Sep 28th, 2021
2 mins
COVID 19 – Study suggests Personal Environmental Sound Exposure Noise halved in 4 US States
The COVID-19 pandemic created substantial disruptions in society, the economy and personal behaviour. A US study looked to explore changes in personal sound exposures resulting from COVID-19-related social distancing. Volunteer participants opted to share environmental sound data from their Apple Watch and headphone sound data from their iPhone. The study reported that COVID-19 social distancing measures in 4 US states were associated with an approximately 3 dBA reduction in personal environmental sound exposures. This represents a substantial and health-relevant reduction in exposure. A 3 dBA reduction in average sound levels over 70 dBA LEX8h is associated with a lower risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Given that the negative impacts of sound on ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and cognitive performance appear to occur at levels well below 70 dBA LEX8h [3], the COVID-related reduction in sound exposures among study participants likely represents a meaningful reduction in overall risk of sound-related health effects.
Impacts of COVID-19-related social distancing measures on personal environmental sound exposures
