THE EFFECTS OF TOLUENE PLUS NOISE ON HEARING THRESHOLDS: AN EVALUATION BASED ON REPEATED MEASUREMENTS IN THE GERMAN PRINTING INDUSTRY
Journal Title: International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health - Year 2008, Vol 21, Issue 3
Abstract
[b]Objectives:[/b] The ototoxicity of occupational exposure to toluene plus noise was investigated in a longitudinal study in rotogravure printing and existing findings in the literature were evaluated. [b]Material and Methods:[/b] The study comprised four repeated examinations during 5 years and started with 333 male workers. Lifetime weighted average exposures (LWAE) to toluene and noise were determined from individual work histories and historic recordings; recent individual exposures were measured 10 times during the study (toluene, active sampling; noise, stationary measurements). Auditory thresholds were measured with pure tone audiometry at 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 kHz. [b]Results[/b]: Mean LWAE exposures to toluene and noise were 45±17 ppm plus 82±7 dB(A) for high toluene exposed and 10±7 ppm plus 82±4 dB(A) for low toluene exposed subjects, mean current exposures were 26±20 ppm plus 81±4 dB(A) and 3±3 ppm plus 82±4 dB(A). Mean exposure duration was 21.3±6.5 years for long exposed and 5.9±2.2 years for short exposed subjects. Repeated measurement analyses of variance did not reveal effects of toluene intensity, exposure duration and interactions between toluene intensity and noise intensity. Noise intensity [79±3 dB(A) vs. 84±1 dB(A)] was significant for auditory thresholds. A case concept utilising developments of individual auditory thresholds did not reveal significant toluene effects. Logistic models including age, exposure duration, toluene in ambient air, current noise and either hippuric acid or ortho-cresol (o‑cresol) found only age to be significant for elevated OR of high frequency hearing loss.[b] Conclusions: [/b]Due to missing toluene effects, it was concluded that the threshold level for developing hearing loss as a result of occupational exposure to toluene plus noise might be above the current limit of 50 ppm toluene.
Authors and Affiliations
MICHAEL SCHÄPER, ANDREAS SEEBER, CHRISTOPH VAN THRIEL
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP154930
- DOI 10.2478/v10001-008-0030-z
- Views 115
- Downloads 0
Experiencing a probabilistic approach to clarify and disclose uncertainties when setting occupational exposure limits
Objectives: Assessment factors (AFs) are commonly used for deriving reference concentrations for chemicals. These factors take into account variabilities as well as uncertainties in the dataset, such as inter-species and...
Environmental non-persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals exposure and reproductive hormones levels in adult men
Non-persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous, man-made substances present in the environment that may interfere with the natural human hormones and may exert adverse consequences on human organism....
THE CONCENTRATION OF SELECTED CANCER MARKERS (TPA, TPS, CYFRA 21-1, CEA) IN WORKERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED TO ARSENIC (As) AND SOME HEAVY METALS (Pb, Cd) DURING A TWO-YEAR OBSERVATION STUDY
[b]Objective:[/b] Molecular epidemiology studies have lately been focused on occupational cancer associated with exposure to chemical carcinogens in work environment. Measuring serum levels of tumour markers ie. the subs...
Rare occupational cause of nasal septum perforation: Nickel exposure
Many etiologies are held accountable for nasal septum perforations. Topical nasal drug usage, previous surgeries, trauma, nose picking, squamous cell carcinoma, some rheumatological disorders such as granulomatosis with...
Polish Mother and Child Cohort Study (REPRO_PL) – Methodology of the follow-up of the children at the age of 7
Effects of environmental exposures in utero and in the first years of life on early life health and development is a growing research area with major public health implications. The main aim of this work has been to prov...