Auditory risk of air rifles

Area of Science:

• Audiology
• Occupational Health
• Environmental Acoustics

Background:

• Impulse noise from firearms presents a significant auditory risk.
• Understanding noise exposure levels is crucial for developing hearing protection guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impulse noise exposure and associated auditory risk for air rifle users, encompassing both youth and adults.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different air rifle types and usage patterns in relation to hearing safety.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic characteristics of impulse noise from pellet and BB air rifles were measured.
• Auditory risk was estimated using established damage-risk criteria and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for children.

Main Results:

• 80% of air rifles exceeded the 120-dB peak sound pressure level (SPL) limit for youth, while none exceeded the 140-dB limit for adults.
• Minimal auditory risk was observed for fewer than 100 unprotected shots with pellet air rifles for both age groups.
• Air rifles with suppressors and lower velocities were found to be less hazardous.

Conclusions:

• Youth should opt for air rifles with integrated suppressors and lower velocities to minimize auditory risk.
• All air rifle shooters are strongly advised to use hearing protection during shooting activities.
• Promoting hearing protection use fosters self-efficacy and establishes healthy hearing behaviors for recreational firearm use.