NOIS

E
 DEFINITION

• A sound, especially one that is loud or unpleasant or that causes

disturbance.

• Wrong sound, in the wrong place, at the wrong time

• 21st century is described as the “century of Noise”

• Noise pollution is recently coined to signify the vast cacophony of

sounds that are produced in modern life leading to health hazards
PROPERTIES OF NOISE

• Loudness or intensity

• Frequency
 LOUDNESS

• Depends upon the amplitude of the vibrations which initiated the noise

• It is measured in decibels

• Daily exposure up to 85 db is about the limit people can

tolerate without substantial damage to their hearing

COMMUNITY NOISE LEVELS

QUIET (LIBRARY) 20-30db

WHISPERING 40-50db
NORMAL CONVERSATION 60-70db
HEAVY STREET TRAFFIC 70-80db
PRINTING PRESS 90-100db
TRAIN PASSING STATION 100-110db
MOTOR CAR HORN 120-130db
THRESHOLD OF PAIN 140-150db
MECHANICAL DAMAGE 150-160db
FREQUENCY

• It is denoted as Hertz (Hz)

• One Hz is equal to one wave per second
• Human ear can hear frequencies from about 20-20000 Hz
• This range is reduced with age
• The range below 20 Hz are infra audible
• The range above 20000 Hz is ultra sonic
EFFECTS OF NOISE EXPOSURE

• Auditory effects
• Auditory fatigue
• Tinnitus
• Deafness
• Non-auditory effects
• Interference with speech
• Annoyance
• Efficiency
• Physiological changes
CONTROL OF NOISE

• Careful planning of cities (zones)

• Control of vehicles
• To improve acoustic insulation of building
• Industries away from residences
• Protection of exposed persons (periodic check-
up)
• Legislation (compensation)
• Education (through all available media)
RADIATION
 SOURCES OF RADIATION

• Natural
• Cosmic rays
• Environmental
• Terrestrial radiation
• Atmospheric radiation
• Internal radiation
• Man-made
• X-rays
• Miscellaneous
 COSMIC RAYS
• Originate in outer space
• At ordinary living altitude their impact is about 35 mrad a year
• At altitude above 20 km it is very high
• A jet pilot receives about 300 mrad/year
 ENVIRONMENTAL

• Terrestrial: Radio active elements &

isotopes present in man’s
environment. Eg. Soil, rock etc.,
• Atmospheric: the external radiation
from the radioactive gases. It is
about 2 mrad/yr
• Internal: from radioactive matter
stored in the body tissues, about 25
to as high as 80 mrad/yr
MAN-MADE SOURCES

• X-rays: patients group/radiologists &

technicians (exposure to single x-ray film
varies roughly from 0.02 rad to 3 rad)
• Miscellaneous: every day appliances
(TV sets, luminous wrist watches is too
small to be important)
 TYPES OF RADIATION

• Ionizing radiation

• Non-ionizing radiation
• Ionizing radiation (able to penetrate tissues)

• Electromagnetic radiation (x-ray & gamma ray)

• Corpuscular radiation (electrons & protons)

Harmful effects:
• Direct tissue damage: This can lead to radiation burns, radiation sickness,
organ failure, and even death.
• Cancer : Exposure to ionizing radiation is known to increase the future
incidence of cancer, particularly leukemia.
 Non-ionizing radiation

• Non-ionizing radiation (wavelengths longer than those of ionizing radiation) :

UV radiation, visible light, infrared radiation, microwave radiation & frequency
radiation
does not penetrate deep into the tissues but increases the risk of damage to the
skin and eyes.
can cause localised heating, or photochemical reactions can occur with possible
permanent harm.
 RADIATION UNITS

• Roentgen: it is unit of exposure the amount of radiation absorbed in air

at a given point i.e., no. of ions produced in 1ml

• Rad: it is the unit of absorbed dose, the amount of radioactive energy

absorbed per gram of tissue or any material

• Rem: it is the product of the absorbed dose and the modifying

factors
 BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF RADIATION
• Somatic
• Immediate
• Radiation sickness
• Acute radiation
syndrome
• Delayed
• Leukemia
• Carcinogenesis
• Fetal developmental
abnormalities
• Shortening of life
• Genetic
• Chromosome mutations
RADIATION PROTECTION

• The amount of radiation received from

outer space is estimated to be 0.1 rad a
year
• Additional permissible dose should not
exceed 5 rad a year
• Effective protective measures include
proper use of lead shields & lead
aprons
• Workers must wear a film badge or
dosimeter, beside periodic
examinations, health checkups,
early diagnosis & treatment.
METEOROLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENT
 ELEMENTS OF METEOROLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENT
1. Atmospheric pressure

2. Air temperature

3. Humidity

4. Rainfall

5. Direction & speed of wind

6. Movements of clouds & character of weather

 ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
• Man is physiologically adapted to live at 760 mm of Hg pressure or close to it
• The atmospheric pressure falls as altitude increases & rises as
altitude decreases
MEASUREMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE

• Fortin’s Barometer
• Kew Pattern Station Barometer
(widely used by the Indian met.
Department)
• Barograph (useful for obtaining a
continuous record of atmospheric
pressure)
 EFFECTS
OF
HIGH ALTITUDE
ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS

• It is a common and transient condition

characterized by headache, insomnia,

breathlessness, nausea, vomiting &

impaired vision (hypoxia/intricate

biochemical & hormonal disturbances in

body)
 HIGH ALTITUDE PULMONARY EDEMA
•Appears on about 3rd day at high altitude

•As pulmonary edema develops the patient Develops cough, irregular or

Cheyne - stokes breathing, oligourea, mental confusion & hallucinations,
stupor, seizures and coma (army medical officers)
 EFFECTS ON HEALTH-LOW ALTITUDE

• Caisson disease: excess conc. of Nitrogen exerts a

narcotic action leading to loss of mental functions
and consciousness and along with excess CO2 &
Oxygen can lead to convulsions and death.

• When the person comes up to the surface, the

gases dissolved under pressure are released and
cause air embolism, the effects of which are
 AIR TEMPERATURE

• The factors which influence the temperature are latitude of the

place, altitude, direction of wind and proximity to the sea

 MEASUREMENT
• Dry bulb thermometer
• Wet bulb thermometer
• Maximum thermometer
• Minimum thermometer (spirit)
• Six’s maximum & minimum thermometer
• Globe thermometer (radiant heat)
• Wet globe thermometer (env. heat)
• Silvered thermometer (accurate reading)
• Kata thermometer (alcohol-for measuring cooling power
of air)
 HEAT STRESS INDICES

Heat stress is the burden of heat that must be dissipated if the body is
to remain in thermal equilibrium. The factors which influence are
metabolic rate, air temp.& movement, humidity,
• Equatorial comfort index
• Heat stress index
• Predicted four hour sweat rate
 EFFECTS
OF
HEAT STRESS
 HEAT STROKE

• Failure of heat regulating mechanism

• High body temp.-110° F/43.3° C
• Delirium, convulsions & partial
or complete loss of
consciousness
• Skin is dry and hot
• Sweating is absent
• Outcome is fatal
 HEAT STROKE-MANAGEMENT

• Rapid cooling of body in ice water bath till the rectal temperature
falls below 102° F

• Monitoring of rectal temp. to prevent significant hypothermia

• Hypovolaemia, hyperkalaemia, rhabdomyolysis, hypocalcaemia &

bleeding diathesis may require intense supportive treatment

• Patient should be kept in bed for several days till the temp.control
becomes stable
 HEAT HYPERPYREXIA

• Impaired functioning of the heat-

regulating mechanism but without
characteristic features of heat
stroke

• Temp.106° F

• May proceed to heat stroke

HEAT EXHAUSTION

• Milder illness than heat stroke

• Caused primarily by the
imbalance or inadequate
replacement of water and salts
lost in perspiration due to
thermal stress
• Occurs after several days of
high temp.
• Body temp. normal & may not
exceed 102° F
• Symptoms are dizziness,
weakness & fatigue
• Treatment is fluid & electrolyte
balance
 HEAT CRAMPS

• Occurs in persons doing heavy

muscular work in high temp. &
humidity
• These are painful & spasmodic
contractions of skeletal muscles
• The cause is due to loss of
sodium & chlorides in sweat
 HEAT SYNCOPE

• The person standing in heat becomes

pale, B.P falls & collapses suddenly

• It results from pooling of blood in lower

limbs due to dilatation of blood vessels

• Patient should be made to lie in the

shade with foot end raised. Recovery
comes within 5-10 minutes
 PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Replacement of water-encouraged to drink cool water (1 lit.per hour)

• Regulation of work-cut down time of exposure to hot temp.

& by periods of rest in between

• Clothing-worn should be light, loose & light colours

• Protective devices-protective goggles, shields & helmets are helpful

• Work environment-proper ventilation & A.C

COLD STRESS

• Cold injury (hypothermia): characterized by

numbness, loss of sensation, muscular
weakness, desire for sleep, coma & death

• Frost bite: local cold injury occur at temp.

above freezing due to formation of ice
crystals in between the cells of tissues.
Affected part should be warmed using water
at 44° C, and intake of hot fluids promotes
general rewarming
 GLOBAL WARMING

• Emission of green-house gases

• Increase of about 3° C in the average
global surface temp. by 2030
• Rise in the sea level of 0.1-0.3m by
2050
• Occurrence of extreme climatic events
such as cyclones, heat waves &
draughts
• Many species may fail to adapt
• Lead to massive consequences
THANK YOU