Noise-Induced Hearing Disturbance of Textile Weavers by Individual Pure Tone Threshold Determination Test in Taegu City

대구시내(大邱市內) 일부(一部) 방직공장(紡織工場)의 기직공(機織工)에 대(對)한 개별청력검사(個別聽力檢査) 보고(報告)

It is generally recognized that the environmental noise of the various working places thought to be the cause of hearing disturbance. This survey was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of noise-induced occupational bearing loss among the weavers of 39 textile industries in Taegu, Korea. For this survey, 432 male workers and 2,023 female workers were examined their hearing acuity by Individual pure tone threshold determination test(air conduction), from November, 1972, to January, 1973. Main findings were as follows : 1. The mean of noise intensity of the 54 weaving rooms was, in over all, $95.6{\pm}4.2dB\;(A),\;95.9{\pm}4.0dB\;(B)\;and\;96.2{\pm}3.9dB\;(C)$. 2. The mean hearing threshold levels by service years in the 4,000 Hz were intensively increased from 1st to 3rd year and slightly decreased. than that of 3rd year, from after 3rd to 5th year, after 5th year that increased slightly. 3. The mean hearing threshold levels by frequencies were highest in the 4,000 Hz(male: $25.0{\pm}11.3dB$, female: $22.0{\pm}10.2dB$) and followed by 6,000, 8,000 and 3,000 Hz. 4. The mean hearing threshold level of the 6,000 Hz (male: 17.0 dB. female: 17.9dB) was higher than that of 4,000Hz (male: 16.4 dB, female: 17.1dB) in tile 1st service year. 5. The mean hearing loss of examinees was $16.2{\pm}8.0dB$ in male and $15.4{\pm}7.8dB$ in female.