Abstract
During a series of field and laboratory experiments designed to study overall blast effects, incidental observations were made of the ears of more than 490 animals to determine eardrum failures associated with exposure to ‘atypical’ and ‘typical’ blast wave forms. Animals positioned inside structures were exposed to a variety of ‘atypical’ blast waves, whereas those located inside shock tubes or in the open, when high explosives were detonated, were exposed to fairly ‘typical’ wave forms. When the incidence of eardrum rupture is related to the various elements of the measured pressure-time curves, the association is not the same for the two types of wave shapes. Besides suggesting that tolerance is higher for ‘slow’-than for ‘fast’-rising wave forms, the findings demonstrate a wide variability in the magnitude of the overpressures required to rupture the eardrum. Within the limits of the data available, the quantitative differences are noted and discussed with emphasis on the apparent wide variability in tolerance and a proposed explanation for this finding. Although the results are limited strictly to the mammalian species studied, it is likely that the eardrum of man also is sensitive to the shape and character, as well as the magnitude and duration of the blast wave. The data are useful to military and civilian physicians, industrial otologists and all other health and safety personnel including those who have research interests in establishing quantitative dose-response criteria for individuals exposed to blast-induced variations in pressure.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Armstrong, H. G.: 1952,Principles and Practice of Aviation Medicine, 3rd edition, The Williams & Wilkins Co., Baltimore, Md., U.S.A.Ibid., 1943 (2nd edition).
Betz, P. A., Chiffelle, T. L., Damon, E. G., and Richmond, D. R.: 1965, The Effects of a 500-Ton Explosion on Goats Exposed in the Higher Pressure Regions (Program 4 — Project 4.1). Tab “A”,Biomedical Program — 500-Ton Explosion — Final Report, Technical Progress Report, DASA-1656, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
Blake, P. M., Douglas, J. W. B., Krohn, P. L., and Zuckerman, S.: (undated), Rupture of the Eardrum by Blast. Ministry of Home Security Report B.P.C. 43/179/W.S. 21, Military Personnel Research Committee (Medical Research Council), Department of Human Anatomy, Oxford University, Oxford, England.
Chaillet, R. F., Garinther, G. R., Hodge, D. C., and Newcomb, F. N.: 1964, High Intensity Impulse Noise: A Major Problem. U.S. Army Technical Note 4-64, Human Engineering Laboratories, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Coles, R. R. A. and Rice, C. G.: 1966, Considerations on Auditory Effects from Nuclear Blast. R.N.M.S. Report No. 8/66, Royal Navy Medical School, Alverstoke, Hampshire, England.
Coles, R. R. A., Garinther, G. R., Hodge, D. C. and Rice, C. G.: 1967, Hazardous Exposure to Impulse Noise. ISAV Memorandum 162, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, The University of Southampton, Hampshire, England.
Finney, D. J.: 1952, Probit Analysis.A Statistical Treatment of the Sigmoid Response Curve, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England.
Frenzel, Hermann: 1950, ‘Otorhinolaryngology’, inGerman Aviation Medicine, World War II, Vol. 2, Chapter 10-A, pp. 977–993, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
Gaylord, C. S., Damon, E. G., Hicks, W., Chiffelle, T. L., and Richmond, D. R.: 1965, The Effects of a 500-Ton Explosion on Goats in Foxholes (Program 4 — Project 4.3). Tab. “C”,Biochemical Program — 500-Ton Explosion — Final Report, Technical Progress Report, DASA-1656, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
Golden, P. M. and Clare, R.: 1965, The Hazards to the Human Ear from Shock Waves Produced by High Energy Electrical Discharge. AWRE Report No. E-1/65, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Aldermaston, Berkshire, England.
Hirsch, F. G.: 1966, Effects of Overpressure on the Ear — A Review. Technical Progress Report, DASA-1858, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C. Also inAnn. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 152, (1968), 147–162.
Iwanski, E. C., Schiffman, T. H., and Zaker, T. A.: 1957, Blast Effects on Buildings and Structures, Operation of 6-foot and 2-foot Shock Tubes. High Pressure Tests on Simple Shapes. Final Report No. 10, Armour Research Foundation, Chicago, Ill.
Mazzaros, J. and Keefer, J. H.: 1957, Blast Measurements for CETG Projects, Operation Plumbbob USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, ITR-1501, Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Minor, E. E.: 1964, Letter Report Transmitting Project 1.1. Operation Snow Ball Overpressure Data. Terminal Ballistics Laboratory, Ballistic Research Laboratories, Edgewood, Md.
Pratt, D. E., Chiffelle, T. L., Damon, E. G., and Richmond, D.R.: 1965, Threshold Lung Injury in Goats from a 500-Ton Explosion (Program 4 — Project 4.4). Tab “D”,Biomedical Program—500-Ton Explosion — Final Report, Technical Progress Report, DASA-1656, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
Richmond, D. R., Taborelli, R. V., Bowen, I. G., Chiffelle, T. L., Hirsch, F. G., Longwell, B. B., Riley, J. G., White, C. S., Sherping, F., Goldizen, V. C., Ward, J. D., Wetherbe, M. B., Clare, V. R., Kuhn, M. L., and Sanchez, R. T.: 1959, Blast Biology — A Study of the Primary and Tertiary Effects of Blast in Open Underground Protection Shelters. USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, WT-1467, Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Richmond, D. R., Clare, V. R., Goldizen, V. C., Pratt, D. E., Sanchez, R. T., and White, C. S.: 1961, ‘Biological Effects of Overpressure. II. A Shock Tube Utilized to Produce Sharp-rising Overpressures of 400 Milliseconds Duration and Its Employment in Biomedical Experiments’,Aerospace Med. 32, 997–1008.
Richmond, D. R., Damon, E. G., Bowen, I. G., Fletcher, E. R., and White, C. S.: 1966a, Air-Blast Studies with Eight Species of Mammals. Technical Progress Report, DASA-1854, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
Richmond, D. R., Gaylord, C. S., Damon, E. G., and Taborelli, R. V.: 1966b, DASA-AEC-Lovelace Foundation Blast-Simulation Facility. Technical Progress Report, DASA-1853, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
Richmond, D. R., Damon, E. G., Fletcher, E. R., and Bowen, I. G.: 1966c, The Relationship Between Selected Blast Wave Parameters and the Response of Mammals Exposed to Air Blast. Technical Progress Report, DASA-1860, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C. Also inAnn. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 152, (1968), 103–121.
Roberts, J. E., White, C. S., and Chiffelle, T. L.: 1953, Effects of Overpressures in Group Shelters on Animals and Dummies. USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, WT-798, Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Ruhl, E. W. et al.: 1953, AEC Shelter Instrumentation. USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, WT-790, AEC Technical Information Service, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
von Gierke, H. E.: 1968, ‘Response of the Body to Mechanical Forces — An Overview’,Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 152, 172–186.
Vortman, L. J., Birnbaum, H., Laing, E., Ort, F. G., Schumacher, R. V., and Hudson, C. C.: 1957, The Effects of an Atomic Explosion on Group and Family Type Shelters. USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, WT-1161, AEC Technical Information Service Extension, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Vortman, L. J.: 1957, Evaluation of Various Types of Personnel Shelters Exposed to an Atomic Explosion. USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, WT-1218, Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Wever, E. G., Bray, C. W., and Lawrence, M.: 1942, ‘The Effects of Pressure in the Middle Ear’,J. Exp. Psychol. 30, 40–52.
White, C. S., Chiffelle, T. L., Richmond, D. R., Lockyear, W. H., Bowen, I. G., Goldizen, V. C., Merideth, H. W., Kilgore, D. E., Longwell, B. B., Parker, J. T., Sherping, F., and Cribb, M. E.: 1957, Biological Effects of Pressure Phenomena Occurring Inside Protective Shelters Following Nuclear Detonation. USAEC Civil Effects Test Group Report, WT-1179, Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
White, C. S., Bowen, I. G., and Richmond, D. R.: 1965, Biological Tolerance to Air Blast and Related Biomedical Criteria. USAEC Civil Effects Test Operations Report, CEX-65.4, Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
White, C. S., Bowen, I. G., and Richmond, D. R.: 1967, The Relation Between Eardrum Failure and Blast-Induced Pressure Variations. Technical Progress Report, DASA-2064, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, Washington, D.C.
Zalewski, T.: 1906, ‘Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Resistenzfähigkeit des Trommelfells’,Z. Ohrenheilk. 52, 109–128.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Deceased.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
White, C.S., Bowen, I.G. & Richmond, D.R. The relation between eardrum failure and blast-induced pressure variations. Space Life Sciences 2, 158–205 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01101282
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01101282