Damage risk: an evaluation of the effects of exposure to 85 versus 90 dBA of noise.
The purpose of this study was to compare the damage risk of 85 and 90 dBA of white noise for equivalent full-day exposures. The damage risk of the two noise levels was determined by comparing the temporary threshold shift (TTS) of 12 subjects exposed to either 85 or 90 dBA of white noise for equivalent half- and full-day exposures. TTS was determined by comparing the pre- and postexposure binaural audiograms of each subject at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz. It was concluded that the potential damage risk, that is, hazardous effect, of 90 dBA is greater than 85 dBA of noise for equivalent full-day exposures. The statistical difference between the overall effects of equivalent exposures to 85 dBA as compared to 90 dBA of noise could not be traced to any one frequency. The damage risk of a full-day exposure to 85 dBA is equivalent to that of a half-day exposure to 90 dBA of noise. Within the limits of this study, TTSt was as effective as TTS2 for estimating the damage risk of noise exposure.
D001309:Auditory Threshold; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012306:Risk; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States