International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)

Volume 5 Issue 3, March 2018 ISSN: 2394-4404

Noise And Health Evaluation Using Blood Pressure Measurement

As Indicator

NTE, F.U NTE, A.I.

Environmental Physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Clinical Psychologist UPTH, Department of
Science, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria Neuropsychiatry, University of Port Harcourt Teaching
Hospital

Abstract: Noise is considered by world health organization, WHO as the third most hazardous type of pollution. It is
a silent killer in most uniformed society. The impact ranges from; physical, pathological and psychological. This study
seeks to evaluate the noise impact on the University of Port Harcourt Science and engineering workshop. Using staff and
industrial attachment students. The test involves their blood pressure variation with increasing sound level as index. The
physics is that stressors like heat, light and sound can induce psychological expressions and constriction of muscles,
which by Boyles law are psychological reactions associated with the noise stressors at a range of 90-110 dBA using a post-
traumatic stress disorder Keame scale where applicable and other physical observations. The analysis of variance with P
value of 0.682 and 0.343 for x < 90 dBA and y > 110 dBA for a five minute exposure shows no significant difference in
blood pressure measurement. The psychological impact evaluation shows level of restlessness and loss of concentration at
100 dBA. There are study indicative that long term exposure can aggravate health condition and hearing loss which was
avoided in this preliminary research.

I. INTRODUCTION In another development, Ising and Michalak (2004) assert

that the systolic BP Reponses to moderate noise in field
The subject noise is highly topical and controversial conditions were more consistent than those intense noise in a
because of individual differences and adaptation, health Laboratory on same individual due to environmental influence
challenges and overriding economic interest of those that while using et al (2004) claimed that emotional responses such
generate the noise. as anger or fear may magnify and prolong the effect of the
The noise which is a wave function can be; noise. In other development Carter et al (2002) discovered that
 Intermittent e.g. ringing of telephone, sleep laboratory (BP) and heart rate (HR) were traced after
 Fluctuating in nature e.g motor traffic acoustic stimuli or recorded transport noise arousal.
 Steady source e.g generators and transformers From a social study angle, Blanc et al (1997) found that
 Impulsive e.g drilling, welding, fire arms and handling of both systolic and diastolic BP level as well as heart rate HR
materials, all of which have different impact on health. increased with higher noise level during the preceding minutes
This study focuses on the impact of varying steady noise which is indicative that persistent noise affect health more.
level on the blood pressure of the University of Port Harcourt On the compliment Dave et al (1993) conducted studies
Science and Engineering Staff and Students, using a range of on five subjects groups and found an increase in diastolic BP
50-110 dBA Sound level. Along the line of studies, Fogari et al from 4 to 6mmHg associated with arousal according to sleep
(2001) with other scholars claimed that workers exposed to stages.
high-level industrial noise and having their BP Measured via There are however major differences between Laboratory
ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) Showed BP increase and real life condition. For instance in real life condition, other
during exposure to noise for a few hours. fluctuating noise have its side effect. Many factors apart from
the environmental element determine noise impact.

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 International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 5 Issue 3, March 2018 ISSN: 2394-4404

Haralabidise et al (2008) claimed that illness that can affect BP The analysis shows that there is no significant difference
measurement include the following medication and conditions; between the health impact of the noise using BP before and
 Antihypertensive medication during exposure with varying noise level, since p-values is
 Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus 0.343 greater than the α level of significance at 0.05
 Diagnosis of obstructive sleep sponoea syndromes
 Working in night shift
 Using sleeping pills and sedative IV. ANALYSIS OF RESULT
 Diagnosis of hearing impairment
 Regular use of earplugs or exposed to industrial noise The experiment within the bound of 100-110d BA for a 5
 Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation minutes exposure shows there is no significant difference in
Effort is made to use the experiences of the past study the BP rise since p value of 0.682 for X and 0.343 for Y are
group to guide the present experiment by limiting our self to greater than the level of significance at 0.05. The
11OdBA within a five to ten munities exposure to play safe on psychological studies however shows that the sound above
standards. 100dBA was painful to the ear which informed the decision to
Other related studies include. Gary et al (2007), Singh and limit the exposure of the study persons to five minutes to
Davo, (2010), Ising and Kruppa (2004) and Babisch (2005). accommodate their threshold tolerance.

II. MATERIALS AND METHOD V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The three most significant equipment in this study are the The theory of possible BP rise with sound level rise is
electronic sphygmomanometer for measuring the blood centered on the claim that harmful stimuli causes blood vessels
pressure before and during treatment, the audio source which is to contract as a defence mechanism thereby making the hairs to
a sonic media stereo, and a digital noise level meter for stand erect which is observable. With increase heart rate over
measuring the noise level, supported by a noise dosimeter. The the contracted blood vessels there is bound to be an increase in
screened candidates were moved to the electrical and BP by the application of Boyles law which stresses that the
electronics section of the workshop where they were exposed pressure „P‟ of a system is inversely proportional to the volume
to an alarm noise source of 50d BA to 110 dBA for a space of „V”.
5 to 10 minutes while the reading where taken. The fact that the study recorded no significant difference
in the BP rise is indicative that most BP challenge has a
pathological origin which is aggravated by the environmental
III. RESULTS stressors, such as noise and not the other way round. The time
of exposure and the pain taken to select healthy young persons
This study tries to look at the health impact of the noise for the trial may not give the same effect like the industrial
using the blood pressure4 level before and during exposure noise and its impact on communities which is a mixed setting
with varying noise level as an index. over a longer period of exposure.
„C‟ = 50-60dBA which is the control, x≤ 90dBA, y ≤
110dBA for a 5 to 10 minutes exposure.
REFERENCES
RESULTS
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 International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies (IJIRAS)
Volume 5 Issue 3, March 2018 ISSN: 2394-4404

[6] Fogari R, Zoppi A, Corradi L, Marasi G. Vanasia A, [10] Ising H and B. Kruppa (2004): Health Effects Caused by
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