Acute effects noise

The use of rumble strips on highways to prevent sleepiness-related accidents represents the clearest example of society adapting a countermeasure. Rumble strips combine multiple stimuli (i.e., noise, cutaneous stimulation) in an attempt to arouse the driver and prevent accidents. Like the other countermeasures discussed, there is no question about its acute effectiveness. There is a decrease in accidents proximal to the rumble strip. However, a question remains about its overall efficacy. Some research has described a phenomenon called migration, the movement of accidents from the location of the rumble strips to other locations on the highway. The question yet to be resolved is whether rumble strips prevent accidents or merely postpone them. 

Prabhakaran et al. indicated that noise could be a potent stressor and cause disturbances in the biochemical parameters of the body. It is presumed that most of the effects are indirect, being manifested through the activation of autonomic nervous system that liberates catecholamines and HPA axis responsible for the liberation of corticosteroids [104], In 1989, Hershock and Vogel found that in male Sprague-Dawley rats, acute immobilization stress could affect serum triglyceride and nonesterified fatty acid values and that these effects were diet and time dependent however, the rats total cholesterol levels were unaffected by stress [105], In addition, in 1996 Brennan et al. pointed out that stressed animals had higher levels of the cholesterol parameters than did home cage controls [106],... 

This could normally be done in one strain provided the top dose used in the assay was well below the maximum tolerated dose, as this might be acutely toxic to a more sensitive strain. A lot of the increased sensitivity from using inbred strains comes from the reduced noise making it possible to detect subtle effects, not because the animals show more marked symptoms. 

Archana, R. and Namasivayam, A. 1999. The effect of acute noise stress on neutrophil functions. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 43 491 —495. 

Chapter 10—Sick Occupational Illnesses—Occupational illnesses often do not occur in real time, but have a latency period before their manifestation. When illnesses arise where symptoms occur immediately, the acute results can often follow a cause scenario similar to that of an injury. But, when exposures to chemicals, radiation, noise, biological entities, or environmental extremes transpire, effects are often not immediate. The approach to prevention has to be addressed before the event. In this chapter, illnesses and their preventive approaches will be addressed by following a normal industrial hygiene approach to head off possible occupationally related illnesses. The emphasis is on identifying the potential hazards to health and how to best preclude them or protect your workforce from exposure. 

Sometimes the loss of hearing due to industrial noise is called the silent epidemic. Since this type of hearing loss is not correctable by either surgery or the use of hearing aids, it is certainly a monumental loss to the worker. It distorts communication both at work and socially. It may cause the worker to lose his or her job if acute hearing is required to perform effectively. The loss of hearing is definitely a handicap to the worker. 

For example rock drilling—up to 115 dBA chain saw—up to 125 dBA abrasive blasting—105 to 112 dBA heavy equipment operation—95 to 110 dBA demolition—up to 117 dBA and needle guns—up to 112 dBA. Exposure to 115 dBA is permitted for a maximum of 15 minutes for an eight-hour workday. No exposure above 115 dBA is permitted. Traditional dosimetric measurement may substantially underestimate noise exposure levels for construction workers since shortterm peak exposures, which may be responsible for acute and chronic effects, can be lost in lower, full-shifttime-weighted average measurements. 

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