Arsenic related hearing loss in miners.

PURPOSE: Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that carries number of potential risks to human health, although there is little evidence of the ototoxic effect of arsenic. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between arsenic exposure and hearing loss by measuring blood arsenic concentrations and hearing among miners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research is a retrospective case control study. Included in the study were miners employed in a single silver mine whose blood arsenic concentrations were high. A comparison was made on the pure tone audiometry measurements taken from miners exposed only to arsenic (Group 1), those exposed to both arsenic and noise (Group 2) and a control group exposed to neither arsenic nor noise (Group 3). RESULTS: It was found that for both ears at all frequencies, the hearing level of Group 3 was better than the hearing levels of both Group 1 and Group 2. There was no correlation between the blood arsenic levels and hearing levels in both ears. CONCLUSION: This study has revealed the ototoxic effects of arsenic. As blood arsenic concentrations do not reflect long-term exposure, no correlation was identified between blood arsenic concentrations and hearing levels. Further studies will be needed to clarify the mechanisms involved in the effect of arsenic on hearing. This paper represents the largest study to date focusing on the isolated effects of arsenic on hearing through the use of a clinical auditory test.