Effects of Industrial Noise on Physiological Responses

Noise pollution is one of the most common workplace hazards. Noise exposure may induce auditory and extra-auditory physiological and psychological alterations that affect job performance, safety, comfort, and wellbeing. Recent research showed a connection between frequency components of noise and health outcomes, annoyance, physiological and psychological changes. This study investigated whether and how the activation of different typologies of industrial noises set at three different sound levels induced increases in electrodermal activity (EDA) and the heart rate variations differently. A laboratory listening test was performed for the study, in which 24 subjects were exposed to the activation of different industrial noises: Low Frequency, High Frequency, and Modulated noises at Low, Medium, and High sound levels, while some physiological responses were recorded. The noise stimuli were also evaluated based on a self-report questionnaire. Results show that the EDA variation increases as the Sound Level increases and is higher at HF. In contrast, no relevant changes have been found in RR variation. EDA changes are also related to the perception of the Valence dimension of the noise environment, while RR variations not. The findings of this study emphasized that the changes in EDA depend on the sound levels and frequency content of industrial noise typologies, as well as on the perception of their Valence.