Noise Calculations assignment
Ear Anatomy and Physiology & Noise Monitoring
ERHS 350 Online
Module 9
Overview
It is important as an occupational health practitioner that you understand—
The principles of acoustical physics
How to monitor noise exposures
How to interpret noise data
How to control noise exposure
We offer an entire course on occupational noise control
Overview
What is sound?
A pressure wave
Molecules in the air (or some other medium, like water or solid objects) compress and then expand
The ear converts this pressure wave into an electrical signal that is decoded by the brain as sound
Sound
A pressure wave that propagates through an elastic medium, such as
Air
Water
Steel
Glass
Wood
Note: the speed of sound in air is 343 m/sec
Q: Does sound travel faster or slower in objects denser than air (e.g., steel, water)?
Overview
The human ear is a complex organ
Converts a pressure wave in air
Into a mechanical force in the middle ear
Into a pressure wave in fluid in the inner ear
Into an electrical signal that is decoded by the brain as sound
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Overview
Hazardous noise can damage the ear resulting in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) that is irreversible
NIOSH has estimated that up to 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous levels of noise and that 10 million workers have irreversible noise-induced hearing loss
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Health Effects/Risk
Not all frequencies pose the same risk of damage to the human ear
Higher frequencies are more damaging
Sounds from 3,000 Hz to 6,000 Hz are of most concern
Produce a noise-induced hearing loss centered around 4,000 Hz
Health Effects/Risks
Temporary or permanent hearing loss
Ever had “buzzing” in your ears?
Tinnitus
Increased risk of injury
Hypertension
Annoyance
Sleep disturbance
Ischemic heart disease (Reduced blood flow to the heart)
And others
In addition to individual factors, noise pollution is regarded as an environmental factor able to raise the risk for IHD. Noise may contribute to some well-researched risk factors for CVD–increased blood pressure, dyslipidemia, inflammatory processes, promotion of blood-clotting factors, and changes in heart rate variability.[3] It acts as a general stressor for the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, increasing cortisol and catecholamine levels, disrupting normal sleep patterns, leading to vasoconstriction and vascular impairment;[4,5,6] it has deleterious effects on glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity.[7] Atherosclerotic changes can be enhanced by noise-related overproduction of cortisol, increased blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and generation of proinflammatory agents and raised interleukin-6 because of higher oxidative stress.[3] Noise may also decrease arterial compliance and lead to vascular hypertonicity and dysregulate the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events.[3] Animal models have even shown that chronic noise exposure reduces male testosterone levels, which, on the other hand, might further impair their cardiovascular system.[8]
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Objectives
When you have completed this module, you will be able to:
Identify the major structures of the human ear given a diagram,
Describe the functions of the major structures of the human ear, and
Describe the conduction of sound through the ear.
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Objectives
When you have completed this module, you should be able to:
Define noise
Calculate a variety of noise parameters given equations
Define and calculate sound power and sound pressure level
Define and calculate octave bands
Objectives
Continued
Add decibels given a list of noise source levels
Describe the types of noise
Define the types of sensorineural hearing loss
Define exchange rates
Describe weighting filters
Ear Structure
We will discuss the ear in three major sections
Outer ear
Middle ear
Inner ear
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Ear Structure
Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic License, Chittka L, Brockmann; derivative work: Mike Lifeguard
Outer Ear
Functions to gather sound
Pinna or auricle
Gathers and conducts sound into the external auditory canal (meatus) to the tympanic membrane (tympanum)
The pinna and meatus will modify an acoustic wave, changing the spectrum of the sound that reaches the tympanum
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Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic License, Chittka L, Brockmann; derivative work: Mike Lifeguard
Outer Ear
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Young, healthy adult ears can detect sound in the frequency
range of 20-20,000 Hz (decreases with age)
Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic License, Chittka L, Brockmann; derivative work: Mike Lifeguard
Middle Ear
Functions to transmit sound
The middle ear boundaries are the tympanic membrane to the oval window
Converts pressure waves in the air in to mechanical force that is delivered to the inner ear
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Middle Ear
Ossicles
Three bones in the middle ear that connect the tympanum to the oval window to transfer sound pressure waves
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Image reprinted from the Auditory Science Laboratory at The Hospital for Sick Children.
Inner Ear
Function is to perceive sound
Cochlea
The primary hearing structure in the inner ear
Embedded in the temporal bone and is filled with endolymph fluid
When the ossicles cause the oval window to move inward and outward, a fluid wave is introduced in the endolymph fluid in the cochlea
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Inner Ear
Inner Ear
Copyright © 2003 by BSCS. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from
How Your Brain Understands What Your Ear Hears.
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Inner Ear
There are approximately 4000 inner hair cells and 12,000 outer hair cells or stereocilia.
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Image reprinted from the Auditory Science Laboratory at The Hospital for Sick Children.
Inner Ear
Basilar Membrane
Different regions resonate with different frequencies
The regions that resonate at high frequencies are closest to the oval window
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Inner Ear
Basilar Membrane
Virtually all frequencies of sound will stimulate the hair cells closest to the oval window
The cells may fatigue or become dysfunctional with repeated stimulation
A primary reason that higher frequency hearing loss is seen first in cases of noise induced hearing loss
Inner Ear
This image from the Encyclopedia Britannica, illustrates that relatively higher frequencies resonate near the base of the cochlea, whereas, the relatively lower frequencies resonate near the apex of the cochlea.
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Important Equations for Homework
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