SIST EN ISO 7029:2001

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
01-september-2001
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SIST EN 27029:1999
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Acoustics - Statistical distribution of hearing threshold as a function of age (ISO
7029:2000)
Akustik - Statistische Verteilung von Hörschwellen als eine Funktion des Alters (ISO
7029:2000) )
Acoustique - Distribution statistique des seuils d'audition en fonction de l'âge (ISO
7029:2000)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 7029:2000
ICS:
13.140 Vpliv hrupa na ljudi Noise with respect to human
beings
17.140.99 Drugi standardi v zvezi z Other standards related to
akustiko acoustics
SIST EN ISO 7029:2001 en
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 7029
Second edition
2000-05-01
Acoustics — Statistical distribution of
hearing thresholds as a function of age
Acoustique — Distribution statistique des seuils d'audition en fonction de
l'âge
Reference number
ISO 7029:2000(E)
©
ISO 2000

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
ISO 7029:2000(E)
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ii © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
ISO 7029:2000(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO
member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical
committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has
the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 3.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting.
Publication as an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard ISO 7029 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 43, Acoustics.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 7029:1984). This edition presents the same data as
the first edition so does not differ technically from that. At present data are not available to extend the tables
beyond the age of 70.
Annexes A to C of this International Standard are for information only.
© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved iii

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
ISO 7029:2000(E)
Introduction
It is well known that the sensitivity of human hearing usually falls progressively with age and that the impairment of
hearing develops more rapidly for sound at high frequencies than at low frequencies. Moreover, the magnitude of
this effect varies considerably among individuals.
When testing the hearing of persons markedly over 18 years of age, part of any observed hearing loss will probably
be associated with age, and it is important to be aware of this when estimating the amount of hearing loss
attributable to other causes under investigation.
It should be noted that a decrease in hearing ability may not necessarily be caused by ageing itself, but by many
injurious influences during life time, which are not known in detail.
This International Standard is based on a thorough examination of literature data on the change of hearing with age
for populations of otologically normal persons as defined herein. Distinction is made between males and females
since the difference is found to be of significance in the case of older age groups. The data have been derived from
investigations using pure tones transmitted to the ear from an earphone, but no evidence is known that disqualifies
their use for noise band stimuli or for sound transmitted to the ear from an external sound field.
iv © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 7029:2000(E)
Acoustics — Statistical distribution of hearing thresholds as a
function of age
1 Scope
This International Standard provides descriptive statistics of the hearing threshold for populations of various ages.
It specifies the following, for the range of audiometric frequencies from 125 Hz to 8 000 Hz and for populations of
otologically normal persons of a given age within the age limits of 18 years to 70 years inclusive:
a) the expected median value of hearing thresholds given relative to the median hearing threshold at the age of
18 years;
b) the expected statistical distribution above and below the median value.
The data are applicable for estimating the amount of hearing loss caused by a specific agent in a population. Such
a comparison is valid if the population under study consists of persons who are otologically normal except for the
effect of the specific agent. Noise exposure is an example of a specific agent and for this application selected data
from this International Standard are referred to as “Data Base A” in ISO 1999.
The data may also be used to assess an individual’s hearing in relation to the distribution of hearing thresholds
which is normal for the person’s age group. However, it is not possible to determine for an individual precisely
which part of an observed hearing loss is attributable to an accumulation of detrimental effects on the hearing
which increase with age, and which part has been caused by other factors such as noise.
The hearing threshold deviation as defined herein and the hearing threshold level as defined in other standards
(ISO 389-1, ISO 8253-1, ISO 8253-2, IEC 60645-1) express the hearing threshold of an individual or an individual
ear relative to, respectively,
a) the median hearing threshold of a population of 18-year-old persons, or
b) a reference zero level specified in various parts of ISO 389.
To the extent that the reference zero level represents the median of the 18-year-old population, the values of the
two terms will be the same.
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this International Standard, the following terms and definitions apply.
2.1
otologically normal person
person in a normal state of health who is free from all signs or symptoms of ear disease and from obstructing wax
in the ear canals, and who has no history of undue exposure to noise
NOTE This definition is the one that was used to select subjects for the data presented in this International Standard.
A stricter definition of an otologically normal person is presently used in hearing threshold standards (also excluding persons
with a history of exposure to potentially oxotoxic drugs and familial hearing loss).
© ISO 2000 – All rights reserved 1

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
ISO 7029:2000(E)
2.2
hearing threshold deviation
�H
threshold of hearing of an individual minus the median threshold of hearing of a population of 18-year-old
otologically normal persons of the same sex
3 Specifications
3.1 General
The statistical distribution of hearing threshold deviations for otologically normal persons of a specific age Y and a
specific sex is given in terms of the median value (see 3.2) and the distribution around the median (see 3.3).
3.2 Median
The median value�H shall be given by the following equation:
md,Y
2
�H =� (Y –18 years) (1)
md,Y
Values of the coefficient� for males and females are given in Table 1. The range of Y for which equation (1) is valid
is from 18 years to 70 years inclusive.
Table 1 — Values of the coefficient�
Values of�
Frequency
2
dB/year
Hz
Males Females
125 0,003 0 0,003 0
250 0,003 0 0,003 0
500 0,003 5 0,003 5
1 000 0,004 0 0,004 0
1 500 0,005 5 0,005 0
2 000 0,007 0 0,006 0
3 000 0,011 5 0,007 5
4 000 0,016 0 0,009 0
6 000 0,018 0 0,012 0
8 000 0,022 0 0,015 0
3.3 Distribution around the median
The distribution around the median shall be approximated by the upper and lower halves, respectively, of two
Gaussian distributions, each with their standard deviation s and s , given by the following equations:
u l
s = b � 0,445�H (2)
u u md,Y
s = b � 0,356�H (3)
I I md,Y
where b and b have the values given in Table 2.
u l
2 © ISO 2000 – All rights reserved

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SIST EN ISO 7029:2001
ISO 7029:2000(E)
Table 2 — Values of parameters b and b
u l
Value of b Value of b
u l
Frequency
dB dB
Hz
Males Females Males Females
125 7,23 6,67 5,78 5,34
250 6,67 6,12 5,34 4,89
500 6,12 6,12 4,89 4,89
1 000 6,12 6,12 4,89 4,89
1 500 6,67 6,67 5,34 5,34
2 000 7,23 6,67 5,78 5,34
3 000 7,78 7,23 6,23 5,78
4 000 8,34 7,78 6,67 6,23
6 000 9,45 8,90 7,56 7,12
8 000 10,56 10,56 8,45 8,45
3.4 Application of data
The hearing threshold deviation (�H ) which can be expected to be exceeded by a given fraction (Q)of an
Q,Y
otologically normal population of given age (Y) and given sex, is given by equation (4) or (5):
�H ��H � ks (4)
Q,Y md,Y u
�H ��H � ks (5)
Q,Y md,Y l
Equation (4) applies when 0,05u Q u 0,50, whereas equation (5) applies when 0,50 � Q u 0,95. Values of the
multiplier k correspond to the Gaussian distribution. For information, these values are given in Table A.1.
Due to uncertainties in the experimental data on which this International Standard is based, tails of the statistical
...