High levels of very high-frequency sound and ultrasound in public and work places
High levels of very high-frequency sound and ultrasound in public and work places
For many years workers have reported adverse symptoms resulting from exposure to very high-frequency sound (VHFS) and ultrasound (US), including annoyance, difficulty concentrating, tinnitus, and headaches. Recent work showing the presence of a new generation of VHF/US sources in public and work places has reopened the debate about whether there are adverse effects of VHF/US, and has identified weaknesses in standards and exposure guidelines. We present field measurements from a number of public and work places of devices such as pest deterrents and ultrasonic welders and cleaners. As well as demonstrating the presence of intense VHFS/US sources in both work and public places, our results highlight the special considerations that must be made when measuring VHFS/US sources. These include the impact of microphone size, the impact of the microphone’s protective grid, and the sensitivity of measurements to small changes in microphone position. We propose a new protocol for measuring VHFS/US that avoids these pitfalls.
British Society of Audiology
Fletcher, Mark
ac11588a-fafe-4dbb-8b3c-80a6ff030546
Dolder, Craig
b08350be-fd09-4049-95bd-06a9c157a8bc
White, Paul
2dd2477b-5aa9-42e2-9d19-0806d994eaba
Leighton, Timothy
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Lineton, Ben
1ace4e96-34da-4fc4-bc17-a1d82b2ba0e2
3 September 2018
Fletcher, Mark
ac11588a-fafe-4dbb-8b3c-80a6ff030546
Dolder, Craig
b08350be-fd09-4049-95bd-06a9c157a8bc
White, Paul
2dd2477b-5aa9-42e2-9d19-0806d994eaba
Leighton, Timothy
3e5262ce-1d7d-42eb-b013-fcc5c286bbae
Lineton, Ben
1ace4e96-34da-4fc4-bc17-a1d82b2ba0e2
Fletcher, Mark, Dolder, Craig, White, Paul, Leighton, Timothy and Lineton, Ben
(2018)
High levels of very high-frequency sound and ultrasound in public and work places.
In British Society of Audiology Basic Auditory Science.
British Society of Audiology..
Record type:
Conference or Workshop Item
(Paper)
Abstract
For many years workers have reported adverse symptoms resulting from exposure to very high-frequency sound (VHFS) and ultrasound (US), including annoyance, difficulty concentrating, tinnitus, and headaches. Recent work showing the presence of a new generation of VHF/US sources in public and work places has reopened the debate about whether there are adverse effects of VHF/US, and has identified weaknesses in standards and exposure guidelines. We present field measurements from a number of public and work places of devices such as pest deterrents and ultrasonic welders and cleaners. As well as demonstrating the presence of intense VHFS/US sources in both work and public places, our results highlight the special considerations that must be made when measuring VHFS/US sources. These include the impact of microphone size, the impact of the microphone’s protective grid, and the sensitivity of measurements to small changes in microphone position. We propose a new protocol for measuring VHFS/US that avoids these pitfalls.
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Published date: 3 September 2018
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Local EPrints ID: 424310
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/424310
PURE UUID: fcc4ab39-afee-425c-9d09-2960731fd101
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Date deposited: 05 Oct 2018 11:36
Last modified: 23 Feb 2023 03:05
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