  The continuous increase of hospital noise levels has become a vital challenge
for society. The complex soundscapes in the hospital produce unpleasant noise,
which may exceed the prescribed noise level for the patients and healthcare
professionals. Previous studies have reported that extended exposure to loud
noise may cause auditory and nonauditory disorders in healthcare professionals,
medical staff, and patients. Therefore, there is an increased interest for the
design and fabrication of effective noise barriers for the hospital premises.
Herein, we have performed the thorough experimental investigations on the
acoustical performances for PVC coated polyester fabrics and 100 % pure PVC
sheets. The performances of these potential acoustic curtains have found to be
superior to that of existing acoustic curtains for hospitals. Also, the results
showed that the sound transmission class rating of PVC curtains are much higher
than the existing commercial acoustic curtains.
