Study of non-auditory effects of noise

Abstract

It is generally known that long-term and repeated exposure to noise has a negative impact on the sense of hearing. However, less is known about the fact that not only auditory organs are affected by noise. Research has shown that noise has effects on the entire organism, especially central and autonomic nervous system. Peterson et al. (1981) conducted a study using monkeys to explore the effects of long-term exposure to noise on blood pressure and auditory function. The animals’ blood pressure remained elevated even after noise exposure was terminated, while their auditory sensitivity was not decreased. The paper proposes a methodology of noise assessment, taking into consideration legislative requirements as well as non-auditory effects of noise. The methodology is applicable even in the first phase of product development.