Estudo dos limiares auditivos em frequências convencionais e alta frequência de moradores e trabalhadores expostos a praguicidas na região do Pontal do Paranapanema, estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Abstract

The pesticides are substances and formulations containing one or more active ingredients designed to destroy or prevent the action of harmful or unwanted organisms. The poisoning problem has concerned the authorities, particularly by contamination of water, soil and food, and workers exposed to pesticides may have general health problems and also hearing loss. This study aimed to carry out an analysis of the audiometric profile of residents and farm workers, in order to observe the influence of pesticides on human hearing in the Pontal region, SP, Brazil. The population sample consisted of 83 workers between 18 and 60 years or more, of both sexes. After on-site lectures, participants were asked to answer a questionnaire and to conduct audiological evaluations. In the evaluations, by air, the frequencies were investigated 250-16 KHz. The same test was applied to exposed participants and nonexposed to pesticides. The responses from the questionnaires were analyzed using Fisher´s exact test. The results of the audiometry hearing thresholds were evaluated statistically analyzed initially by the statistical nonparametric Wilcoxon for comparisons between the right and left ears. From that moment the values were analyzed by statistical nonparametric Mann-Whitney test. We compared values of two groups, control and Exposed to pesticides, to test the difference between the two groups and the significance of this difference. For the analysis of configurations of audiometric curves, hearing loss classification, tympanometry and stapedial reflexes, the statistical test was used G. All analyzes were carried out through the Bioestat 5.3 program, considering the significance value <0,05. It was concluded that the individuals of the group exposed to pesticides showed loss of higher thresholds at all frequencies when compared to the control group, which were more obvious differences in the age group over 40 years and at high frequencies. There manifestation of evidence of hearing loss in leveraged Group Exposed to pesticides, for possible damage to the auditory system as a result of exposure time and age with chronic toxicity characteristics.