No Shortage of Decibels in Music City: Evaluation of Noise Exposure in Urban Music Venues

Objectives/Hypothesis To measure and report noise exposure at urban music venues and assess the risk of noise-induced hearing loss by comparing these measures to the National Institute of Occupations Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines. Study Design Observational study. Methods A commercially available smartphone and external calibrated microphone were used to measure sound levels at urban music venues. The maximum sound level, equivalent continuous sound level, and statistical noise levels (L10, L50, L75, L90) were recorded. Results The average equivalent continuous sound level was 112.0 (+/- 4.9) dBA, and the average maximum sound level was 127.0 (+/- 3.2) dBA. The L90 average (sound levels at or above this loudness for 90% of measured exposure time) was 101.1 (+/- 5.5) dBA, and the L10 average was 115.2 (+/- 5.0) dBA. Based off of NIOSH guidelines, noise exposure duration at the L10 average should not exceed 28 seconds, and those at the L90 average should not exceed 12 minutes. Conclusions Smartphone applications using external calibrated microphones can provide useful sound measurements. Data show that randomly sampled music venues may have noise levels that place patrons without hearing protection at risk for noise-induced hearing loss with prolonged exposure. Level of Evidence NA Laryngoscope, 2020