Table 2.
Results for noise dosimetry and area measurements overall, by mill, and by operation within mill
| Dosimetry time-weighted average (LEX,8h dBA) |
Area average (LpAEQ,60s), dBA) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facility/operation | n | Mean | SD | %>85 | n | Mean | SD | %>85 | |
| Overall** | 209* | 85.1§§ | 5.5 | 57.1 | 100 | 83.6 | 5.8 | 44.0 | |
| Converting** | 112 | 84.1§ | 3.9 | 51.9 | 71 | 81.8 | 7.3 | 30.9 | |
| Papermaking | 51 | 90.2§ | 4.5 | 88.2 | 25 | 88.4 | 9.5 | 80.0 | |
| Pulping | 20 | 84.2§ | 4.6 | 43.4 | 4 | 86.0 | 3.5 | 50.0 | |
| Other | 26 | 81.8§ | 8.0 | 55.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 1** | 75 | 83.6 | 5.9 | 46.7 | 52 | 83.5 | 9.9 | ||
| Converting** | 33 | 84.6§ | 3.6 | 48.4 | 44 | 82.7 | 8.9 | 27.5 | |
| Papermaking | 16 | 88.9§ | 5.3 | 87.5 | 6 | 88.7 | 16.3 | 70.0 | |
| Pulping | 11 | 82.3§ | 4.6 | 27.2 | 2 | 86.5 | 5.7 | 37.1 | |
| Other | 15 | 80.1§ | 8.3 | 33.0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 2 | 47 | 85.7 | 5.9 | 53.2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Converting | 31 | 82.3§ | 3.1 | 45.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Papermaking | 16 | 92.4§ | 4.1 | 87.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Pulping | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Other | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 3 | 36 | 86.2 | 4.1 | 65.9 | 26 | 83.6 | 5.8 | 58.4 | |
| Converting** | 16 | 85.3§ | 4.7 | 68.0 | 15 | 80.0§ | 4.1 | 57.4 | |
| Papermaking | 13 | 88.5§ | 3.5 | 69.2 | 9 | 89.1§ | 4.0 | 96.4 | |
| Pulping | 4 | 84.4§ | 0.8 | 50.0 | 2 | 85.5§ | 1.6 | 50.0 | |
| Other | 3 | 84.4§ | 2.8 | 66.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| 4 | 51 | 85.9 | 4.9 | 65.6 | 22 | 83.8 | 6.8 | 31.8 | |
| Converting | 32 | 84.9§ | 4.1 | 61.9 | 12 | 80.7 | 1.7 | 0.0 | |
| Papermaking | 6 | 91.7§ | 1.3 | 100.0 | 10 | 87.5 | 8.8 | 70.0 | |
| Pulping | 5 | 88.3§ | 4.2 | 60.0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Other | 4 | 84.9§ | 3.5 | 50.0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
*
37 subjects were monitored on two days, and 1 was monitored for 3 days
**
Difference between dosimeter and area dBA levels, t-test, p<0.05
§
Difference between operations within location, ANOVA, p<0.05
§§
Difference between mills, ANOVA, p<0.05