Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

Modified Experimental Conditions for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Mice and Assessment of Hearing Function and Outer Hair Cell Damage
Published on: February 10, 2023
Hearing loss and heavy metal toxicity in a Nicaraguan mining community: audiological results and case reports
J E Saunders1, B G Jastrzembski, J C Buckey
1Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. james.saunders@hitchcock.org
Abstract:
We measured fingernail metal levels, Békésy-type pure-tone thresholds and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) levels in 59 subjects residing in the gold mining community of Bonanza, Nicaragua. Auditory testing revealed widespread hearing loss in the cohort. Nail metal concentrations (mercury, lead, aluminum, manganese and arsenic) far exceeded reference levels. No relationship was found between metal levels and auditory test results for the group as a whole. Statistically significant relationships were found between DPOAE response amplitudes and metal concentrations in a subgroup with less than 40 h per week of significant noise exposure; however, conclusions regarding these relationships should be tempered by the large number of analyses performed. Several young individuals with high metal levels reported neurological symptoms and had poor hearing. The data suggest that metal levels in artisanal mining communities present a significant public health problem and may affect hearing.
Related Concept Videos
The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements
The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements
Periodic Table Provides Information...
Hearing
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Types of Toxins
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...

