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Observational Study
. 2020 Dec;130(12):2891-2895.
doi: 10.1002/lary.28547. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Noise Exposure on the London Underground, an Observational Study over a Decade

T Singh  1 , Timothy Biggs  1 , Eleanor Crossley  1 , Morad Faoury  1 , Abid Mahmood  2 , Ali Salamat  3 , Tom Patterson  1 , Nimeshi Jayakody  1 , Alexander Dando  1 , Fabian Sipaul  1 , Konstantinos Marinakis  1 , Holger Sudhoff  4 , Phillip Brown  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Noise Exposure on the London Underground, an Observational Study over a Decade

T Singh et al. Laryngoscope. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: There are no hearing protection regulations in place for passengers using public transport, such as the London Underground. In light of this, we sought to examine sound pressure levels experienced by regular users of the London Underground.

Methods: Sound pressure levels (A-weighted decibels: dBA) were taken on moving London Underground carriages between Euston and South Wimbledon on the Northern Line, and between Euston and Vauxhall on the Victoria Line, during 2006 and 2018. In addition, carriage sound pressure levels travelling within Zone 1 of the London Underground were tested in 2019. Three experimental and three technical repeats were undertaken using a hand-held calibrated multi-function sound level meter.

Results: Passengers are routinely and consistently subjected to sound pressure levels exceeding 80 dBA, with levels sometimes reaching over 100 dBA.

Conclusion: This study is unique within the literature, with no published studies outlining exposure levels for London Underground passengers. It provides evidence of elevated noise exposure to passengers, consistently along large stretches of the London Underground, over a prolonged study period (2006-2019).

Key words: Sensorineural hearing losssound pressureexposureLondonundergroundtube.

Level of evidence: N/A Laryngoscope, 2020.

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References

REFERENCES

    1. New Tube for London Feasibility Report 2014. Available at: http://content.tfl.gov.uk/ntfl-feasibility-report.pdf. Accessed June 10, 2019.
    1. London Underground Performance Reports 2019. Available at: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-underground-performance-reports. Accessed Oct 6, 2019.
    1. Improving the Tube - Transport for London 2015. Available at: https://tfl.gov.uk/campaign/tube-improvements. Accessed June 10, 2019.
    1. World Health Organization, Deafness and hearing loss 2016. Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs300/en/. Accessed June 10, 2019.
    1. Smith AW. The World Health Organisation and the prevention of deafness and hearing impairment caused by noise. Noise Health 1998;1:6-12.

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