Two people known to me were exposed to very loud environments and had significant hearing loss while still quite young. So I wondered what contribution trace minerals and small atoms/molecules might make towards causing sudden hearing loss. Pertinent studies indicate that cobalt, lead, and tin tend to correlate with hearing loss, while iron could be protective against hearing loss.
"Individuals with the level of cobalt at third quartile had 49% higher risks of hearing loss than those at lowest quartile. And participants with highest quartile of tin had 1.75-folds risks of hearing loss than those with lowest quartile of tin."
"Association between trace metals exposure and hearing loss," 2022, online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9428401/
"Blood lead concentrations were significantly and substantially associated with hearing loss (mean difference (MD) = 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.03, 2.26; P = 0.04; I2 = 81%), and iron deficiency was significantly related to hearing loss (MD = −0.42; 95% CI = −0.66, −0.18; P = 0.12; I2 = 60%)."
"Association of blood heavy metal concentrations with hearing loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis," 2024, online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0033350623003876
Lead in nature tends to be found mostly as Pb, PbO2, and PbSO4. When I look at the standard reduction potential table (at 25 degrees Celsius, which is 77 degrees Fahrenheit) for various molecules and ions, I see that cobalt, when exposed to heat/electrical current, frees up sulfate (SO4(2-)) ions from lead sulfate (PbSO4). Tin, when exposed to heat/electrical current, turns sulfate ions in the presence of a abundant H+ ions into sulfur dioxide gas (SO2). Iron solids reduce levels of H+ ions by turning them into hydrogen gas (H2). To sum up, it looks like these four trace minerals are pointing to sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) as a culprit in helping cause hearing loss.
I looked at sulfur dioxide gas in 2016 when I was writing about molybdenum and its role in converting sulfite to sulfate. Sulfur dioxide and the sulfite that results from it in the human body appear to me to have causative role in migraines. Interestingly, migraines are correlated with sudden hearing loss:
"However, in male cohort studies, the migraine had a higher risk of [sudden sensorineural hearing loss] than no migraine (HR = 1.50; 95% CI: 1.17‐1.83; P < .001). The pooled HR of migraine with the risk of [sudden sensorineural hearing loss] was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.16‐1.58, P < .001) in people with <40 years old and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.17‐1.60; P < .001) in people >40 years old....Individuals with migraine patients are at a higher risk of developing [sudden sensorineural hearing loss]."
"Migraine and risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A systematic review and meta‐analysis," 2020, online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7752063/.
I think this points to a potential protective benefit from including sulfur dioxide-absorbing/adsorbing materials in earplugs intended for use in high noise environments such a factories, firing ranges, etc.
Merely using earplugs doesn't seem to actually protect hearing:
"The use of earplugs had no observable effect on the prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss of the study participants (OR 0.964, 95% CI 0.925–1.005, p = 0.085). No significant relationship between the effectiveness offered by earplug use and high-frequency hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz was found (t = −1.54, p = 0.125). The mandatory requirement of earplug use without individualized training on how to wear HPDs correctly had no detectable effect on the prevention of hearing loss at the auto parts factory."
"Evaluating the Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in an Auto Parts Factory in China," 2021, online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8297223/
When I do an internet search on "sulfur dioxide-absorbing materials in earplugs," I don't see any results specifically mentioning earplugs that decrease levels of sulfur dioxide in the ear. That indicates a probable unmet need to me.
We know that sulfur dioxide causes damaging acid rain on statues and buildings; it's logical that sulfur dioxide could also be causing damage to our inner ears.
[Update 7/10/24: It appears that magnesium (as Mg(2+) ions), through an unascertained pathway, can protect against hearing loss.
"Because Mg2+ deficiency increases the susceptibility to [noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)], several studies have been conducted in animals or in humans to point out the possible prophylactic efficacy of magnesium. Joachims et al., (1983) observed that guinea pigs with physiologically high Mg2+ levels, when exposed to a single shot impulse or a series of impulses, had significantly smaller threshold increases as compared to physiologically low Mg2+ animals. Scheibe et al., (2000b) showed that oral magnesium supplementation significantly reduces [temporary threshold shifts (TTS)] and [permanent (permanent threshold shifts (PTS)] in guinea pigs subjected to a series of impulses. The mean PTS was found to correlate negatively with the total Mg2+ concentration of perilymph and plasma. Conversely, they did not observe any significant effect on PTS following exposure to a gunshot noise. More recently, Attias et al., (2003) explored the activity of the outer hair cells in guinea pigs by means of otoacoustic emission after impulse noise exposure. In animals supplemented with Mg2+, the thresholds were less significantly affected by noise exposure and the audition recovery was faster. In humans, preventive administration of magnesium has also been shown to be effective in noise-related hearing loss. Attias et al., (1994) tested the prophylactic effect of magnesium in human subjects exposed to hazardous noise. The study was carried out in 300 young, normal-hearing recruits who underwent 2 months of basic military training. This training included repeated exposure to high levels of impulse noises while using earplugs. The subjects received an additional drink daily containing either 167 mg magnesium aspartate or a placebo. The NIHL was significantly more frequent and more severe in the placebo group (28.5%) than in the magnesium group (11.2%). Moreover, the severity of the NIHL was negatively correlated to the magnesium content of red and mononuclear cells. This prophylactic effect in humans was confirmed by Attias et al., (2004) for temporary threshold shifts. Subjects were exposed to a traumatizing noise over 10 min in order to produce TTS without PTS. Compared to a placebo, the preventive oral intake of magnesium (122 mg Mg2+ aspartate during 10 days) provided significant protection against TTS. A negative correlation between the blood magnesium levels and the TTS was also noted."
"Magnesium and hearing loss," 2011 (Isabelle Sendowski, Xavier Holy, Florent Raffin, Yves Cazals), online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507266/.
Magnesium behaves similarly to calcium (magnesium is directly above calcium on the periodic table of elements), so I wonder whether magnesium helps sequester sulfur ions similarly to the way calcium is used to "scrub" sulfur dioxide gas from power plant emissions.]
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