The effects of infrasound on human health

Authors

  • S.E. Birnie Dept. of Geography, McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ont., Canada
  • F.L. Hall Dept. of Geography, McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ont., Canada
  • S.M. Taylor Dept. of Geography, McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ont., Canada

Keywords:

biological effects of acoustic radiation, hearing, reviews, auditory, infrasound, human health, literature, physiological

Abstract

Infrasound is defined as sound with a frequency less than 20 Hz. It is produced by both natural and man-made sources, although very high levels of infrasound must be artificially produced. A number of early papers suggested that infrasound may produce very serious adverse effects on human functioning such as the impairment of task performance, including driving. This paper assesses the literature published since those early reports. Auditory, physiological, and performance effects are discussed. The more recent studies show much less severe effects than those suggested in the first studies. Methodological considerations indicate that the recent studies are much more reliable than the earliest reports

Additional Files

Published

1983-10-01

How to Cite

1.
Birnie S, Hall F, Taylor S. The effects of infrasound on human health. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 1983 Oct. 1 [cited 2025 Feb. 18];11(4):46-55. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/515

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 4 (1983)

Section

Technical Articles

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