Summary
This study deals with changes in the temporary hearing threshold (TTS2), heart rate (HR), R-wave amplitude (RWA), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), pulse pressure (PP) and reaction time (RT) in subjects (n = 108) who, while working on a choice reaction apparatus, were exposed in an exposure chamber to combinations of noise and vibration at dry bulb temperatures of 20° and 30° C. The study was carried out as a type 2-3-3 factorial experiment, the number of the exposure combinations thus being 18. To find out the effects of competition-type psychic stress, some of the subjects were placed in a competitive group and some in a non-competitive group. The members of the competitive group were given financial encouragement and information on their progress during the test, whereas those in the non-competitive group worked at the rate they considered best without any monetary rewards or interim information. The noise classes were: (1) no noise, (2) a stable broadband (bandwidth 0.2–16.0 kHz) A-weighted noise of 90 dB not related to competition, and (3) a stable broadband A-weighted noise of 90 dB related to competition about the fastest reaction time. The vibration classes were: (1) no vibration, (2) sinusoidal whole body vibration (Z-axis) at a frequency of 5 Hz, and (3) stochastic broadband (bandwidth 2.8–11.2 Hz) whole body vibration (Z↾is). The acceleration (rms) of both vibrations was 2.12m/s2. One experiment consisted of a control period of 30 min, three consecutive exposure periods of 16 min with an interval of 4 min, and a 15-min recovery period. The variance analysis model best explained the variation in TTS2 values at 4 kHz and second best the variation in TTS2 values at 6 kHz; it explained the variation in HR values third best, the variation in SBP values fourth best and the variation in PP values fifth best. On the other hand, the model explained least well the variation in DBP and RWA values. In general, the explanatory power of the model increased together with the number of exposures. The psychic stress caused by competition accelerated the growth of the TTS2 values, HR values and SBP values, when the subjects were simultaneously exposed to noise or to a combination of noise and vibration. An interesting finding for the continuation of the research project was that sinusoidal and stochastic vibration affected the cardiovascular changes, temporary hearing threshold and reaction times in different ways.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bell PA (1978) Effects of noise and heat stress on primary and subsidiary task performance. Hum Factors 20:749–752
Collins AM (1973) Decrements in trackings and visual performance during vibration. Hum Factors 15:379–393
Dean RD, McClothen CL (1965) Effects of combined heat and noise on human performance, physiology, and subjective estimates of comfort and performance. In: Proceedings of the Annual Technical Meetings 1965. Institute of Environmental Sciences, USA, pp 55–65
Gibson D, Hall MK (1966) Cardiovascular change and mental task gradient. Psychonomic Sci 6:245–246
Hartvig P, Midttun O (1983) Coronary heart disease risk factors in bus and truck drivers. A controlled cohort study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 52:353–360
Hinchcliffe R, Littler TS (1958) Methodology of air-conduction audiometry for hearing survey. Ann Occup Hyg 1:114–133
Kubik S, Blazekova L (1970) Complex influence of noise on human organism. In: Zonderland P (ed) Noise 2000. Proceedings of the 5th and the 6th International Congresses of the Association Internationale Contre le Bruit, London, May 1968 and Groningen, May 1970. Wolter-Noordhoff Publishing, Groningen, The Netherlands, pp 139–140
Manninen O (1982) Combinations of noise, vibration, temperature and physical work and temporary threshold shift of hearing. Nordic Council Arct Med Res Rep 33:588–594
Manninen O (1983a) A review of exposure combinations included noise: the meaning of complex exposures. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress on Noise as a Public Health Problem, Turin, Italy, 21–25 June 1983, Edizioni Techniche a cura del Centro Ricerche e Studi Amplifon, Milano, pp 637–659
Manninen O (1983b) Studies of combined effects of sinusoidal whole body vibration and noise of varying bandwidths and intensities on TTS2 in men. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 51:273–288
Manninen O (1983c) Simultaneous effects of sinusoidal whole body vibration and broadband noise on TTSZ's and R-wave amplitudes in men at two different dry bulb temperatures. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 51:289–297
Manninen O (1984a) Hearing threshold and heart rate in men after repeated exposure to dynamic muscle work, sinusoidal vs stochastic whole body vibration and stable broadband noise. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 54:19–32
Manninen O (1984b) Complementary studies on human reaction to complex exposures. In: Manninen O (ed) Combined effects of environmental factors. Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Combined Effects of Environmental Factors held in Tampere, Finland, 22–25 September 1984. The International Society of Complex Environmental Studies (ISCES). Keskuspaino Central Printing House, Tampere, Finland, pp 43–71
Manninen O (1985) Some results of the study of city bus drivers [in Finnish] Onnikka 1:17–18
Manninen O, Ekblom A (1984) Single and joint actions of noise and sinusoidal whole body vibration of TTS2 values and low frequency upright posture sway in men. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 54:1–17
Okada A, Kajikawa Y, Nohara S (1984) Combined effect of vibration and noise. In: Manninen O (ed) Combined effects of environmental factors. Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Combined Effects of Environmental Factors held in Tampere, Finland, 22–25 September 1984. The International Society of Complex Environmental Studies (ISCES). Keskuspaino Central Printing House, Tampere, Finland, pp 117–131
Ostapkovich VE, Perekrest AI (1976) Concerning the hazard criteria of injury of the sound analyzer in the workers of locomotive brigades [in Russian]. Otorinolaryng 2:25–29
Pokrovskij NN (1968) Komleksnoe izuĉenie vlijanija proizvodstvennyh ŝumov na sluh, centralnjuju nervnuju i serdeĉnososudistuju sistemy. 756-Gigiena i Professionaljnye Zabolevanija. Autoreferat. Leningradskij Gosudarstvennyi Sanitarnogigieniceskij Medicinskij Institut, Leningrad
Price LL (1978) Pure tone audiometer, In: Rose DE (ed) Audiological assessment, 2nd edn. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, pp 189–226
Rentzsch M, Prescher W, Weinreich W (1984) The combined effect of climate and noise on labour efficiency and stress. In: Manninen O (ed) Combined effects of environmental factors. Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Combined Effects of Environmental Factors held in Tampere, Finland, 22–25 September 1984. The International Society of Complex Environmental Studies (ISCES). Keskuspaino Central Printing House, Tampere, Finland, pp 99–115
Shatalov NN, Murov MA (1970) The influence of intensive noise and neuropsychic tension on the level of the arterial pressure and incidence of hypertensive vascular disease [in Russian]. Klin Med 48:70–73
Shurmer CR (1967) A review of the effect of low frequency vibration on man and on his tracking performance. Human Factors Study Note Series 4, no. 7. British Aircraft Corporation (Operating) Limited, Guided Weapons Division [Bristol Works] Filton
Singh AP, Rai RM, Bhatia MR, Nayar HS (1982) Effect of chronic and acute exposure to noise on physiological functions in man. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 50:169–174
Trifonov H, Mandaliev A (1973) Issledovanie vlijanija ŝuma na sluhoroi apparat arterialnoe davlenic i nervruja sistema rabocih tekstilnoi promyslennostic. Contribution to the Scientific Congress on Industrial Hygiene, Noise, Dust and Occupational Diseases, Varna, pp 201–204
Winer BJ (1962) Statistical principles in experimental design, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill Kogakusha Ltd, Tokyo
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Some preliminary results from the cardiovascular measurements were presented in Moscow at the International Soviet-American Conference in memory of PK Anokhin, “Emotions and behavior: a systems approach”, 27–29 June, 1984
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Manninen, O. Cardiovascular changes and hearing threshold shifts in men under complex exposures to noise, whole body vibrations, temperatures and competition-type psychic load. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 56, 251–274 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405268
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00405268