• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.109-113
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• 2019

Background: In both developed and developing countries, noise is regarded as the most common occupational hazard in various industries. The present study aimed to examine the effect of sound pressure level (SPL) on serum cortisol concentration in three different times during the night shift. Methods: This case-control study was conducted among 75 workers of an industrial and mining firm in 2017. The participants were assigned to one of the three groups (one control and two case groups), with an equal number of workers (25 participants) in each group. Following the ISO 9612 standard, dosimetry was adopted to evaluate equivalent SPL using a TES-1345 dosimeter. The influence of SPL on serum cortisol concentration was measured during the night shift. The serum cortisol concentration was measured using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) test in the laboratory. Repeated measure analysis of variance and linear mixed models were used with ${\alpha}=0.05$. Results: The results indicated a downward trend in the serum cortisol concentration of the three groups during the night shift. Both SPL and exposure time significantly affected cortisol concentration (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). Conversely, age and body mass index had no significant influence on cortisol concentration (p = 0.360, p = 0.62). Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, increasing SPL will lead to enhancement of serum cortisol concentration. Given that cortisol concentration varies while workers are exposed to different SPLs, this hormone can be used as a biomarker to study the effect of noise-induced stress.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.17 no.3 s.120
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• pp.274-281
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• 2007

Road traffic noise is not produced by any one factor rather it occurs as a composition of various factors. Its occurrence is made by running engine noise, tire frictional, and exhaust noise etc. The quality of the noise depends on the size of the vehicles, rotation and engine speed, vehicle load, package state of the road and incline etc. The occurrence of any noise level of heavy trucks appears louder than smaller vehicles and the noise levels produced differs according to speed and load etc between similar size vehicles. Other factors such as traffic density, average speed, mixing rate of heavy vehicles, and the distance between vehicles also generate road traffic noise. In this paper we examine 2, 4, and 6-lane roads in Jeonju. Consequently, this study examines the means used to measure road traffic noise. It was found that when there is a large traffic density and the average velocity is below 70 km/h, the noise level could receive a relative proper value by the current measuring means. But in the case of night-time, it was found that the current measuring method is inapposite.

• International Journal of Railway
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.120-124
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of interior noise in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese subways. The octave-band noise levels, A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level ($L_{Aeq}$) and parameters extracted from interaural cross-correlation/autocorrelation functions (ACF/IACFs) were analyzed to evaluate the noise inside running train cars quantitatively and qualitatively. The average $L_{Aeq}$ was 72-83 dBA. The IACF/ACF parameters of the noise showed variations in their values, suggesting they are affected by the characteristics of the trains running, wheel-rail interaction, and cross-section of the tunnels.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.16 no.8 s.113
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• pp.864-871
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• 2006

In the development of electricity generating wind turbines for wind farm application, only two types have survived as the methods of power regulation; stall regulation and full span pitch control. The main purpose of this paper is to experimentally identify the characteristics of noise emission of wind turbines according to the power regulation types. The sound measurement procedures of IEC 61400-11 are applied to field test and evaluation of noise emission from each of 1.5 MW and 660 kW wind turbines (WT) utilizing the stall regulation and the pitch control for the power regulation, respectively. Apparent sound power level, wind speed dependence, third-octave band levels and tonality are evaluated for both of WTs. It is observed that equivalent continuous sound pressure levels (ECSPL) of the stall control type of WT continue to increase with increasing wind speed whereas those of the pitch control type of WT show less correlation with wind speed. These observed characteristics are believed to be due to the different airflow patterns around the blade between the stall regulation and the pitch control types of WT; the airflow on the suction side of blade in the stall types of WT are separated at the high wind speed. It is also found that the 1.5 MW WT using the stall control emits lower sound power than 660 kW one using the pitch control at wind speeds below 8m/s, whereas sound power of the former becomes higher than that of the latter in the wind speed over 8m/s. This wind-speed dependence of sound power leads to the very different noise omission characteristics of WTs depending on the seasons because the average wind speed in summer is lower than 8m/s whereas that in summer is higher. Based on these experimental observations, it is proposed that, in view of environmental noise regulation, the developer of wind farm should give enough considerations to the choice of power regulation of their WTG based on the weather conditions of potential wind farm locations.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.4659-4664
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• 2014

The noise produced in a factory is a cause of the noise complaint of the surrounding residential areas. In addition, it affects the work efficiency and health of workers. This paper presents the results of a basic study to reduce the noise generated from the blower, which is often used in the factory of a small and medium scale, using an active noise controller (ANC) in three-dimensional space. For this purpose, the simulator program, which can compare various parameters of the original noise and controlled noise, such as sound pressure levels, power spectra, and equivalent noise levels, was developed. The noise data was recorded at 17 points around a turbo fan blower currently being operated in a small-medium size factory. The simulation results showed that the power spectrum was reduced by a maximum of 40dB in the low frequency band and the average equivalent noise level attenuation was 12.6dB.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2000

In order to predict the propagation of road traffic noise over level terrain, this paper presents the model of the simple monopole and dipole source. Excess attenuations by ground acoustic impedance with continuity are investigated by outdoor experiments. In this results, the propagation of road traffic noise is affected by the acoustic impedance properties of the ground surface over which the noise travels, particularly when the receiver position is close to the surface. These results are then used to derive sound pressure level contours for the attenuation with distance of the equivalent energy level received from passing vehicle. The percentage of deep sleep and the number of wakings are studied for continuous traffic noise. The hearing loss and sensitivity threshold shift is investigated by changing the various parameters such as the effects of aging and noise exposure. Evaluation of the response of human to traffic noise is discribed. It is shown that exposure to excessive noise can cause temporary loss of hearing that may become permanent if the exposure is prolonged or intense.