Occupational noise from water flowing into rearing tanks is a common hazard in aquaculture facilities, with long-term exposure potentially injurious to workers. Typical hatchery tank designs have water entering a rearing unit via an elevated spray bar, resulting in considerable turbulence. This study evaluated a novel technique to reduce noise by placing rearing tank spray bars below the water surface. Noise levels were significantly decreased in 1.8-m diameter circular tanks when the spray bar was submerged under the surface of the water. The mean (SE) noise level from tanks with an elevated spray bar was 70.8 (0.1) dB while the mean noise level from tanks with submerged spray bars was 65.0 (0.1) dB. The results of this study indicate that submerged spray bars may be an effective strategy for reducing occupational noise in aquaculture environments.
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