Article
Assessment of traffic noise pollution in traffic agents
Registro en:
SOARES, Maria do Socorro Oliveira; CRISPIM, Karla Geovanna Moraes; FERREIRA, Aldo Pacheco. Assessment of traffic noise pollution in traffic agents. Health Care, v.1. n.3, p.75-81, 2013.
10.12966/hc.11.05.2013
Autor
Soares, Maria do Socorro Oliveira
Crispim, Karla Geovanna Moraes
Ferreira, Aldo Pacheco
Resumen
Authors are indebted to Municipal Institute of Traffic Engineering and Control (MANAUSTRANS). Abstract-Traffic noise is an important source of environmental annoyance. Severe annoyance persistent over prolonged periods of time is to be regarded as causing distress. The Noise
- Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) as a change of sensorineural hearing thresholds resulting from exposure to high sound pressure levels for long periods, sometimes years, presents an irreversible and progresses gradually with time
-varying risk exposure, usually, bilateral. This study describes the audiological profile of traffic agents who worked on public streets in Manaus/AM, exposed to sound pressure levels. The applied research design was a
retrospective cross - sectional study in 118 traffic agents, analyzing their auditory performance, with audiometric tests and a
structured questionnaire. The results show a prevalence of NIHL of 20.5% in RE (right ear), and 19.2% in the LE (left ear). The comparison between sequential tests of reference points a significant change in hearing threshold after occupational exposure. Correlation was observed with variables: age, working time, use of personal protective equipment, and extra - auditory complaints. The results suggest that occupational exposure related to urban noise is associated with hearing loss and other extra
- auditory symptoms, denoting the urgency of public policies.