Retrospective Cohort Study of Pure Tone Audiometry Threshold Shifts from Ototoxic Substance, Continuous Noise, and Impulse Noise Exposures at Tinker Air Force Base from 2005 to 2019
Abstract
This retrospective cohort epidemiology study sought to establish the comparative risks and indicators of hearing loss associated with combinations of ototoxic substances, impulse noise, and continuous noise exposure. After developing an integrated database model for Tinker Air Force Base, the largest of three depot installations within Air Force Material Command, 2,372 individuals were grouped into eight combinations of exposure groups with a minimum three years exposure duration to hazards. The incidence rates and relative risk of hearing loss indicators were calculated with five different pure tone audiometry evaluation methods. With the NIOSH Significant Threshold Shift criteria, a significant increase in risk occurred in the left ear at 2,000 Hz for the Metal/Solvent/Continuous exposure group (RR=2.44 CI 1.24-4.83) compared to a continuous noise only reference group. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis confirmed a significant difference in hearing threshold shifts in the left ear at 2,000 Hz between this exposure group and reference exposure group. In the presence of continuous noise exposure, ototoxic effects on hearing loss could only be observed in the 1,000 and 2,000 Hz frequencies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 26, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1102620
Entities
People
- Marc J. Blair
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology