Heavy Metals Exposure and Hearing Loss in US Adolescents

Abstract

Blood lead levels well below the current recommended action level are associated with substantially increased odds of high-frequency hearing loss.

Association between urinary arsenic and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016

“…The harmful effects of arsenic on human hearing are concerning. The results of our study were contrary to those of previous studies that showed no relationship between arsenic levels and human hearing ( 2 , 14 , 19–23 ). Variations in the sample size, study design, analytical methodology, control for different covariates, and racial heterogeneity may explain the disparities between our results and those of previous studies.…”

Association between urinary arsenic and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016

“…The harmful effects of arsenic on human hearing are concerning. The results of our study were contrary to those of previous studies that showed no relationship between arsenic levels and human hearing ( 2 , 14 , 19–23 ). Variations in the sample size, study design, analytical methodology, control for different covariates, and racial heterogeneity may explain the disparities between our results and those of previous studies.…”

Environmental Exposures to Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium and Hearing Loss in Adults and Adolescents: KNHANES 2010–2012

“…The present study did not find evidence that blood mercury is associated with an increased risk of hearing loss among adults or adolescents. This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies of U.S. adolescents and Andean adults ( Counter et al 1998 ; Counter et al 2012 ; Shargorodsky et al 2011 ). An epidemiologic study of general U.S. adolescents failed to observe significant associations between blood mercury and hearing loss ( Shargorodsky et al 2011 ), explaining that environmental levels of exposure to mercury in U.S. adolescents (median levels of blood mercury) may not have a detectable power to observe a significant association with hearing loss.…”

“…This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies of U.S. adolescents and Andean adults ( Counter et al 1998 ; Counter et al 2012 ; Shargorodsky et al 2011 ). An epidemiologic study of general U.S. adolescents failed to observe significant associations between blood mercury and hearing loss ( Shargorodsky et al 2011 ), explaining that environmental levels of exposure to mercury in U.S. adolescents (median levels of blood mercury) may not have a detectable power to observe a significant association with hearing loss. In studies conducted in Andean gold-mining areas, no significant associations between blood mercury (median level of ) and hearing thresholds were found in adults (sample size ranged from 29 to 39) ( Counter et al 1998 , 2012 ), yet a statistically significant association was found between blood mercury (median levels of ) and hearing thresholds in children.…”

Effects of combined exposure to metals, solvents, and noise on permanent threshold shifts

“…The increased exceedance fraction of lead, the presence of arsenic, and the presence of xylene in the high metals and solvents group compared to the high metals, solvents, and noise group may indicate lead and arsenic's substantial contribution to the resulting hearing loss. This assertion is consistent with other studies demonstrating the ototoxic effects of lead when measured biologically [Forst et al, ; Wu et al, ; Counter and Buchanan, ; Campo et al, ; Hwang et al, ; Shargorodsky et al, ; Choi et al, ; Choi and Kim, ]. While both toluene and xylene exposure are suspected of resulting in hearing loss, several studies have found xylene may pose a greater hearing loss risk than toluene [Gagnaire and Langlais, ; Śliwinska‐Kowalska, ].…”

Association between urinary arsenic and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016

“…The harmful effects of arsenic on human hearing are concerning. The results of our study were contrary to those of previous studies that showed no relationship between arsenic levels and human hearing ( 2 , 14 , 19–23 ). Variations in the sample size, study design, analytical methodology, control for different covariates, and racial heterogeneity may explain the disparities between our results and those of previous studies.…”

Environmental Exposures to Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium and Hearing Loss in Adults and Adolescents: KNHANES 2010–2012

“…The present study did not find evidence that blood mercury is associated with an increased risk of hearing loss among adults or adolescents. This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies of U.S. adolescents and Andean adults ( Counter et al 1998 ; Counter et al 2012 ; Shargorodsky et al 2011 ). An epidemiologic study of general U.S. adolescents failed to observe significant associations between blood mercury and hearing loss ( Shargorodsky et al 2011 ), explaining that environmental levels of exposure to mercury in U.S. adolescents (median levels of blood mercury) may not have a detectable power to observe a significant association with hearing loss.…”

“…This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies of U.S. adolescents and Andean adults ( Counter et al 1998 ; Counter et al 2012 ; Shargorodsky et al 2011 ). An epidemiologic study of general U.S. adolescents failed to observe significant associations between blood mercury and hearing loss ( Shargorodsky et al 2011 ), explaining that environmental levels of exposure to mercury in U.S. adolescents (median levels of blood mercury) may not have a detectable power to observe a significant association with hearing loss. In studies conducted in Andean gold-mining areas, no significant associations between blood mercury (median level of ) and hearing thresholds were found in adults (sample size ranged from 29 to 39) ( Counter et al 1998 , 2012 ), yet a statistically significant association was found between blood mercury (median levels of ) and hearing thresholds in children.…”

Effects of combined exposure to metals, solvents, and noise on permanent threshold shifts

“…The increased exceedance fraction of lead, the presence of arsenic, and the presence of xylene in the high metals and solvents group compared to the high metals, solvents, and noise group may indicate lead and arsenic's substantial contribution to the resulting hearing loss. This assertion is consistent with other studies demonstrating the ototoxic effects of lead when measured biologically [Forst et al, ; Wu et al, ; Counter and Buchanan, ; Campo et al, ; Hwang et al, ; Shargorodsky et al, ; Choi et al, ; Choi and Kim, ]. While both toluene and xylene exposure are suspected of resulting in hearing loss, several studies have found xylene may pose a greater hearing loss risk than toluene [Gagnaire and Langlais, ; Śliwinska‐Kowalska, ].…”

Association between urinary arsenic and hearing threshold shifts in adults in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015–2016

“…The harmful effects of arsenic on human hearing are concerning. The results of our study were contrary to those of previous studies that showed no relationship between arsenic levels and human hearing ( 2 , 14 , 19–23 ). Variations in the sample size, study design, analytical methodology, control for different covariates, and racial heterogeneity may explain the disparities between our results and those of previous studies.…”

Environmental Exposures to Lead, Mercury, and Cadmium and Hearing Loss in Adults and Adolescents: KNHANES 2010–2012

“…The present study did not find evidence that blood mercury is associated with an increased risk of hearing loss among adults or adolescents. This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies of U.S. adolescents and Andean adults ( Counter et al 1998 ; Counter et al 2012 ; Shargorodsky et al 2011 ). An epidemiologic study of general U.S. adolescents failed to observe significant associations between blood mercury and hearing loss ( Shargorodsky et al 2011 ), explaining that environmental levels of exposure to mercury in U.S. adolescents (median levels of blood mercury) may not have a detectable power to observe a significant association with hearing loss.…”

“…This finding is consistent with the results of previous studies of U.S. adolescents and Andean adults ( Counter et al 1998 ; Counter et al 2012 ; Shargorodsky et al 2011 ). An epidemiologic study of general U.S. adolescents failed to observe significant associations between blood mercury and hearing loss ( Shargorodsky et al 2011 ), explaining that environmental levels of exposure to mercury in U.S. adolescents (median levels of blood mercury) may not have a detectable power to observe a significant association with hearing loss. In studies conducted in Andean gold-mining areas, no significant associations between blood mercury (median level of ) and hearing thresholds were found in adults (sample size ranged from 29 to 39) ( Counter et al 1998 , 2012 ), yet a statistically significant association was found between blood mercury (median levels of ) and hearing thresholds in children.…”

Effects of combined exposure to metals, solvents, and noise on permanent threshold shifts

“…The increased exceedance fraction of lead, the presence of arsenic, and the presence of xylene in the high metals and solvents group compared to the high metals, solvents, and noise group may indicate lead and arsenic's substantial contribution to the resulting hearing loss. This assertion is consistent with other studies demonstrating the ototoxic effects of lead when measured biologically [Forst et al, ; Wu et al, ; Counter and Buchanan, ; Campo et al, ; Hwang et al, ; Shargorodsky et al, ; Choi et al, ; Choi and Kim, ]. While both toluene and xylene exposure are suspected of resulting in hearing loss, several studies have found xylene may pose a greater hearing loss risk than toluene [Gagnaire and Langlais, ; Śliwinska‐Kowalska, ].…”