The Hearing Threshold of Employees Exposed to Noise Generated by the Low-Frequency Ultrasonic Welding Devices

• Autorzy: Dudarewicz A. , Zaborowski K. , Rutkowska-Kaczmarek P. , Zamojska-Daniszewska M. , Śliwińska-Kowalska M. , Zamysłowska-Szmytke E. , Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M.

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.1515/aoa-2017-0022

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The aim of the study was to assess the hearing threshold levels (HTLs) in employees exposed to noise generated by low-frequency ultrasonic technological equipment in comparison with the HTLs of workers exposed to audible noise at the similar A-weighted equivalent-continuous sound pressure level. The study includes measurements of ultrasonic and audible noise at workplaces and hearing tests, i.e. conventional pure-tone audiometry and extended high-frequency audiometry. The study group comprised 90 workers, aged 41.4 ± 10.0 years (mean±SD), exposed for 17.3 ± 9.8 years to noise generated by ultrasonic devices at mean daily noise exposure level (‹L_EX,8h›) of 80.6 ± 2.9 dB. The reference group consists of 156 subjects, exposed to industrial noise (without ultrasonic components) at similar A-weighted equivalent-continuous sound pressure level (‹L_EX,8h› = 81.8 ± 2.7 dB), adjusted according to age (39.8 ± 7.7 years), gender and job seniority (14.0 ± 7.0 years). This group was selected from database collected in the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine. Audiometric hearing threshold levels in the frequency range of 0.5–6 kHz were similar in both groups, but in the frequency range of 8–12.5 kHz they were higher in the group of employees exposed to ultrasonic noise. The findings suggest that differences in the hearing threshold (at high frequencies) in analyzed groups may be due to differences in spectral composition of noise and show the need to continue the undertaken studies.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

noise-induced hearing loss; noise; ultrasonic noise; occupational exposure

• Wydawca: Instytut Podstawowych Problemów Techniki PAN ; Komitet Akustyki PAN ; Polskie Towarzystwo Akustyczne
• Czasopismo: Archives of Acoustics
• Rocznik: 2017
• Tom: Vol. 42, No. 2
• Strony: 199--205
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 17 poz., tab., wykr.

Twórcy

autor

Dudarewicz A.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

autor

Zaborowski K.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

autor

Rutkowska-Kaczmarek P.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

autor

Zamojska-Daniszewska M.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

autor

Śliwińska-Kowalska M.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

autor

Zamysłowska-Szmytke E.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

autor

Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M.

• Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź, Św. Teresy od Dzieciątka Jezus 8, 91-348 Łódź, Poland

Bibliografia

• 1. Acton W. I., Hill C. R. (1977), Hazards of industrial ultrasound, Protection, 14, 19, 12–17.
• 2. Ahmed H. O., Dennis J. H., Badran O., Isamil M., Ballal S. G., Ashoor A., Jerwood D. (2001), High frequency (10–18 kHz) hearing thresholds: reliability, and effects of age and occupational noise exposure, Occupational Medicine, 51, 4, 245–258.
• 3. Grzesik J., Pluta E. (1983), High-frequency hearing risk of operators of industrial ultrasonic devices, International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 53, 77–88.
• 4. Grzesik J., Pluta E. (1986), Dynamics of high frequency hearing loss of operators of industrial ultrasonic devices, International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 57, 137–142.
• 5. Jilek M., Suta D., Syka J. (2014), Reference hearing thresholds in an extended frequency range as a function of age, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 136, 4, 1821–1830.
• 6. Lawton B. W. (2001), Damage to human hearing by airborne sound of very high frequency or ultrasonic frequency. Contract Research Report 343/2001, Health and Safety Executive, access 2016-03-10, http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr pdf/2001/crr01343.pdf.
• 7. Macca I., Scapellato M. L., Carrieri M., Maso S., Trevisan A., Bartolucci G. B. (2015), High-frequency hearing thresholds: effects of age, occupational ultrasound and noise exposure, International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 88, 197–211.
• 8. Minister of Labour and Social Policy (2014), The Regulation of 6 June 2014. On maximum permissible concentration and intensity of harmful factors in the work environment [in Polish: Rozporządzenie Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej z dnia 6 czerwca 2014 r. w sprawie najwyższych dopuszczalnych stężeń i natężeń czynników szkodliwych dla zdrowia w środowisku pracy], Journal of Law, item 817.
• 9. Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M., Koton J., Śliwińska-Kowalska M., Augustyńska D., Kameduła M. (2001a), Ultrasonic noise: documentation of maximum admissible values for occupational exposure [in Polish: Hałas ultradźwiękowy: dokumentacja proponowanych wartości dopuszczalnych poziomów narażenia zawodowego], Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy, Warszawa CIOP, XVII, 28, 2, 55–88.
• 10. Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M., Koton J., Augustyńska D. (2001b), Ultrasonic noise – measurement procedure [in Polish: Hałas ultradźwiękowy – procedura pomiarowa], Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy, Warszawa CIOP, XVII, 28, 2, 89–96.
• 11. PN-86/N-01321 (1986), Ultrasonic noise – Acceptable values of the sound pressure level at workstations and general requirements for measuring [in Polish: Hałas ultradźwiękowy. Dopuszczalne wartości poziomu ciśnienia akustycznego na stanowiskach pracy i ogólne wymagania dotyczące wykonywania pomiarów], Polish Committee for Standardization Metrology and Quality, Warszawa.
• 12. PN-EN ISO 7029:2004 (2004), Acoustic – Statistical distribution of hearing thresholds as a function of age [in Polish: Akustyka – Statystyczny rozkład progów słyszenia w funkcji wieku], Polish Committee for Standardization, Warszawa.
• 13. PN-EN ISO 9612 (2011). Acoustics – Determination of occupational noise exposure – Engineering method [in Polish: Akustyka – Wyznaczanie zawodowej ekspozycji na hałas – Metoda techniczna], Polish Committee for Standardization, Warszawa.
• 14. PN-N-01307 (1994), Noise. Permissible values of noise in the workplace. Requirements for measurement [in Polish: Hałas – Dopuszczalne wartości parametrów hałasu w środowisku pracy – Wymagania dotyczące wykonywania pomiarów], Polish Committee for Standardization Metrology and Quality, Warszawa.
• 15. Minister of Labour and Social Policy (2014), The Regulation of 6 June 2014. On maximum permissible concentration and intensity of harmful factors in the work environment [in Polish: Rozporządzenie Ministra Pracy i Polityki Społecznej z dnia 6 czerwca 2014 r. w sprawie najwyższych dopuszczalnych stężeń i natężeń czynników szkodliwych dla zdrowia w środowisku pracy], Journal of Law, item 817.
• 16. Smagowska B., Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska M. (2013), Effects of Ultrasonic Noise on the Human Body – A Bibliographic Review, International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (JOSE) 19, 2, 195–202.
• 17. Somma G., Pietroiusti A., Magrini A., Coppetta L., Ancona C., Gardi S., Messina M., Bergamaschi A. (2008), Extended high frequency audiometry and noise induced hearing loss in cement workers, American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 51, 452–462.

Uwagi

Opracowanie ze środków MNiSW w ramach umowy 812/P-DUN/2016 na działalność upowszechniającą naukę (zadania 2017).