Few studies have been conducted that use biomarkers as early warning signals for noise-associated health hazards. To explore potentially effective biomarkers for noise-exposed populations, we recruited 218 noise-exposed male workers in China. We calculated cumulative noise exposure (CNE) through noise intensity and noise-exposed duration. When the model was fully adjusted, ln-transformed relative mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) decreased by 0.014 (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.026, -0.003) units with each 1 dB(A)& BULL;year increase in CNE levels. CNE was further included in the model as a grouping variable, and the results showed a negative dose-effect relationship between relative mtDNAcn and CNE (P-trend = 0.045). However, we did not find a correlation between CNE and micronucleus (MN) frequencies. Our findings suggest that CNE in workers was associated with a decrease in relative mtDNAcn which may provide a potential biomarker for noise and for certain health risk but not with MN frequencies.

Background: Prolonged occupational noise exposure poses potential health risks, but its impact on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage and methylation patterns remains unclear.Method: We recruited 306 factory workers, using average binaural high-frequency hearing thresholds from pure-tone audiometry to assess noise exposure. MtDNA damage was evaluated through mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) and lesion rate, and mtDNA methylation changes were identified via pyrophosphate sequencing.Results: There was a reduction in MT-RNR1 methylation of 4.52% (95% CI: −7.43% to −1.62%) among workers with abnormal hearing, whereas changes in the D-loop region were not statistically significant (β = −2.06%, 95% CI: −4.44% to 0.31%). MtDNAcn showed a negative association with MT-RNR1 methylation (β = −0.95, 95% CI: −1.23 to −0.66), while no significant link was found with D-loop methylation (β = −0.05, 95% CI: −0.58 to 0.48). Mediation analysis indicated a significant increase in mtDNAcn by 10.75 units (95% CI: 3.00 to 21.26) in those with abnormal hearing, with MT-RNR1 methylation mediating 35.9% of this effect.Conclusions: These findings suggest that occupational noise exposure may influence compensatory increases in mtDNA content through altered MT-RNR1 methylation.

Scholars have recently used various methods to study the human body’s characteristics, propose improvements, and rely on medical data. This research introduces a new real−time data collection and analysis system comprising two components: a smart mask for data collection and a processing unit for analysis and storage. The medical mask incorporates four sensors: three heat sensors to measure the nose tip and exhaled air temperature from the nostrils and mouth, along with a microphone for audio data. Collected data is instantly transmitted to the processing unit. Temperature readings are labeled and stored for analysis, while audio data is classified into breathing, coughing, and speaking categories using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm. The SVM’s performance is further optimized using the Lion Algorithm. Evaluation results indicate satisfactory accuracy for temperature data collected from the mask. The SVM achieved 84.3% accuracy for sound data classification, while the Lion algorithm−optimized SVM achieved an even higher accuracy of 93.6%. Future work aims to establish a reliable data collection tool that will serve as the foundation for developing an intelligent human body analysis model called the real human body neural network (rhBNN+).