Uncommon report from the United States Environmental Protection Agency entitled “Effects of Noise on People” (NTID300.7), December 31, 1971, 153 pages, 8 x 10.5, prepared by the Central Institute for the Deaf. The report contains three parts, with each part made up of several sections, which include: Part I: Auditory Effects (Ear Damage and Hearing Loss; Masking and Interference with Speech Communication), Part II: General Psychological and Sociological Effects (Interference with Sleep; Loudness, Perceived Noisiness, and Unacceptability; Annoyance and Community Response, Other Possible Psychological and Sociological Effects), and Part III: General Physiological Effects (Transient and Possible Persistent Physiological Responses to Noise, Stress Theory, Health, and Noise).
A portion of the foreword reads: “It has not been demonstrated that many people have had their lives shortened by noise. While undoubtedly there have been accidental injuries and deaths when auditory warning signals were misunderstood or not heard because of the effects of noise, the prevalence of these has not been evaluated. Perhaps the stress of continued exposure to high levels of noise can produce disease or make one more susceptible to disease, but the evidence is not convincing. There are only hints of relations between exposure to noise and the incidence of disease. In other words, the effects of noise on people have not been successfully measured in terms of ‘excess deaths’ or ‘shortened lifespan’ or ‘days of incapacitating illness.’ The only well-established effect of noise on health is that of noise-induced hearing loss.” In fine condition, with light wear and stains to the covers.
