Hearing impairment in F-111 maintenance workers: the study of health outcomes in aircraft maintenance personnel (SHOAMP) general health and medical study.
BACKGROUND
We sought to examine hearing loss in a group from the Royal Australian Air Force who undertook fuel tank maintenance on F-111 aircraft, with exposure to formulations containing ototoxins, relative to two different comparison groups.


METHODS
Using pure-tone audiometry, hearing thresholds were assessed in 614 exposed personnel, 513 technical-trade comparisons (different base, same job), and 403 non-technical comparisons (same base, different job). We calculated percentage loss of hearing (PLH) and used regression models to examine whether there was an association between PLH and F-111 fuel tank maintenance, adjusting for possible confounders. In addition, the difference between the observed hearing thresholds and the expected thresholds based on an otologically normal population (ISO-7029-2003) was determined.


RESULTS
The PLH ranged from nil to 96 (median 1.5, quartiles 0.3, 5.5). A logistic regression model showed no statistically significant difference in PLH among the three exposure groups (exposed vs. non-technical controls 1.1: 95% CI 0.7, 2.0 and exposed vs. technical OR 0.9: 95% CI 0.6, 1.3). The model also highlighted a number of other risk factors for PLH including age, tinnitus, smoking, depression, and use of depression medications. However, at all eight frequencies measured, all populations had lower than expected hearing thresholds based on published ISO-7029 medians.


CONCLUSIONS
Although there was no difference in PLH between the three exposure groups, the study did reveal a high degree of hearing loss between the 3 groups and a normal population.
Guest
Maya
M
University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. maya.guest@newcastle.edu.au
Boggess
May
M
Attia
John
J
D'Este
Catherine
C
Brown
Anthony
A
Gibson
Richard
R
Tavener
Meredith
M
Gardner
Ian
I
Harrex
Warren
W
Horsley
Keith
K
Ross
James
J
D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D001299:Audiometry; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D009623:Noise, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012997:Solvents / Q000633:toxicity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D012997:Solvents