Effects of Occupational Noise Exposure on Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate, and Hearing Threshold Levels of Workers in Selected Industrial Plants in Jenin City, Palestine

This study reports the relationship between occupational noise level with arterial blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), pulse rate, and hearing threshold levels for workers in industrial plants in Jenin region. Accurate measurements for the noise levels were performed. The noise level lies between (78.2-98.5) decibels. Then Random sample of 15 plants were chosen to represent the different noise levels. The blood pressure, pulse rate, and hearing threshold levels at different frequencies were measured before and after exposure to noise for six to eight hours. Strong positive correlation (Pearson Correlation Coefficient) was found for most of the measured variables. The systolic blood pressure mean for the experimental sample is increased by 4.5 mmHg, while the diastolic blood pressure mean is increased by 5.1 mmHg, the pulse rate mean is increased by 9.1 beats/minute. The hearing threshold levels also shows a decrease mean of (1.2 to 5.8) decibels.