NHCA E-News June 2026
 
Save the Date! 2026 Fall Virtual Educational Summit
The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) invites members and colleagues to save the date for the 2026 Fall Virtual Educational Summit, scheduled for September 9th, 2026.

This half-day virtual event will bring together professionals across hearing conservation, occupational audiology, and hearing loss prevention for expert-led education and discussion.

Attendees can expect sessions focused on advances in hearing loss prevention, occupational and clinical audiology, NIHL research, hearing protection technologies, tinnitus and auditory health, practical applications in high-risk environments, and ethics and professional practice.

The Summit will include a mix of live presentations, interactive learning, and on-demand educational content.
 
The Latest Issue of Spectrum is Now Available!

The newest issue of the NHCA members-only Spectrum newsletter is now available and includes updates and features from across the hearing conservation community.

• Annual Conference News
• Presidential pEARspective by President Jillyen Curry-Mathis
• Signals in Noise – Implementing Group Hearing Protector Fit Testing
• Outstanding Lecture Award and Outstanding Poster Award
• Call for Nominations for NHCA Awards
• A Message from the Director of Education
• NHCA Scholarship Foundation News
• Member Spotlight: John Johnson
• Commercial Member Spotlight: Cameron Fackler and Laurie Wells, 3M
• And more!
Read Now (Login Required)
 
Call for Nominations: Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards

In partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC), NHCA is pleased to announce the call for applications for the 2025 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards™.

These awards recognize organizations and individuals demonstrating exceptional achievements in occupational hearing loss prevention through effective programs, leadership, innovation, outreach, and measurable impact.

  • Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award
  • Innovation in Hearing Loss Prevention Award
  • Open to organizations and individuals in the United States and Canada
  • Nomination Deadline: June 8, 2026
  • Application Deadline: August 19, 2026
Learn More
 
May Webinar Wrap-Up

On May 13, 2026, NHCA and CAOHC hosted a webinar examining the relationship between occupational noise exposure, ototoxic chemicals, and hearing loss. The session reviewed current evidence regarding the independent and combined effects of chemical and noise exposure on auditory health and highlighted industrial hygiene best practices to reduce hearing loss risk.

The webinar featured David C. Roskelley, MSPH, CIH, CSP and Benjamin Roberts, MPH, PhD, CIH, with moderation by Laura Kauth, MA, CPS/A, CCC-A. Attendees earned one hour of continuing education credit (AAA and 0.1 ASHA CEU).

Learning objectives included identifying potential ototoxicants, understanding mechanisms associated with auditory injury, and integrating exposure assessment approaches into hearing conservation programs.
More Information About Past and Future Webinars
 
Listen Up!

Every two months, NHCA experts contribute a short article to the IHW Magazine. The latest issue included the NHCA article titled “Effects of Noise Exposure and Aging” by Lauren Dillard (pg. 38).
Read Now
 
Recent Hearing Research 
  1. Transcriptomic Traces of Noise Exposure in Hearing Loss and Systematic Identification of Biomarker Candidates at the Molecular Scale. Öztan G, İşsever H, Güldiken Y, Canbaz S, Oğuz F, Kurt ÖK, İşsever T.Int J Mol Sci. 2026 May 8;27(10):4182. doi: 10.3390/ijms27104182.PMID: 42196165 Free PMC article.
  2. Effects of noise exposure and long working hours on oxidative stress levels and high-frequency hearing threshold damage in occupational populations. Jiang PS, Li YH, Bai LX, Kuang XY, Zhao Y, Tang YX, Li Q, Zeng WF, Zhu F.Front Public Health. 2026 May 7;14:1827520. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1827520. eCollection 2026.PMID: 42180493 Free PMC article.
  3. Local application of otoprotective compounds other than sodium thiosulfate to prevent cisplatin-induced hearing loss: a systematic review. Masroor A, Streefkerk N, Van Grotel M, Geller JI, Ansari M, Bouffet E, Bleyer A, Fresneau B, Sullivan M, Knight K, Kogner P, Maibach R, O'neill AF, Papadakis V, Rajput KM, Brock PR, Veal GJ, Hoetink AE, Huitema ADR, Van Den Heuvel-Eibrink MM.Drug Deliv. 2026 Dec 31;33(1):2665892. doi: 10.1080/10717544.2026.2665892. Epub 2026 May 1.PMID: 42068011 Free PMC article. Review.
  4. Efficacy of pink noise and earplugs for mitigating the effects of intermittent environmental noise exposure on sleep. Basner M, Smith MG, Cordoza M, Kayser MS, Carlin M, Ecker AJ, Gilad Y, Park-Chavar S, Rennie K, Schneller V, Walsh S, Shou H, Cao Q, Younes M, Aeschbach D, Jones CW.Sleep. 2026 May 12;49(5):zsag001. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsag001.PMID: 41627391 Free PMC article.
  5. Enhancing and sustaining noise attenuation from hearing protection devices: A mixed methods review of fit testing and instruction approaches. Gong W, Morata TC, Samelli AG.J Occup Environ Hyg. 2026 May;23(5):319-333. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2025.2602758. Epub 2026 Jan 27.PMID: 41592213 Free PMC article. Review.
  6. Impact of noise on school bus drivers' visual reaction time: An experimental approach with road safety implications Noise and Reaction Time. Arslan T, Arslan S, Şahan N.Work. 2026 May;84(1):141-147. doi: 10.1177/10519815251395049. Epub 2025 Nov 24.PMID: 41284817 Free PMC article.
 
Sound Postcard
Figure 1 Walking speed as a function of 4PTA (four-frequency pure tone average, a measure of hearing sensitivity). Reference picture from Apple study website

A brief detour from news bytes to focus on a study that has been in the news for a few years now. Among the many interesting findings of the Apple Hearing Study, a recent finding is that walking speed decreases with age, as has been shown before. Nonetheless, this finding is very interesting in the context of hearing loss. This data comes from 57,183 adults with hearing loss, with measurements made through sensors on an iPhone. The study reported that greater levels of hearing loss were linked with slower walking speeds, particularly for adults over the age of 60, even after accounting for age and sex. The authors suggest that the effect of hearing loss on walking speed could be due to the difficulty in hearing environmental (safety) sounds. In addition to being a measure of mobility, walking speed is considered an important indicator of overall health. If you needed more reasons to protect your hearing, here you go!
 
 


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