The ototoxic effects of ethyl benzene in rats

Hearing loss among workers exposed to moderate concentrations of solvents

“…Toluene (but not its metabolite) damages both cochlea and the retrocochlear auditory pathway as assessed by auditory brainstem responses (18) and distortion product otoacustic emission (19)(20). Exposure to ethyl benzene in rats resulted in an increase in the threshold for the compound action potential by up to 30 dB in a large frequency range (1-24 kHz), due to outer hair cell loss (21). White spirit exposure also led to a dose-dependent increase in the amplitude of the auditory brainstem response of the same strain of animals (22).…”

Chemical exposure and hearing loss

“…51,52 The cochleotoxic effects of aromatic solvents such as toluene, styrene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, various methylstyrenes, allylbenzene, and n-propylbenzene have been repeatedly demonstrated in animal experiments. [53][54][55][56][57] Long-duration exposures to aromatic solvents have been shown to cause irreversible hearing impairment, with the cochlear hair cells as the first targets. 58,59 Most of these animal studies were performed with rats, whose cochleae are sensitive to aromatic solvents.…”

Combined Effects of Noise and Mixed Solvents Exposure on the Hearing Function among Workers in the Aviation Industry

“…A retrocochlear influence can also be expected. Numerous animal studies have examined the combined effects of noise and solvents on hearing loss and observed their synergistic effects on sensorineural hearing loss 1,8,9) . However, only few studies have focused on the effects of combined exposure to solvents and noise on hearing loss in humans, producing inconsistent results.…”