Effects of noise in primary schools on health facets in German teachers.

Empirical research indicates that children and teachers are exposed to mean sound levels between 65 and 87 dB (A) and peak sound levels of 100 dB (A) in schools, which may lead to hearing loss and mental health problems. A questionnaire containing 13 targeted questions about noise and sensitivity to noise was distributed to 43 teachers aged between 25 and 64 years at five different primary schools in the Cologne municipal area. The small number of interrogated teachers leads to a wide range of deviation and little significance in the results.

Sound levels and their effects on children in a German primary school.

Considerable sound levels are produced in primary schools by voices of children and resonance effects. As a consequence, hearing loss and mental impairment may occur. In a Cologne primary school, sound levels were measured in three different classrooms, each with 24 children, 8-10 years old, and one teacher.