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Environmental ototoxicants: an update
Juraj Tihányi1, Eva Horváthová2, Lucia Fábelová3
1Faculty of Public Health, Institute of Health Protection, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava, Limbová 2651/12, 833 03, Bratislava, Slovakia. juraj.tihanyi@szu.sk.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research International
|March 12, 2025
Summary
Environmental chemicals are increasingly linked to hearing loss (HL) in the general population. This review expands the understanding of environmental ototoxicants and their contribution to hearing impairment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
- Audiology
Background:
- Hearing loss (HL) poses significant global health, financial, and social challenges.
- Environmental ototoxicants represent a growing concern for the general population's hearing health.
- Previous classifications of ototoxicants did not fully encompass widespread environmental exposures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the scientific literature on hearing impairment (HI) linked to environmental chemical exposure.
- To expand the recognized list of environmental ototoxicants.
- To highlight the contribution of environmental factors to the global burden of hearing loss.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating hearing impairment and environmental chemical exposure.
- Identification and categorization of various environmental ototoxicants.
- Synthesis of evidence linking specific chemicals to ototoxicity.
Main Results:
- Scientific literature confirms the potential for hearing impairment from general population exposure to diverse chemicals.
- An expanded list of environmental ototoxicants includes pesticides, industrial compounds, metals, and volatile organic compounds.
- Alcohol consumption is also identified as a significant contributor to ototoxicity.
Conclusions:
- Environmental chemicals are a significant, yet often underestimated, cause of hearing loss.
- Further research is needed to quantify the exact contribution of environmental ototoxicants to global hearing impairment.
- Public health strategies should consider the impact of environmental exposures on hearing health.
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