{"id":1582,"date":"2019-10-15T18:38:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T23:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/longhornhearing.fm1.dev\/?p=1582"},"modified":"2022-05-24T13:27:43","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T18:27:43","slug":"hand-dryers-for-kids-beware-the-noise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/longhornhearing.com\/hand-dryers-for-kids-beware-the-noise\/","title":{"rendered":"HAND DRYERS: FOR KIDS, BEWARE THE NOISE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Hand<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s no secret that hand dryers installed in public bathrooms can seem rather loud, but we were blown away by a young scientist\u2019s findings<\/a> when she put the volume levels of 44 automated machines to the test in restrooms across Alberta, Canada.<\/strong> Turns out some of those volumes can do a number on kids\u2019 ears \u2014 which are more susceptible to noise-induced hearing problems \u2014 by reaching sound levels well beyond the danger zone of 85 decibels. Several of the various brands measured above 100 decibels when in actual use for hand-drying, and one was even greater than 120. The study, by then-9-year-old Nora Keegan, has captured international attention, with coverage by the New York Times, CNN, Canada\u2019s CBC, and other media outlets. Now 13, Keegan is likely one of the youngest researchers to have her work published in the journal Pediatrics & Child Health<\/em>. Per an NPR story<\/a>, the Calgary student was inspired by the ringing in her ears and other kids\u2019 reactions to hand-dryer noise to get to the bottom of just how loud the dryers \u2014 a common presence in public washrooms around the world \u2014 can be and whether they might negatively impact hearing ability. Her research, published this past summer after an approximately 15-month investigation, interestingly noted that some of the automated machines\u2019 higher readings surpassed the legal limit of 100 decibels for peak loudness of children\u2019s toys in Canada. <\/strong>A few other notable findings from this timely research:<\/p>\n\n\n\n