Noise Pollution

Noise Pollution

The estimated number of Americans who have suffered full or partial hearing loss as a result of excessive exposure to noise is

10 million

Most concerns about noise as a pollutant have focused on the

Worksite

The noise most frequently considered as annoying by community residents is from

Vehicles

In general, noise levels are directly related to the

Population density

The MAJOR source of excessive community noise is

Airports

What source has been declining slightly in recent years?

Automobiles - going electric

A given individual will most easily tolerate noise when:

The source of the noise is from construction

What is considered by many to be the most insidious type of pollution

Noise - invisibly undermining, physical and psychological well-being of people

The louder the sound, the greater the

Amplitude

The measure that us used to determine the loudness of a sound is

Decibel (dB)

Maximum sensitivity to sound for humans is in the range of

1,000 - 5,000cps

It is estimated that the number of American who are exposed daily to noise that has the potential to damage their hearing is

20 million

Hearing loss that lasts a few hours following exposure to excessive noise is referred to as

Temporary threshold shift

Slight, irreversible hearing loss may result for many people, from daily exposure over an 8 hr period of time to sound averaging:

85 dB

The amount of time required to produce permanent damage to hearing is cut in half with an increase in sound of

5 dB

The first type of hearing sensitivity to become damaged as a result of excessive noise exposure is sensitivity to

high frequenceies

Loss of hearing to the extent that low frequency sounds are distorted or can’t be heard is considered

Sensorineural loss - irreversible nerve and cochlear structure is impaired

Hearing loss that results from infections or trauma is called

Conductive loss - can be corrected with surgery or meds

By the age 65 the number of Americans who experience hearing loss sufficient to affect communication is

1 in 4

Age-related hearing loss is referred to as

Presbycusis

A constant bussing or ringing in the ears is called

Tinnitus

The hearing ability of a fetus is well-developed by the

26th week of gestation

What seems to have the most impact on a child’s reading skills

Noisy home environment

(T or F) Noise can affect one’s perception of time

True

(T or F) Noise can increase the variability of work performance

True

(T or F) Noise affects the quantity of work done

False

(T or F) Noise makes it more difficult to remain alert

true

(T or F) Adults are wakened by noise more easily than children

True

(T or F) Health individuals are more affected by noise than ill persons

False

(T or F) Middle-aged individuals are more sensitive to noise than elderly

False

(T or F) Men are more easily disturbed by noise than women

False

The first national law in the US designed to deal with noise was the

Noise Control Act (NCA) 1972

The act that authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to work in partnership with state and local governments in the area of anti-noise programs was the:

Quiet Communities Act 1978

The pitch of a sound is determined primarily by

Frequency

The distance that a sound wave travels in one cycle or period is the

wavelength of the sound

The speed with which sound travels through a particular medium is dependent on

the compressibility and density of the medium. (sound is produced by the compression and expansion of air created when an object vibrates)

A dimensionless unit to express physical intensity or sound pressure levels is called

Decibel (dB) sound level meter

The ______ of a sound wave is the energy transferred per unit time (sec) through a unit area normal to the direction of propagation

Intensity

If 10 dB is 10 times more intense than 1 dB, how many times more intense is 20 dB than 1 dB

100

The unit of measurement most commonly used to measure LOUDNESS is called

Phon

(if you are measuring Hz, you’re referring to frequency which is the pitch)

The major factors related to hearing loss are

Time duration of exposure and repeated impact, intensity of sound waves, and frequency content of sound

For workers, a sound level above _____ dBA should be considered UNSAFE for daily exposure over a period of months

90 (8 hr TWA PEL: 90 dBA)

The most common type of noise measurement device used for initial surveys to provide rapid evaluation and identification of potential problem areas is the

Sound level meter

It is possible to control noise

At the source, path of transmission, and where it is received

What material is known to REFLECT sound

Rubber tiles - soft

The ratio of the energy passing through a wall, floor, or ceiling to the energy striking it is called

Sound transmission loss

The first Federal standards for occupational exposure to noise were issues

the Dept of Labor

(T or F) Sounds with frequency of 30 hertz (Hz) are considered very low pitch

True

(T or F) the frequency of a sound determines its pitch

True

In general terms, it is safe to assume that any two identical sound levels will have the effect of increasing the overall level by 10 dB

False

(T or F) Almost all sound contains multiple frequencies

True

(T or F) Continuous exposure to high-level noise is less harmful than intermittent or occasional exposure

False

(T or F) Individuals react differently to noise depending on age, sex, and socioeconomic background

True

(T or F) Dry cotton ear plugs are just effective against noise control as expensive fitted ear plugs and earmuffs

True

(T or F) The amount of sound energy a material can absorb is a function of its absorption coefficient at a specified frequency

True

(T or F) Sound-absorbing materials absorb low-frequency sounds much more effectively than high frequency sounds

False