The risk of hydrogen-sulfide (7783064) exposure to workers with tympanic membrane defects (perforated eardrums) is reviewed. Several statutes and recommendations exclude workers with perforated eardrums from being occupationally exposed to hydrogen-sulfide. The rationale behind this is the belief that sufficient hydrogen-sulfide may enter the worker's body through the perforated eardrum to compromise the respiratory protection. The nature of tympanic membrane perforation is described. It is noted that most perforations heal by themselves within 7 to 10 days without problems. The anatomy and physiology of the eustachian tube are discussed. Under normal resting conditions, the eustachian tube is closed. Pressure differentials on the order of 320 to 400 millimeters of water are required to cause passive opening of the eustachian tube in normal subjects. Higher pressures are required in some abnormal patients with perforated eardrums. The pathology of the eustachian tube is discussed. Respirator operating characteristics are reviewed. Eustachian tube air flows under normal, obstructed, and non functioning conditions are described. The authors conclude that individuals with perforated eardrums should not be excluded from working in a hydrogen-sulfide environment. Normal workers and workers with perforated eardrums should be provided with positive pressure, supplied air, or self contained breathing apparatus with full face pieces.
Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.
For more information on CDC's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
CDC.gov Privacy Settings
We take your privacy seriously. You can review and change the way we collect information below.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests.
Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data.
Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties.
Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page.