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Assessment of noise exposure and associated health risk in school environment
Yassin, M. F.; Almutairi, H.; Alhajeri, N.; Fadhli, F. Al-; Rashidi, M. S. Al & Shatti, T.
Abstract
Noise exposure has become one of the most
important factors in determining the quality of life in
indoor environments. This paper assesses and analyzes
noise exposure levels at school and preschool classrooms
with different indoor environments. The sound level [A-weighting equivalent steady sound level LAeq (dBA)] was
measured using a CEL-63× digital sound level meter. The
noise level measurements were performed inside two preschools at three classrooms (an activity room, classroom
KG1 and classroom KG2) and three schools at different
classrooms, starting from grade 1 to grade 12. The logarithmic average noise levels (LAeq avg) and the 8-h average
noise exposure level (LEX, 8-h) were estimated for each
classroom. Furthermore, health risk issues associated with
the exposure to high noise levels were investigated using a
questionnaire and an interview with more than 250 teachers
at the preschools and the schools. Then, the results were
analyzed using different statistical tools and were compared with the World Health Organization, Occupational
Health and Safety and National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health standards. Also, the results were compared with those from different countries worldwide. The
study results show that the 8-h average noise exposure
level exceeded the allowable limits in some schools, which
indicates that students and teachers can face a serious
health effects from noise exposure. The comparisons show
that the values of noise levels in Kuwait are higher than
those in different countries. The maximum value of noise
levels was found in secondary schools. The health problems found during the survey are potentially associated
with issues related to hearing, voice, headache and the
physiological function of teachers.
Keywords
Indoor environment; Health risk; Sound level; Noise exposure; Schools
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