NHCA E-News August 2026
 
2026 Fall Virtual Educational Summit Registrations Open!
The NHCA Fall 2026 Virtual Education Summit is quickly approaching, on September 9, 2026, starting at 1pm ET!

This year's theme is "Innovations that Make a Global Impact." We've gathered an exciting group of international and U.S. speakers to bring you content you don't typically see at our annual conference, where travel constraints often limit international participation.

Our co-keynote speakers hail from the UK.

Ms. Clare Foreshaw, Professional Head of Health and Wellbeing at the UK Rail Safety and Standards Board, has spent most of her career advancing best practices in noise control, health surveillance, and reducing noise-related risks. She also founded the UK Hearing Conservation Association, launched in March 2019. She'll discuss international approaches to hearing conservation, current global initiatives, opportunities for preventing hearing loss across industries, and how nonprofit and research organizations can partner with regulators to drive change.

Mr. Chris Steel has worked in acoustics since 1997, with experience in acoustic product design, education, and consulting. For over ten years, he has served as a Specialist Inspector of workplace noise and vibration for Britain's health and safety regulatory agency. He'll discuss how to work with industries to control workplace noise — including common missteps — and how data from workplace inspections can be used to target the next steps for intervention.

It will be interesting to see how our keynote speakers' approaches and insights can be adapted to our own workplaces.

Additional highlights include:
  • Launching a career in hearing conservation, with Sarah Mouser, Au.D.
  • Ethical issues in practice, with occupational medicine physician Michael Hodgson and audiologist Cassie Ford
  • A podcast-style session on music and hearing conservation with Frank Wartinger, Au.D., featuring guests from the U.S. and Australia discussing the HELA certification and MusiCares program
  • 3D-printed hearing protector innovations
  • New research on health literacy in hearing conservation; and ototoxic exposures and noise risks
  • Hearing protector fit testing global standards and regulations, and MORE!
The full agenda is available below.

The summit offers a total of 8 hours of on-demand CE content. Five sessions presented live on 9/9/2026 will be recorded and made available with an addition 4 hours of pre-recorded sessions, so you can watch at your convenience through the end of September.

Also, watch for additional information through NHCA’s social media sites and share with your networks on social media. When sharing your post, feel free to include a personal message if you want, then tag NHCA (see instructions below for our three main platforms) and include the registration link: https://bit.ly/4bcXLUj so others can easily learn more and register. It’s going to be a great summit and we don’t want anyone to miss out.

Facebook: Tag @National Hearing Conservation Association by selecting our official Facebook organization page from the dropdown in your post.
Instagram: Tag @hearingconservation in your post.
LinkedIn: Tag @National Hearing Conservation Association by selecting our official LinkedIn organization page when creating your post.
Register Now
Click Here to View the Agenda
 
The Call for Papers Is Now Open! Take the Stage at NHCA's 51st Annual Conference in 2027

The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) invites you to submit a proposal to present at the 51st Annual NHCA Conference, taking place in Orlando, Florida, April 22-24, 2027.

The 2027 conference theme, Promoting Prevention through Partnerships, celebrates the power of collaboration in advancing hearing loss prevention. We welcome presentations that showcase innovative research, practical applications, emerging technologies, interdisciplinary partnerships, and evidence-based strategies that strengthen hearing conservation efforts across industries and professions.

The Submission deadline is November 2, 2026. Abstracts will be reviewed by the conference planning committee and recruited reviewers, by December 4, 2026. 
SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACT
 
NHCA/CAOHC Webinar Series

The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has coordinated with the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) to host a NHCA/CAOHC webinar series for 2025/2026.  The series offers high-level webinar content on hot topics and top-notch speakers.
REGISTER HERE
Please make a note of the upcoming webinar on October 14, 2026, by Dr. Eric Fallon. It will focus on the importance of audibility as a measure that will help hearing conservation professionals better meet their workers’ needs.
 
Also, save the date for a webinar on Advancements in Tinnitus Therapy on November 19 with Dr. Marc Fagelson. Among other topics, he will discuss current research findings and treatment advances, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and low-gain amplification for tinnitus.
 
Landmark Noise Pollution Ruling
Against the EPA

In a landmark decision in Quiet Communities, Inc. v. United States Environmental Protection Agency, a United States District Court Judge ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must comply with the 1972 Noise Control Act and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978.  

In its ruling, the court recognized that “EPA almost entirely stopped implementing the Act…more than four decades ago” and had “little trouble concluding that the EPA has unreasonably delayed in carrying out its duties” to keep the public informed about the harms caused by noise pollution, the levels at which noise exposure causes such harm, and the major sources of noise that do so.
 
The case will move next to the remedy phase, in which the court will determine the steps EPA must undertake to fulfill its duties and the timeline for doing so.
 
For the Quiet Communities news release, see this link.
To read about the decision, see this link.
 
Recent Hearing Research 
 
  1. Environmental Exposures and Stroke Risk: Converging Pathways, Unequal Burdens, and Prevention Opportunities. Ali M, Mayberry W, Achey R, Putaala J, Nouh A.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2026 Jul 22;26(1):35. doi: 10.1007/s11910-026-01505-2.PMID: 42484963 Free PMC article. Review.
  2. Cardiovascular composite events and the healthy worker effect among noise-exposed workers: a retrospective cohort study. Liu J, Li Q, Liu J.Front Public Health. 2026 Jul 7;14:1889187. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1889187. eCollection 2026.PMID: 42483076 Free PMC article.
  3. Association between occupational noise exposure and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: the mediating role of body mass index in automotive manufacturing workers. Chen Z, Yu J, Ou S, Ruan Y, Rong X, Zhang Y, Huang H, Cui J, Wang Z.Front Public Health. 2026 Jul 7;14:1793888. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1793888. eCollection 2026.PMID: 42483063 Free PMC article.
  4. The accuracy of a smartphone-based hearing assessment compared to conventional audiometry in workers exposed to noise according to sociodemographic, occupational and pre-assessment conditions. Lima CMS, Fernandes LCR, Corona AP.Codas. 2026 Jul 3;38(4):e20240260. doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/e20240260en. eCollection 2026.PMID: 42454830 Free PMC article.
  5. Investigating the causal associations between occupational noise exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A Mendelian randomization study. Lu Z, Yu X, Wang M, Wu X, Song J, Wang S.Medicine (Baltimore). 2026 Jul 3;105(27):e49630. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000049630.PMID: 42410833 Free PMC article.
  6. A Moderated Mediation Model Linking Speech-in-Noise Exposure, Speech Perception in Noise Ability, Loneliness, and Depression. Jorgensen E, Werner M, Modahl L, Misurelli S.J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2026 Jul 9;69(7):3483-3500. doi: 10.1044/2026_JSLHR-25-00615. Epub 2026 Jun 24.PMID: 42340754 Free PMC article.
  7. Speech-in-noise difficulties in aminoglycoside ototoxicity reflects combined afferent and efferent dysfunction. Motlagh-Zadeh L, Izhiman D, Blankenship CM, Hamza H, Moore DR, Martin DK, Garinis A, Feeney P, Hunter LL.Hear Res. 2026 Jul;477:109678. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2026.109678. Epub 2026 May 19.PMID: 42173068 Free article.
  8. Impaired Tone-in-Noise Detection in Individuals Who Report Temporary Hearing Symptoms After Noise Exposure. Brungart DS, Ellis GM, Shub DE, Davidson AJ.Ear Hear. 2026 Jul-Aug 01;47(4):956-966. doi: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001789. Epub 2026 Feb 2.
 
Sound Postcard
Figure 1 Starling’s test rig is an Arduino linked to three piezo buzzers for sound comparison. Photograph: Joel Corelitz

What is a sound that we are all familiar with, that we hear daily, and that is super annoying? I am talking about the infernal beep of the microwave that cuts through the soundscape and demands your attention like nothing else, perhaps not even your crying firstborn. I have good news! Folks have been working on an alternative to this sound that is less annoying, and have come up with a solution, although it might be a while before we see that solution on the shelf of our favorite retailer. To learn more about how this has been achieved using a microcrontroller, a breadboard, and piezo buzzers, read on here.
 
 


Who is NHCA?


We are a group of passionate hearing conservationists willing to share their expertise to prevent hearing loss. NHCA members include occupational and clinical audiologists, industrial hygienists, occupational health nurses, acoustical engineers and technicians, physicians, occupational health and safety professionals, military personnel, university professors, students, researchers and others with an interest in hearing conservation. 





Visit the Virtual Marketplace Year-Round! 

Learn more about NHCA’s sponsors by accessing profiles, videos, and other helpful links here.

Our Vision: To prevent hearing loss and other auditory disorders due to noise and secondary environmental factors in all sectors of society.

Our Mission: NHCA provides leadership, expertise, and education on hearing loss prevention strategies and services to the broader professional community and empowers and supports members through networking and advocacy.
 

Vidya Krull, PhD, CCC-A
Editor, NHCA E-News
[email protected]

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]. 
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Email