High levels of very high-frequency sound and ultrasound in public and work places

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..

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.

Full text not available from this repository.

Contributors

Author: Craig Dolder

Author: Paul White

Author: Timothy Leighton

University divisions

• Faculties (pre 2018 reorg) > Faculty of Engineering and the Environment (pre 2018 reorg) > Southampton Marine & Maritime Institute (pre 2018 reorg)
• Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > School of Engineering > Institute of Sound and Vibration Research
  Institute of Sound and Vibration Research
• Current Faculties > Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences > Institute for Life Sciences > Biofilms
  Institute for Life Sciences > Biofilms

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