Hearing loss in humans drinking tube well water with high levels of iron in arsenic-polluted area.

ABSTRACT: Well water for drinking with increased levels of iron in arsenic-polluted areas has been reported worldwide. Oral exposure to arsenic has been shown to be associated with hearing loss, while there is no evidence for an association between excessive exposure to iron and hearing loss in humans. In this study, we determined iron and arsenic levels in biological samples and hearing levels by pure tone audiometry (PTA) in subjects in a control area and an arsenic-polluted area in Bangladesh. The iron level in well water in the arsenic-polluted area was significantly higher than that in piped supply water in the control area. Subjects in the polluted area (n = 109), who had higher iron and arsenic levels in hair and toenails than those in subjects in the control area (n = 36), had an increased r

SUBMITTER: He T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6588562 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature