Noise Effects Handbook / Health and Welfare Effects EPA, 1979

/ Gone Wild

 NOISE EFFECTS HANDBOOK

A Desk Reference to Health and Welfare Effects of Noise

By Office of the Scientific Assistant, Office of Noise Abatement and Control
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, October 1979, Revised July 1981

  • Published by the National Association of Noise Control Officials
    P. O. Box 2618, Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32549
  • EPA 500-9-82-106

TOPICAL OVERVIEW (Links are active)

  1. The National Noise Problem
  2. Hearing Loss: normal auditory function, hearing loss criteria, presbycusis, hearing conservation, hearing impairment formulas
  3. Nonauditory Physiological Response: stress, arousal response, cardiovascular effects, effects on the fetus
  4. Communication Interference: factors that affect speech interference, masking, measurement of masking and speech interference, levels and criteria, special populations, overcoming speech interference
  5. Performance Interference: detriments of interference; qualities of noise and their relationship to performance interference; noise-sensitive tasks; effects on children; positive effects; and injury rates
  6. Sleep Disturbance: falling asleep, awakening, arousal and sub-awakening effects; criteria; noise and non-noise factors; other considerations
  7. Subjective Response: (individual, psychological responses) : special populations, coping behavior, antisocial behavior, decrease of helping behavior
  8. Community Response: criteria, activity interference, predictors of community annoyance, relation to population density, urban survey findings
  9. Health and Welfare Analysis: how it is carried out in regulatory development; fractional impact; level-weighted population
  10. Summary of Human Effects of Noise from Various Outdoor Noise Levels
  11. References
  12. Index

Isn’t it amazing? This handbook was published 38 years ago by the EPA and yet the “mystery” of noise-caused negative reactions in ASD-Asperger diagnosed people not only continues, but is attributed to “defective development” of our brains.

The handbook is crammed with excellent info: Example, under Subjective Response:

What kind of mental or psychological effects can occur with excessive noise exposure?

Excessive noise exposure can bring about a wide variety of psychological responses or symptoms in the individual. A person may respond with anger, or experience symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, and/or general emotional stress. Noise may negatively affect work performance because of reduced worker morale and motivation. Distraction and poor judgment may result from mental fatigue. (14)*

And:

What physiological changes occur in response to noise?

Loud sounds can cause an arousal response in which a series of reactions occur in the body. Adrenalin is released into the bloodstream; heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration tend to increase; gastrointestinal motility is inhibited; peripheral blood vessels constrict; and muscles tense. On the conscious level we are alerted and prepared to take action. Even though noise may have no relationship to danger, the body will respond automatically to noise as a warning signal. (14)

 

 

2 thoughts on “Noise Effects Handbook / Health and Welfare Effects EPA, 1979”

  1. So: one wonders? It seems that the only area of appropriate sensitivity – if one isjudged to be a social inferior/ lesser being / not-fully-human- one is to have is to discern the fleeting momentary whims of ones’ (self-styled) betters.

    One is to be ‘numb’ (dumb?) to all else, or so it seems.

    (Foolish Normies! If you want results, then facilitate the process and stay out of the way!) On second thought – maybe they’re not interested in results -perhaps they just want to ‘dominate’ (feel the intoxication of power, perhaps? Tread on our upturned faces?) and control us – as if ***power for its own sake*** is THE end?

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