Serum polychlorinated biphenyls concentrations and hearing impairment in adults.

Abstract

Experimental studies have suggested the potential link between exposure to

polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and auditory impairment, but little evidence

exists to support the ototoxicity of PCBs in human. Only a few studies have

implicated PCB-induced hearing loss in children. This study investigated the

association between serum PCB levels and hearing impairment in US adults. We

analyzed data from 1946 adults aged 20 years and older in the National Health and

Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2004: eleven PCB congeners detected in 60-90%

of the samples at greater than the limit of detection (LOD) were selected, and

hearing impairment was defined as a pure-tone average of the thresholds at 0.5,

1, 2 and 4 kHz of >25 dB hearing level in better ear. The adjusted odds ratio of

hearing impairment was significantly increased comparing the highest quartile

(Q4) of detectable PCB range with the reference (below LOD): 5.83 (95% CI:

1.20-28.24) for 2,2',3,3',4,4',5-heptachlorobiphenyl (PCB-170), 7.79(95% CI:

1.81-33.44) for 2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-heptachlorobiphenyl (PCB-180), 7.46 (95% CI:

1.62-34.47) for 2,2',3,4',5,5',6-heptachlorobiphenyl (PCB-187), 8.59 (95% CI:

1.26-58.73) for 2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5'-octachlorobiphenyl (PCB-194), 11.62 (95% CI:

2.20-61.55) for 2,2',3,3',4,4',5,6'-octachlorobiphenyl (PCB-196). Our findings

suggest that specific classes of PCB levels may be associated with hearing

impairment in a general sample of adults.