Study on Hearing Status of Children Residing Near an Airport

Abstract

ndia being an emerging economy, the air traffic movement rate has increased many folds in recent times. As aircrafts produce considerable noise particularly during takeoff and landing, people, including children, inhabiting the neighboring areas of any busy airport get exposed to a lot of noise. In this backdrop, a study was carried out to assess the impact, if any, of airport noise on the hearing status of children staying near an airport. Few educational institutions located near the international airport in Kolkata were approached for carrying out the study. After obtaining permission from the concerned authorities, the assessment was carried out on volunteers from the consenting schools. Initially the sound pressure level was measured at different locations within the institution at periodic intervals. Audiometric assessment was thereafter carried out on fifty - four male students (age range 11-16 years), who were permanent inhabitants of the locality. Forty – eight male students of comparable age group, permanently residing in remote areas in other districts, far away from the airport, constituted the control group. Results indicate that exposed group children, that is, those residing in the vicinity of the airport, had significantly more hearing loss at speech frequency, and compared to the control group children. Degree of impairment was also calculated at 4 kHz and 6 kHz. From the present study it may be concluded that hearing status of children residing in the vicinity of the airport area is getting affected.