Biomaterial Database

Noise-induced extra-aural pathology: a review and commentary. 1999

M Alves-Pereira

School of Biomedical Engineering, Sciences and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

The focus of this review paper will be the effects of acoustic phenomenon (noise), characterized by large pressure amplitude (> or =90 dB) and low frequency (< or =500 Hz) (LPALF) on humans and animal models. Current concepts imply the assumption that such LPALF noise impinges only on, or through, the somatic medium of the auditory system. As a consequence of this assumption, the effect of noise on humans is only regulated for purposes of hearing conservation. Guidelines and regulations governing occupational noise assessments are biased toward the subjective human perception of sound. The author will not make the assumption that airborne acoustic phenomena impacts only on the auditory system, and will present a literature review providing evidence for such position. The purpose of this review paper is to defend the existence of extra-aural, noise-induced pathology, particularly the vibroacoustic disease; and to advance the recognition that the respiratory tract could very well be a target organ of this environmental stressor.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006965	Hyperplasia	An increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ without tumor formation. It differs from HYPERTROPHY, which is an increase in bulk without an increase in the number of cells.	Hyperplasias
D008297	Male		Males
D008452	Maximum Allowable Concentration	The maximum exposure to a biologically active physical or chemical agent that is allowed during an 8-hour period (a workday) in a population of workers, or during a 24-hour period in the general population, which does not appear to cause appreciable harm, whether immediate or delayed for any period, in the target population. (From Lewis Dictionary of Toxicology, 1st ed)	Maximum Permissible Exposure Level,MPEL,Maximum Permissible Exposure Concentration,Allowable Concentration, Maximum,Allowable Concentrations, Maximum,Concentration, Maximum Allowable,Concentrations, Maximum Allowable,MPELs,Maximum Allowable Concentrations
D009623	Noise, Occupational	Noise present in occupational, industrial, and factory situations.	Occupational Noise,Noises, Occupational,Occupational Noises
D009784	Occupational Diseases	Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment.	Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D012140	Respiratory Tract Diseases	Diseases involving the RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.	Respiratory Diseases,Respiratory System Diseases,Disease, Respiratory System,Disease, Respiratory Tract,Respiratory System Disease,Respiratory Tract Disease
D002455	Cell Division	The fission of a CELL. It includes CYTOKINESIS, when the CYTOPLASM of a cell is divided, and CELL NUCLEUS DIVISION.	M Phase,Cell Division Phase,Cell Divisions,Division Phase, Cell,Division, Cell,Divisions, Cell,M Phases,Phase, Cell Division,Phase, M,Phases, M
D004195	Disease Models, Animal	Naturally-occurring or experimentally-induced animal diseases with pathological processes analogous to human diseases.	Animal Disease Model,Animal Disease Models,Disease Model, Animal
D004784	Environmental Monitoring	The monitoring of the level of toxins, chemical pollutants, microbial contaminants, or other harmful substances in the environment (soil, air, and water), workplace, or in the bodies of people and animals present in that environment.	Monitoring, Environmental,Environmental Surveillance,Surveillance, Environmental
D005109	Extracellular Matrix	A meshwork-like substance found within the extracellular space and in association with the basement membrane of the cell surface. It promotes cellular proliferation and provides a supporting structure to which cells or cell lysates in culture dishes adhere.	Matrix, Extracellular,Extracellular Matrices,Matrices, Extracellular