A Questionnaire Survey of Complaints of Infrasound and Low-Frequency Noise

Abstract

A survey of complaints about infrasound and low frequency noise has been carried out. 198 persons reported their troubles in a questionnaire. Their verbal reports often described the sound as deep and humming or rumbling, as if coming from the distant idling engine of a truck or pump. Nearly all respondent's reported a sensory perception of a sound. In general they reported that they perceived the sound with their ears, but many mention also the perception of vibration, either in their body or in external objects. The sound disturbs and irritates during most activities, and many consider its mere presence as a torment to them. Many of the respondents reported secondary effects, such as insomnia, headache and palpitation, which they associtated with the sound mainly because it occured at the same place as the sound. In a majority of the cases, only one or a few persons can hear the sound, but there are also examples, where it is claimed to be audible to everybody. Typically, measurements have shown that existing limits (and hearing thresholds) are not exceeded. The investigation leaves the key question: Are the troubles induced by an external sound or not, and if they are, which frequencies and levels are involved? The feasibility of a study of this is supported by the results.

Synthesis of a Novel Nitronyl Nitroxide Radical and Determination of its Protective Effects Against Infrasound-Induced Injury

“…Although infrasound (i.e.,\20 Hz for humans) is not audible for humans, exposure to high levels of infrasound produces resonance in the lower range of the spectrum in human organs, which causes functional disturbances and even injury [6]. In animals, it has been confirmed that exposure to high intensity infrasound may result in damage to the auditory, cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive systems, among others; in particular, infrasound exposure can cause functional disorders and structural injuries to the central nervous system [7,8]. Some studies have shown that infrasonic brain damage is related to free radical accumulation and peroxidation in the brain cortex [9].…”

Impact of infrasound and low frequency noise on human health and well-being. Part II: Review of epidemiological studies

“…W latach 1998-1999 Møller i Lydolf [28] przeprowadzili badania ankietowe wśród mieszkańców Danii dotyczące skarg na infradźwięki i HNcz. Łącznie zebrali 198 ankiet.…”

Vibratory Sensation Induced by Low-Frequency Noise: The Threshold for “Vibration Perceived in the Head” in Normal-Hearing Subjects

“…However, low-frequency noise can cause a person to perceive vibration [2]. In a questionnaire survey conducted by Møller and Lydolf, for example, many persons reported that they felt vibration in their bodies when they were exposed to low-frequency noise in living environments [3]. Inukai et al carried out an experimental study using factor analysis and showed that 'vibration', in addition to 'sound pressure' and 'loudness', was one of the main factors contributing to the human psychological responses to low-frequency noise [4].…”