متن کاملHair Color and Hearing Loss: A Survey in a Group of Military Men
Introduction: It has been shown that low levels of pigmentation increase susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss in humans. For this reason, white populations develop more pronounced noise- induced hearing loss in comparison to black populations. Similarly, blue-eyed individuals exhibit greater temporary threshold shift than brown-eyed subjects; still, no strong correlation has been veri...
متن کاملHearing impairment due to cigarette smoking and simultaneous exposure to occupational noise
Abstract Background : Noise is the most common hazard in the workplace and noise induced hearing loss considered to be the most common occupational disease as well. Cigarette smoking, in some studies, has been known to induce hearing loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of contemporary exposure to occupational noise and cigarette smoking on hearing. Methods :...
متن کاملPreconditioning by the inhalation of pure oxygen protects rat’s cochlear function against noise-induced hearing loss
Background: Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is a hearing disorder that affects workers all over the world. Preconditioning with several mild or less potent stressors will effectively prevent the development of noise-induced hearing loss. This study investigated the possible preventive effects of normobaric hyperoxia preconditioning on preventing the noise-induced hearing impairm...
متن کاملImpact of noise on hearing in the military
Hearing plays a vital role in the performance of a soldier and is important for speech processing. Noise-induced hearing loss is a significant impairment in the military and can affect combat performance. Military personnel are constantly exposed to high levels of noise and it is not surprising that noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus remain the second most prevalent service-connected disab...
متن کامل