Tractors emit high intensity noise and prolonged exposure to high intensity noise causes hearing loss to the drivers.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this study was to measure noise intensity at the tractor drivers’ ear level and hearing loss among tractor drivers.
METHODS:
Noise intensity was measured on 6 models of tractors which were operated with 5 different tillage implements. In order to assess hearing loss, audiometric test was performed at 7 frequencies, i.e. 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz, among 30 tractor drivers and 30 control group subjects. All the selected tractor drivers and control group subjects were also interviewed to obtain personal information and noise exposure details.
RESULTS:
The tractor drivers were exposed to noise intensity in the range of 91.7–97.5 dB(A). Audiogram analysis shows that the hearing threshold levels were significantly (p < 0.05) higher among the tractor drivers as compared with the control group subjects. The effect was significantly (p < 0.05) more on the left ear as compared with the right ear among the tractor drivers. Increase in age has significant (p < 0.05) effect on the hearing threshold levels on the left ear. Prevalence of high frequency hearing loss was 50% among tractor drivers as compared with 10% among control group subjects. Hearing loss was significantly (p < 0.05) more in the low frequency as compared with the high frequency among the tractor drivers.
CONCLUSION:
Indian tractor operators are exposed to high noise levels which may result in hearing loss. It is recommended that hearing conservation programs should be initiated to prevent noise hazards and hearing loss among the tractor drivers.
PazzonaA, MurgiaL. Estimation of noise-induced hearing impairment risk in sheep dairy farming. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research. 1993;55(2):107–12.
2.
Lalremruata, DewanganKN, PatelT. Noise exposure to tractor drivers in field operations. International Journal of Vehicle Performance. 2019;5(4):340–2.
3.
DewanganKN, KumarGP, TewariVK. Noise characteristics of tractors and health effect on farmers. Applied Acoustics. 2005;66(9):1049–62.
4.
KumarA, MathurNN, VargheseM, MohanD, SinghJK, MahajanP. Effect of tractor driving on hearing loss in farmers in India. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2005;47(4):341–8.
5.
ChisholmCJ, BottomsDJ, DwyerMJ, LinesJA, WhyteRT. Safety, health and hygiene in agriculture. Safety Science. 1992;15(4-6):225–48.
6.
FranklinRC, DepczynskiJ, ChallinorK, WilliamsW, FragarLJ. Factors affecting farm noise during common agricultural activities. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health. 2006;12(2):117–25.
7.
Abd-El-TawwabAM, Abouel-SeoudSA, El-SayedFM, Abd-El-HakimTA. Characteristics of agriculture tractor interior noise. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control. 2000;19(2):73–81.
8.
BilskiB. Exposure to audible and infrasonic noise by modern agricultural tractors operators. Applied Ergonomics. 2013;44(2):210–4.
9.
FeboP, PessinaD. Survey of the working condition of used tractors in Northern Italy. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research. 1995;62(3):193–202.
10.
AybekA, KamerHA, ArslanS. Personal noise exposures of operators of agricultural tractors. Applied Ergonomics. 2010;41(2):274–81.
11.
HumannMJ, SandersonWT, DonhamKJ, KellyKM. Task-based noise exposures for farmers involved in grain production. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health. 2013;19(2):101–13.
12.
SoltanzadehA, EbrahimiH, FallahiM, KamaliniaM, GhassemiS, GolmohammadiR. Noise induced hearing loss in Iran: – Systematic review article. Iranian Journal of Public Health. 2014;43(12):1605–15.
13.
EgelaM, HamedA. Tractor Noise Levels Impact on Operator Safety. Journal of Soil Sciences and Agricultural Engineering. 2017;8(8):355–62.
14.
FuenteA, HicksonL. Noise-induced hearing loss in Asia. International Journal of Audiology.S. 2011;50(sup1):3–10.
ThelinJW, JosephDJ, DavisWE, BakerDE, HosokawaMC. High-frequency hearing loss in male farmers of Missouri. Public Health Reports. 1983;98(3):268–73.
17.
MayJJ, MarvelM, ReganM, MarvelLH, PrattDS. Noise-induced hearing loss in randomly selected New York dairy farmers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 1990;18(3):333–7.
18.
MarvelME, PrattDS, MarvelLH, ReganM, MayJJ. Occupationalhearing loss in New York dairy farmers. American Journal ofIndustrial Medicine. 1991;20(4):517–31.
19.
PlakkeBL, DareE. Occupational hearing loss in farmers. Public Health Reports. 1992;107(2):188–92.
20.
SoleckiL. Occupational hearing loss among selected farm tractor operators employed on large multiproduction farms in Poland. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. 1998;11(1):69–80.
21.
MiyakitaT, UedaA, FutatsukaM, InaokaT, NaganoM, KoyamaW. Noise exposure and hearing conservation for farmers of rural Japanese communities. Journal of Sound and Vibration. 2004;277(3):633–41.
22.
OlszewskiP, LachowskaM. Risk of hearing loss in farmers resulting from work in noise in agriculture. Polotorhino Rev. 2020;9(2):35–40.
23.
KarlovichRS, WileyTL, TweedT, JensenDV. Hearing sensitivity in farmers. Public Health Reports. 1988;103(1):61–71.
24.
BrosteSK, HansenDA, StrandRL, StuelandDT. Hearing loss among high school farm students. American journal of public health. 1989;79(5):619–22.
25.
BeckettWS, ChamberlainD, HallmanE, MayJ, HwangSA, GomezM, EberlyS, CoxC, StarkA. Hearing conservation for farmers: source apportionment of occupational and environmental factors contributing to hearing loss. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2000;2000:806–13.
26.
HwangSA, GomezMI, SobotovaL, StarkAD, MayJJ, HallmanEM. Predictors of hearing loss in New York farmers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2001;40(1):23–31.
27.
SoleckiL. Hearing loss among private farmers in the light of current criteria for diminished sense of hearing. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2002;9(2).
28.
McBrideDI, FirthHM, HerbisonGP. Noise exposure and hearing loss in agriculture: a survey of farmers and farm workers in the Southland region of New Zealand. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2003:1281–8.
29.
ChoiSW, Peek-AsaC, ZwerlingC, SprinceNL, RautiainenRH, WhittenPS, FlammeGA. A comparison of self-reported hearing and pure tone threshold average in the Iowa farm family health and hazard survey. Journal of Agromedicine. 2005;10(3):31–9.
30.
RabinowitzPM, SircarKD, TarabarS, GalushaD, SladeMD. Hearing loss in migrant agricultural workers. Journal of Agromedicine. 2005;10(4):9–17.
31.
StewartM, SchererJ, LehmanME. Perceived effects of high frequency hearing loss in a farming population. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology. 2003;14(02):100–8.
32.
HumannMJ, SandersonWT, GerrF, KellyKM, MerchantJA. Effects of common agricultural tasks on measures of hearing loss. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2012;55(10):904–16.
33.
RenickKM, CrawfordJM, Wilkins IiiJR. Hearing loss among Ohio farm youth: a comparison to a national sample. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2009;52(3):233–9.
34.
BrackbillRM, CameronLL, BehrensV. Prevalence of chronic diseases and impairments among US farmers, – American Journal of Epidemiology (1994;139(11):1055–65.
35.
KhadatkarA, MehtaCR, GiteLP, NarwariyaBS, KumarA. Hearing impairment of Indian agricultural tractor drivers. Current Science. 2017;10, 969–74.
36.
KhadatkarA, MehtaCR. Effect of age and duration of driving on hearing status of Indian agricultural tractor drivers. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control. 2018;37(4):1037–44.
37.
GrandjeanE. Fitting the task to the man: an ergonomic approach. London: Taylor & Francis; 1980.
38.
GomezMI, HwangSA, SobotovaL, StarkAD, MayJJ. A comparison of self-reported hearing loss and audiometry in a cohort of New York farmers. J Speech Lang Heart Res. 2001;44, 1201–8.
39.
KerrMJ, McCullaghM, SavikK, DvorakLA. Perceived and measured hearing ability in construction laborers and farmers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2003;44(4):431–7.
40.
IS 12180-2. Agricultural tractors – Test code. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi. 1998.
41.
ISO 7216. Acoustics – Agricultural and forestry wheeled tractors and self-propelled machines – Measurement of noise emitted when in motion. International Standard Organization, Geneva. 1992.
42.
NoweirMH, ZytoonMA. Occupational exposure to noise and hearing thresholds among civilian aircraft maintenance workers. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 2013;43(6):495–502.
43.
DepczynskiJ, ChallinorK, FragarL. Changes in the hearing status and noise injury prevention practices of Australian farmers from 1994 to 2008. Journal of Agromedicine. 2011;16(2):127–42.
44.
IS-5994. Agricultural tractors – Test code. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi. 1998.
45.
MonazzamMR, ZakerianSA, KazemiZ, EbrahimiMH, GhaljahiM, MehriA, AfkhaminiaF, AbbasiM. Investigation of occupational noise annoyance in a wind turbine power plant. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control. 2019;38(2):798–807.
46.
AbbasiM, TokhiMO, FalahatiM, YazdaniradS, GhaljahiM, EtemadinezhadS, Jaffari Talaar PoshtiR. Effect of personality traits on sensitivity, annoyance and loudness perception of low-and high-frequency noise. Journal of Low Frequency Noise, Vibration and Active Control. 2021;40(2):643–55.
47.
SinghAK. Comparative assessment of shift in hearing threshold among handicraft operatives in India. Ergonomics. 2019;62(1):88–102.
48.
SinghLP, BhardwajA, DeepakKK. Occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Indian steel industry workers: An exploratory study. Human Factors. 2013;55(2):411–24.
49.
BielefeldEC, HarrisonRT, Riley DeBackerJ. Pharmaceutical otoprotection strategies to prevent impulse noise-induced hearing loss. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 2019;146(5):3790–9.
50.
MelnickWI. Hearing loss from noise exposure. Handbook of noise control. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1979;2.
51.
ChoochouyN, KongtipP, ChantanakulS, NankongnabN, SujiraratD, WoskieSR. Hearing loss in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides and noise. Annals of Work Exposures and Health. 2019;63(7):707–18.
52.
CarruthA, RobertAE, HurleyA, CurriePS. The impact of hearing impairment, perceptions and attitudes about hearing loss, and noise exposure risk patterns on hearing handicap among farm family members. AAOHN Journal. 2007;55(6):227–34.
53.
CruickshanksKJ, KleinR, KleinBE, WileyTL, NondahlDM, TweedTS. Cigarette smoking and hearing loss: the epidemiology of hearing loss study. Jama. 1998;279(21):1715–9.
54.
MaffeiG, MianiP. Experimental tobacco poisoning: resultant structural modification of the cochlea and tuba acustica. Archives of Otolaryngology. 1962;75, 386–96.
55.
HawkinsJE. The role of vasoconstriction in noise-induced hearing loss. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology. 1971;80, 903–13.
56.
ChungDY, WillsonGN, GannonRP, MasonK. New perspectives on the noise-induced hearing loss. New York: Raven Press; 1982. The individual susceptibility to noise. In: Hamernik RP, Henderson D, Salvi R, eds; pp. 511–09.
57.
GaurK, KasliwalN, GuptaR. Association of smoking or tobacco use with ear diseases among men: a retrospective study. Tobacco Induced Diseases. 2012;10(1):1–4.
58.
MizoueT, MiyamotoT, ShimizuT. Combined effect of smoking and occupational exposure to noise on hearing loss in steel factory workers. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2003;60(1):56–9.
