Which Environmental Pollutants Are Toxic to Our Ears?–Evidence of the Ototoxicity of Common Substances

Details

• Personal Author:
  Benedict R ; Brenner S ; Carlson K ; Jeong L ; Morata, Thais C. ; Ruiz P ; Zarus GM
• Description:
  Ototoxicity refers to the adverse effects of substances on auditory or vestibular functions. This study examines the evidence of ototoxicity's association with exposure to common environmental pollutants, as documented in toxicological profiles by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Our aim was to evaluate whether the evidence supports modifying the charting of ototoxic effects in the summary tables of these toxicological profiles and providing a guide for scientists to access these data. Health outcomes of interest included hearing loss, vestibular effects, cochlear lesions, tonal alterations, cellular damage, and ototoxicity-related outcomes (neurological, nephrotoxic, hepatic, and developmental effects). We obtained ototoxicity information for 62 substances. Hearing-related effects were reported, along with neurological effects. Overall, 26 profiles reported strong evidence of ototoxicity, including 13 substances previously designated as ototoxic by other health and safety agencies. Commonly studied outcomes included hearing loss, damage to ear anatomy, and auditory dysfunction. Vestibular dysfunction and tinnitus are rarely studied. Our findings highlight the lack of conclusive evidence of ototoxic properties for many substances, especially for pesticides and herbicides. This review supports charting the evidence of ototoxicity separately in toxicological profiles' summary tables. Improving the communication of ototoxicity-related health effects might impact their recognition and prompt further research. A stronger evidence base could support improved prevention efforts in terms of serious health outcomes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Environmental Pollution Hearing Loss Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Occupational Health Safety Toxicology
• Keywords:
  Auditory System Author Keywords: Ototoxicity Environmental Pollutants Environmental Pollution Evidence Review Hearing Loss Ototoxicity Ototoxins Toxic Effects Toxicological Profiles Vestibular Disorders

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• ISSN:
  2305-6304
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  650
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070178
• Citation:
  Toxics 2024 Sep; 12(9):650
• Contact Point Address:
  Gregory M. Zarus, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Office of Innovation and Analytics, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
• Email:
  gzarus@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Toxics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7db536cf2421d2ed817c25ea6cad45e4dcbeedb75dab6b74b665ae6c83bafc464e7e631a1cedebc27c764795302fbd65c27877d45897f3b83f95dccd2d3725f6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208442/cdc_208442_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 685.54 KB ]