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Cincinnati — Up to 1.4 million U.S. workers may have hearing issues attributable to job-related chemical exposure, results of a recent study suggest.
After examining survey responses from nearly 18,000 employed or recently employed U.S. adults, researchers found that 11% of the workers had hearing difficulties.
They also found that 13% were exposed to substances that can damage hearing, also known as ototoxic chemicals. These substances include heavy metals, pesticides, engine exhaust, industrial glues, solvents and tobacco smoke.
Nearly half of respondents from the mining industry reported being exposed to ototoxic chemicals.
“Other industries with high exposure rates included oil and gas extraction; construction; agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; transportation; and manufacturing,” a press release from the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine states. “Many of the same industries had high exposure to noise.”
Other findings:
- 28% had a history of noise exposure.
- 16% of the respondents were exposed to loud noise at work for at least four hours a day.
- 7% were exposed to both loud noise and ototoxic chemicals at work.
“The data suggest that 1.4 million workers have hearing difficulties attributable to ototoxic chemical exposures and 2.1 million attributable to noise exposure,” the release states.
The researchers highlight the need for “special attention in hearing conservation programs” targeting the estimated 12 million U.S. workers exposed to both ototoxic chemicals and noise.
The study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication