title: Evaluation of sound exposure and risk of hearing impairment in orchestral musicians.
abstract: This study aimed to assess exposure to sound and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in orchestral musicians. Sound pressure level was measured in 1 opera and 3 symphony orchestras; questionnaires were filled in. On the basis of that data, the risk of NIHL was assessed according to Standard No. ISO 1999:1990. Classical orchestral musicians are usually exposed to sound at equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure levels of 81?90 dB (10th?90th percentiles), for 20?45 h (10th?90th percentiles) per week. Occupational exposure to such sound levels over 40 years of employment might cause hearing loss (expressed as a mean hearing threshold level at 2, 3, 4 kHz exceeding 35 dB) of up to 26%. Playing the horn, trumpet, tuba and percussion carries the highest risk (over 20%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Hazards, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland. mpawlusz@imp.lodz.pl
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dudarewicz
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamojska
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sliwinska-Kowalska
mesh_terms: D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D009146:Music; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013016:Sound; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013997:Time Factors