[The effect of the noise level on the occupational hearing loss. Observations carried cut in 25,544 industrial workers (author's transl)].
The paper deals with the investigations carried out into the effects of the exposure level on the hearing thresholds in the range of 0.5--4 kHz. The investigations are based on the data of 25,544 workers exposed to noise at their working places ("noise workers"). The hearing thresholds at 0.5 and 1 kHz practically do not differ in any level class nor do they differ from the thresholds of the persons exposed to under 85 dB(A). Starting with 2 kHz the hearing loss is intensified with an increase in frequency and exposure level. The effects of the exposure levels of 85 dB(A) to 96.9 dB(A) are dependent linearly on the level; with an exposure of 85 dB(A) to 90 dB(A) to 96.9 dB(A) are dependent linearly on the level; with an exposure of 85 dB(A) to 90 dB(A) the risk of a noise-induced damages to be paid to the person concerned, is nearly as high as with exposures of 90 dB(A) to 96.9 dB(A). At exposures of under 85 dB(A) the hearing losses are significantly smaller. These data suggest that 85 dB(A) must be regarded as the critical intensity. A difference in the development of noise-induced hearing losses dependent on the exposure level was not discovered; in all level classes examined the hearing loss develops linearly to the number of noise-years.
D000328:Adult; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
Der Einfluss des Lärmpegels auf den berufsbedingten Hörverlust. Beobachtungen an 25 544 Industriearbeitern.