Audition and exhibition to toluene - a contribution for the theme

Int. Arch. Otorhinolaryngol. 2012;16(2):246-258. DOI: 10.7162/S1809-97772012000200015 Review Article Audition and exhibition to toluene - a contribution for the theme Audição e exposição ao tolueno - uma contribuição para o tema Lívia Sanches Calvi Augusto1, Luiz Alexandre Kulay2, Eloisa Sartori Franco3. 1) Master. Occupational and Speech Clinic. Master of Integrated Management of Occupational Health and Environment - Senac University Center. 2) PhD. Chemical Engineer. Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering - Polytechnic University of São Paulo (EPUSP). Research Group Pollution Prevention - GP2 Department of Chemical Engineering - EPUSP. 3) PhD. Speech. PhD in “Health of Children and Adolescents” - Department of Pediatrics - FCM / UNICAMP, Professor of Speech Pathology, Methodist University of Piracicaba - UNIMEP. Institution: Senac University Center - Campus Santo Amaro. Campinas / SP - Brazil. Mailing address: Lívia Sanches Calvi Augusto - Olavo Bilac Street, 419 Apto. 71 - Cambui - Campinas/SP - Brazil - Zip-code: 13024-110 - E-mail: ou ou Article received in August 11, 2010. Article approved in February 5, 2011. SUMMARY RESUMO Introduction: With the technological advances and the changes in the productive processes, the workers are displayed the different physical and chemical agents in its labor environment. The toluene is solvent an organic gift in glues, inks, oils, amongst others. Objective: To compare solvent the literary findings that evidence that diligent displayed simultaneously the noise and they have greater probability to develop an auditory loss of peripheral origin. Method: Revision of literature regarding the occupational auditory loss in displayed workers the noise and toluene. Results: The isolated exposition to the toluene also can unchain an alteration of the auditory thresholds. These audiometric findings, for ototoxicity the exposition to the toluene, present similar audiograms to the one for exposition to the noise, what it becomes difficult to differentiate a audiometric result of agreed exposition - noise and toluene - and exposition only to the noise. Conclusion: The majority of the studies was projected to generate hypotheses and would have to be considered as preliminary steps of an additional research. Until today the agents in the environment of work and its effect they have been studied in isolated way and the limits of tolerance of these, do not consider the agreed expositions. Considering that the workers are displayed the multiples agent and that the auditory loss is irreversible, the implemented tests must be more complete and all the workers must be part of the program of auditory prevention exactly displayed the low doses of the recommended limit of exposition. Keywords: noise, occupational, toluene, hearing loss, noiseinduced, workers. Introdução: Com os avanços tecnológicos e as mudanças nos processos produtivos, os trabalhadores estão expostos a diferentes agentes físicos e químicos em seu ambiente laboral. O tolueno é um solvente orgânico presente em colas, tintas, óleos, dentre outros. Objetivo: Comparar os achados literários que evidenciam que trabalhadores expostos simultaneamente a ruído e solventes têm maior probabilidade de desenvolverem uma perda auditiva de origem periférica. Método: Revisão de literatura a respeito da perda auditiva ocupacional em trabalhadores expostos a ruído e tolueno. Resultados: A exposição isolada ao tolueno também pode desencadear uma alteração dos limiares auditivos. Estes achados audiométricos, por ototoxicidade a exposição ao tolueno, apresentam audiogramas semelhantes ao por exposição ao ruído, o que torna dificultoso diferenciar um resultado audiométrico de exposição combinada - ruído e tolueno - e exposição apenas ao ruído. Conclusão: A maioria dos estudos foi projetado para gerar hipóteses e deveria ser considerado como passos preliminares de uma pesquisa adicional. Até hoje os agentes no ambiente de trabalho e seus efeitos têm sido estudados de maneira isolada e os limites de tolerância destes, não consideram as exposições combinadas. Considerando que os trabalhadores estão expostos a múltiplos agentes e que a perda auditiva é irreversível, os testes implementados devem ser mais completos e todos os trabalhadores devem fazer parte do programa de prevenção auditiva, mesmo expostos a baixas doses do limite de exposição recomendado. Palavras-chave: ruído ocupacional, tolueno, perda auditiva provocada por ruído, trabalhadores. Int. Arch. Otorhinolaryngol., São Paulo - Brazil, v.16, n.2, p. 246-258, Apr/May/June - 2012. 246 Audition and exhibition to toluene - a contribution for the theme. Augusto et al. INTRODUCTION With the technological advances and the changes in the productive processes, the workers are displayed daily the different physical and chemical agents in its labor environment, which - in one number significant of situations - finishes for being to revert at risk to the health. This picture is presented still more unsafe when the prevalence of these risks turns it agreed exposition of these products to the noise. In the last few decades, the occupational auditory losses have been argued in scientific publications, constituting a problem of important health in our society. However, studies appear on other agents, beyond the presence of the noise in environments of work of innumerable productive processes, that agreed, represent a potential risk to the hearing (1). Amongst main ototoxic chemical composites, can be detached metals, suffocating and the solvents, considering this last group, most present in the half industrials. The toluene is solvent an organic present in glues, inks, oils, amongst others, and its evaluation in the labor environment is through its urinary bioindicador (examination of acid hippuric) (2). In this article, we will present studies of the effect combined between noise and toluene, in intention to extend the knowledge how much to the effect of the concomitant exposition between the solvent and noise. REVISION OF LITERATURE The human being exposition to the toluene occurs from the occupational use, in the domestic environment, through the inhalation with abuse ends and of the ambient exposition. The biggest source of ambient exposition to the toluene is the production and use of the gasoline. Great amounts of toluene are introduced in the environment annually through the use of the gasoline and the production and processes of oil refinement. To calculate the levels of exposition human being proceeding from air, the ground and the water can be difficult (3). In the last few decades, the occupational auditory losses have been argued ostensive in the half academic for the fact, unquestionable, to consist in a problem of important health in our modern society. However, more recent studies disclose that the presence of chemical agents, in association to the noise make to boosting the loss of hearing in the work environment (1). The adverse effect of (...truncated)