Enhancement of noise-induced hearing loss by chemicals

Details

• Personal Author:
  Morata, Thais C.
• Description:
  The auditory effects of chemical toxicants have been investigated in the past two decades, in animal and human field and clinical studies. A number of studies demonstrated that some solvents, metals, asphyxiants, pesticides not only affect the sensory organ of the auditory system, as noise does, but also affect central auditory structures. Ototoxicity induces outer hair cell dysfunction in the cochlea (similar to the effects of noise), whereas neurotoxicity induces central auditory dysfunction. Audiological signs of neurotoxicity may or may not include poorer hearing thresholds, in addition to difficulties discriminating sounds such as speech, particularly in adverse listening conditions. The existing evidence prompted the proposal of new guidelines and standards on hearing loss prevention. In the U.S., the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has discussed specific research needs regarding the ototoxicity of chemicals used at work. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists and the U.S. Army have proposed preliminary practical steps that employers and occupational health professionals can take to improve hearing loss prevention. Australia and New Zealand have developed standards recommending hearing tests for workers exposed to ototoxic agents. In the legislative arena, the European Parliament published a new noise directive (2003/10/EC), that requires employers to give attention to any effects on workers' health and safety resulting from interactions between noise and work-related ototoxic substances, when performing risk assessment of workplaces. Legislation regarding compensation has also changed in Australia and Brazil . In this presentation the auditory effects of chemical alone or in combination with noise will be reviewed, and the recent guidelines, legislative developments and alternative strategies for the prevention of auditory effects resulting from exposure to chemicals in the workplace will be presented. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Ear Hazardous Substances Hearing Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Nervous System Noise Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Sense Organs Toxicology

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• Keywords:
  Auditory-system Cell-alteration Cell-damage Cellular-function Chemical-properties Ear-disorders Health-standards Hearing-acuity Hearing-impairment Hearing-loss Hearing-protection Hearing-tests Hearing-threshold Injury-prevention Legislation Medical-research Neurotoxic-effects Neurotoxicity Noise-exposure Noise-induced-hearing-loss Ototoxicity Regulations Safety-research Sound Standards Toxic-materials

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  132
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20042460
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2013 Mar; 132(1):531-532
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 52nd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 10-14, 2013, San Antonio, Texas
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ffb8db19285c44638c62c61251d05889c95f8e46c273b87a637f171f269f1f6db1e9839afc66eb133bd2574b0e440e42589d9ef9089a1fc9e5dc61d3b3cdeb40
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194682/cdc_194682_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 583.95 KB ]