COMMUNITY MEDICINE

Lecture : Noise Pollution

TRANSCRIBER/S: LOPEZ A., GROUP 12A EVALS #10

OUTLINE ● OUTER EAR

o Direct sound waves from the air into
• INTRODUCTION the tympanic membrane.
• REVIEW OF THE PARTS OF THE EAR ● MIDDLE EAR
• DEFINITION OF NOISE o Directed sound waves causes the
tympanic membrane to vibrate which
• PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
in turn causes the three bones
NOISE
(malleus, incus and stapes) to
• HEALTH EFFECTS OF NOISE move mechanically.
• PREVENTION • INNER EAR
• LEGISLATIONS o The mechanical vibrations from the
three bones will be sent to the
INTRODUCTION cochlea, where they are sensed by the
small sensory hair cells that will send
ECOLOGIC TRIAD electrical impulses along the auditory
• Noise pollution is a physical agent nerve to the brain.

NOISE

● Something that is detrimental, unwanted and

unpleasant.
● Effect of noise that needs to be prevented is
Hearing Loss.
● Other effects:
o Irritability
o Not able to concentrate or sleep
o Increased heart rate
o Increased blood pressure

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NOISE

1. Frequency
● Rate at which the source produces sound
waves.
● Sound waves that pass per second that is
PARTS OF THE EAR measured by Hertz (Hz) = 1 cycle/second.
o Normal Hearing Range: 20-20,000 Hz
o Speech Range: 500-3,000 Hz
• Pitch can be high or low.
Causes of noise:
• Urban
o Transportation
o construction sites
o Industries/Establishment
o Music may also cause noise
(Leisure/Domestic)
• Community
o Parties (Domestic)
o Singing by 10 or 11 pm

Vulnerable Group:
• Very young
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 • Very old ● Ultrasound in excess of 120 dB may cause
• Mental Disorders (easily startled) hearing loss
● Infrasound in excess of 140 dB may cause
2. Intensity hearing loss

Normal Hearing Threshold:

NOISE INDUCED HEARING LOSS TYPES
• Faintest level of sound detected by the human
ear is 0A
• Conversational speech is 60dB. 1. Acute Acoustic Trauma
● Instantaneous sound of > 140 dB can cause
permanent hearing loss
3. Time Pattern
● Mechanism of Injury: Mechanical
Transient
o gunshot
• Impulsive o firing of a cannon
o A Bulge is formed. It is hot and when
it is exposed to cold air it will explode
and create an impulsive noise. (Basta
2. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
malakas na sound na instant and lasts • Lower loudness but repeated for several years
for a short time) (3 or 5 yrs).
• Impact • Moderate sounds, longer duration.
o Dropping of a glass • Mechanism of Injury:
o mechanical
Continuous o metabolic
o Humming of the aircon o vascular
• Temporary then permanent hearing loss.
4. Duration • Limit: 85-90 dB/5 days.
• Long
o Factory workers when testing the
loudness of the horn (Whole day). PREVALENCE OF HEARING DISABILITY
• Short
o Concert and staying in front of the ● Philippines (Philippine Disability Survey)
speakers, it will only last for a few o 1995 – 12.6%
hours. o 1997 – 17.0% (Increased)
o 2002 – 33.0% (Increased)
▪ 42.2% of Filipino Workers
EFFECTS OF NOISE o 2010 - 27.1% (Decreased)
● USA, 2008 (www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/noise/)
Hearing Loss > 20,000 Hz o 12.5% of Children
< 20 Hz o 17.0% of Adults
Sleep Disturbance 40 dB

* especially early in the MEASUREMENT OF HEARING LOSS

morning and among elderly
Effects on task Performance
Behavioral After-Effects
*hostile reactions,
increased anxiety level
Increased HPN & Ischemic
Heart Disease Risk
*HPN is multifactorial, even
noise can affect it
Alterations in immune and
endocrine responses
Simple = 100 dB * Simple tests or observations you can do to identify
(reading, sketching) whether the person is suffering from hearing problems.
Complex = 80 dB * e.g. 1. Always repeating your question 2. When you
(analyzing, critical try to cover your mouth, the person cannot answer (lip
thinking) reading) 3. Having problems with consonants.
Mental = 80 dB * Hearing loss, problem with low pitch, hindi niya
80-90 dB maririnig yung loundness in terms of vowel sounds
(because vowel sounds are made by the vocal cords;
low pitch). High pitch for consonants. (ex. Pakiabot hat
ko. // Ano fat ako?)
70 dB
*ask for Audiometry
workplace/environment • For this test, you wear earphones attached to
the audiometer.
• Sound is low to high pitch (increasing volume
until detected by patient).
• Threshold: minimum sound heard by the
patient.

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 • Pure tones of controlled intensity are delivered
to one ear at a time. • Temporary Threshold Shift = Reversible
• Permanent Threshold Shift = Irreversible

NOISE STANDARDS

● Threshold limit value: 85-90 dB for 8

hrs/day, 5 days/week.
● Number of work days in the Philippines is 6
days/week (48 hrs/week). Overtime limit is
12 hrs/day (60 hrs/week).
● In areas/environment wherein there is higher
dB or loudness of sound, they require
employees to wear earphones, earmuffs or
earplugs (personal protective equipment).
● Highest level of control = engineering
control to lower production of noise (altering
the environment).

* One way to prevent hearing loss is through

administrative control. For every 5 dB increase, you
half the duration of exposure.

INTENSITY RECOMMENDED
EXPOSURE OF DURATION
90 dB 8 hrs/day x 5 days/week
95 dB 4 hrs/day
100 dB 2 hrs/day
105 dB 1 hr/day
110 dB 30 mins/day
115 dB 15 mins/day

* A general rule of thumb for detecting excessive noise

levels is if you have to raise your voice when talking to
someone 1 meter away.

* If you have difficulty hearing or understanding a

“normal” tone of voice at a distance of about three
feet, noise levels are probably exceeding safe levels
andyou should be using hearing protection.

GADGETS AND NOISE-INDUCED HEARING LOSS

1. Device vary in output capacity (Portnuff &

Fligor, 2006)
• Apple iPods 120 – 125 dB
• Sony Walkman MP3 108 – 115 dB
• Bratz-Liptunes MP3 115 – 120 dB

* When observing for a noise-induced hearing loss, a 2. Earphones affect Level of Noise Exposure
change in the level of 500, 2000 or 4000 is (Potnuff and Fligor, 2006)
observed if there is a dip on the graph. • Earbud-style 5.5 dB higher
• Supra-aural
* Threshold shift – there is ringing of the ears after a o It is similar to headphones but it does not
concert, but it will return to normal, that is temporary completely cover the ears
shift (ex. You are near the speakers in a concert), but • Over-the ear Headphones
continuously, if you are exposed to that sound, it will o Circum-aural; minimizes ambient noise
become a permanent threshold shift.
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3. Volume control settings are adjusted to • It is important to have a baseline data to
environmental noise patients who are working in the bicycle
• Low Ambient Noise 65 dB manufacturing industries and seafarers
• High Ambient Noise 83 dB because of the risk of hearing loss.

NOTE:
4. Music Genre * Measure using a Dosimeter or a Sound Level Meter
• Rock * If you have to shout to be heard -> noisy (3-m rule)
• R&B
• Country LAWS/POLICIES ON NOISE
• Dance
• Top 40 – fast and loud sounds ● To control noise

1. PD No. 856: Code on Sanitation (1976)

5. Recommendations
• Noise isolation device • Excessive noise is a “nuisance”
• Automatic volume limiter systems • Secretary of Health to promulgate rules and
regulations
Volume Control Setting Maximum per day • In general, loud noise should be turn off
≤ 60% No limit from 10 pm – 5 am/7 am.
70% 6 hours
2. PD No. 984: National Pollution Control
80% 1.5 hours
Decree (1976)
90% 22 minutes
100% 5 minutes • Water, air, and land pollution by solid, liquid,
gaseous wastes

* For call center agents, one recommendation for them

• National Pollution Control Commission
is to have a screening test (audiometry). Although • Functions of the NPCC:
they are exposed to low sounds but are exposed at a o Programs for pollution prevention, control
longer duration thus need screening. Also, it depends and abatement
on the type of earphones they use. o Promulgation of standards, rules and
regulations
• 1987 by virtue of Executive Order 192 (Cory
HEARING CONSERVATION PROGRAM Aquino) – DENR reorganized, NPCC ->
Environment Management Bureau under the
1. Assessment of Exposure DENR
• Work Environment Measurement (WEM) – used • There are certain distances (i.e. if workplace is
for measuring noise levels. near school or hospital) that allow only a
certain amount of noise
2. Generation of less noise
Area Daytime Morning Nighttime
• Use of low-noise tools and equipment (9am-6pm) (5-9 am) (10pm-
• Better design and evening 5am)
(6-10pm)
3. Segregation and Isolation (engineering Class AA (100 50 45 40
control and admin control) m from schools,
hospitals,
• Engineering control playgrounds,
o Segregation of people etc)
o Isolation of equipment Class A 55 50 45
• Admin control – lessen the amount of exposure (Residential)
of that person to that noisy environment Class B 65 60 55
(Commercial)
4. Personal Protection Class C (Light 70 65 60
Industrial)
• Ear muffs – better at sound attenuation than Class D (Heavy 75 70 65
ear plugs in lab conditions Industrial)
• Ear plugs – better in actual work conditions
because harder to remove; sound attenuation 3. PD No. 1096: Installation of Noise-producing
15-30 dB (mimic conductive hearing loss; can Equipment (1977)
still hear but lessen the sound that goes • Noise-producing equipment should conform
through the ear by 10-20 dB) with standards
• Better design of equipment or isolation of
5. Annual Audiometry machine
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4. PD No. 1152: Philippine Environment Code
(1977)
• Community noise level noise-producing
equipment
• If you host a party, may videoke machine, you
can only sing until 10pm
• Aircraft sonic booms
• National Pollution Control Commission Civil
Aeronautics Administrations
• Community Noise Standards – appropriate
standards for community noise levels shall be
established
--END—
“Learn to reward yourself”

REFERENCES:
● Recordings
● Dr. Dacayao’s ppt
● 2020 trans

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