ArticleEnvironmental research2020
Perfluoroalkyl substances exposure and hearing impairment in US adults.
Article in Environmental research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- PFAS exposure induces hearing loss by targeting cochlear hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- PFAS Exposure Induces Hearing Loss by Targeting Cochlear Hair Cells, Ribbon Synapses, and Spiral Ganglions.Research square · 2025Article
- Association Between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and Hearing Threshold Shifts of Adults in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015-2016.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2024Article
- Association of mixed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure with hearing loss and the mediating role of blood cell markers of inflammation in U.S. adults.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamins DFrontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Association between sleep duration and hearing threshold shifts of adults in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2015-2016.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Exploring the association of organochlorine pesticides exposure and hearing impairment in United States adults.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Incident Natural Menopause in Midlife Women: The Mediating Role of Sex Hormones.American journal of epidemiology · 2022Article
- Urinary phenols and parabens in relation to hearing loss: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Journal of environmental health science & engineering · 2022Article
- Exploring the Association of Leukocyte Telomere Length and Hearing Threshold Shifts of Adults in the United States.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2022Article
- Urine caffeine metabolites and hearing threshold shifts in US adults: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Perfluoroalkyl substances and cognitive function in older adults: Should we consider non-monotonic dose-responses and chronic kidney disease?Environmental research · 2021Article
- Serum Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Are Associated with Increased Hearing Impairment: A Re-Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Targeting ferroptosis in sensorineural hearing loss: mechanisms, therapeutics, and translational prospects.Frontiers in neurologyReview
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely applied in consumer and industrial products such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging materials, and fire-fighting foams. These "forever chemicals" are hypothesized to impact neurobehavioral functions. Yet no previous study has explored the role of PFAS on audiometrically determined hearing impairment (HI).
objectivesTo investigate the associations of serum concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances with low-frequency HI (LFHI) and high-frequency HI (HFHI) in US adults.
methodsWe evaluated the cross-sectional associations in 2371 adults aged 20-69 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004, 2011-2012 and 2015-2016; and 449 adults aged ≥70 years from NHANES 2005-2006 and 2009-2010. Serum concentrations of perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), were measured using solid-phase extraction coupled to High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Turbo Ion Spray ionization-tandem Mass Spectrometry. LFHI was defined as a pure-tone average (PTA) of thresholds across 0.5-1-2 kHz >25 dB; HFHI defined as a PTA across 3-4-6 kHz >25 dB in the worse ear. Survey-weighted logistic regression models were used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with adjustment for age, age-squared, sex, race/ethnicity, education, poverty-to-income ratio, body mass index, smoking status, exposures to occupational, recreational and firearm noises, and NHANES cycles.
resultsThere were no significant associations when perfluoroalkyl variables were fitted as a linear (log-transformed) term. However, statistically significant associations of HFHI with PFNA (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.13-2.56) and PFDA (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.00-3.05) were observed when comparing participants with serum concentrations ≥90th vs. <90th percentiles of PFNA (90th percentile = 1.8 ng/mL) and PFDA (90th percentile = 0.5 ng/mL), respectively, in adults aged 20-69 years. No significant associations were observed for other compounds in adults aged 20-69 years and for all compounds in adults ≥70 years.
conclusionsOur study does not provide strong evidence to support the ototoxicity of PFAS exposure. Non-linear threshold dose-response associations between serum concentrations of PFNA and PFDA and HFHI need further investigation.
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