Effects of pesticides on the hearing health of rural workers

Abstract

Introduction: The pesticide is a complex issue and is powdered in various institutions and actions, both within the SUS and in other government agencies, requiring the urgence to set up a group to facilitate the articulation of different instances. Objective: To assess the effects of pesticide contamination on hearing health of rural workers. Methods: Participants were eight rural workers with at least two years of experience. Selected employees underwent two questionnaires, and audiological evaluation, using the following procedures: interview specifies, quality of life questionnaire at work, pure tone audiometry and high frequency, speech audiometry, tympanometry. Data collection was performed at the at the Speech Patology and Audiology of the Bauru School of Dentistry-University of São Paulo Results: In the audiological evaluation the results showed normal, according to established standards, however the participants were asked to perform periodic monitoring due to normal range in conventional audiometry and high frequencies as well as the presence of recruitment in some individuals. Conclusion: The results suggest that constant exposure to pesticides are likely to cause changes of the peripheral auditory system even if there is not noise present in the workplace. This study and many others propose data demonstrating the importance of prevention programs of the exposition to these agrochemicals to the worker health, highlighting vigilance . Other studies with larger populations should be developed in order to expose more evidence