Efecto del ruido por trituración de material mineralizado en capacidad auditiva de trabajadores de una concesión minera de Pasaje Ecuador.

Abstract

Globally, approximately 1.16 billion people suffer from mild hearing loss, 400 million have moderate to severe hearing loss, and 30 million experience deep or complete hearing loss in both ears. Noise is a global issue that is addressed differently depending on the country, affecting not only those working in industrial facilities but nearby communities as well. This study was conducted at the Sacahispas mining concession, located in the province of El Oro, Pasaje Canton, at WGS84 coordinates 636838 E; 9630065 S, at an altitude of 84 meters above sea level. Its objective was to determine the effects of noise on the concession worker's hearing ability as a result of crushing the mineralized material. Three study areas were established, and three noise monitoring reports were collected between February 2023 and February 2024. A total of 156 audiometric tests were conducted in 2023 and 2024, 78 for the right ear, and 78 for the left ear. These trials were carried out by the OIDOS laboratory located in Machala's city. The results of the audiometries and noise levels were analyzed using Chi-Square statistical tests, which showed significant differences concerning the length of employment, the work area, and the audiometry results. It was found that 16.6% of workers have hearing loss, with 12.8% having worked for more than 10 years and the remaining 3.8% having worked for less periods of time. In terms of work areas, the crushing area recorded the highest hearing loss at 9%, the warehouse area at 5.1%, and the administration area at 2.5%. Finally, no statistically significant differences were found between the 2023 and 2024 audiometric test results.