Auditory system dysfunction in Brazilian gasoline station workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational health
• Audiology
• Environmental toxicology

Background:

• Gasoline station workers face potential risks from chemical and noise exposure.
• Understanding the impact of occupational exposures on the auditory system is crucial for worker health.
• Previous research indicates potential links between chemical exposure and hearing impairment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate auditory system function in Brazilian gasoline station workers.
• To assess peripheral and central auditory processing using a comprehensive audiological test battery.
• To compare the auditory performance of exposed workers with a non-exposed control group.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 77 gasoline station workers and 36 controls.
• Audiological evaluation included pure-tone audiometry, acoustic immittance, otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs, DPOAEs), auditory brainstem response (ABR), and P300 auditory-evoked potentials.
• Noise exposure levels were measured, with time-weighted averages below 85 dBA.

Main Results:

• While 67.5% had normal audiometric results, 59.7% of workers reported communication difficulties.
• Gasoline station workers performed significantly worse than controls on most audiological tests, excluding P300.
• Peripheral and central auditory processing deficits were observed in the exposed group.

Conclusions:

• Gasoline station workers demonstrate peripheral and central auditory dysfunctions.
• Occupational exposure to gasoline is a potential contributing factor to these auditory impairments.
• Findings highlight the need for targeted hearing conservation programs in this occupational group.