Make sure you don't go deaf!

Sudhakar Rao / TNN / Oct 30, 2005, 22:05 IST

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Anything above 90 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss, say experts.

VADODARA: Numbers like 90 decibels (db) and 120 db may not make sense till one realises that 90 db is equal to standing next to a loud siren and is capable of causing permanent damage to your hearing. And 120 db heard from close quarters can blow a hole in your eardrum, say ENT surgeons!
It is because of these numbers that many activists were surprised when the Supreme Court allowed firecrackers capable of creating sound up to 125 db to be sold in the market.
TNN measured the decibel levels of a variety of firecrackers sold in the city and found that most of them complied with the SC order, but all of them cross the limit that doctors consider safe for the human ear.
Under the Noise Pollution Rule 2000, the permissible decibel level for the human ear in industrial areas till 10 pm is 75 db, while for commercial areas it is 65 db and residential areas 55 db. Of the five types of firecrackers that TNN tested, the lowest sound was generated by the 'time bomb', which clocked 86.7 db.

Doctors consider this dangerously close to causing permanent damage to hearing. The duration of exposure and proximity to firecrackers is also important. "A firecracker not only generates sound, it also generates shockwaves," says ENT surgeon Sachin Patel, who gets at least 10 cases of people suffering from temporary hearing loss every Diwali.
"At high decibels, these shockwaves can puncture your eardrum." Patel adds that those who hear ringing and whistling in their ears after bursting a firecracker should see a doctor as these are symptoms of damage, either to the nerves or the eardrum.

The firecrackers that TNN test were procured randomly from various retail shops. When the 'time bomb' was burst in an open field it measured 86.3-decibel level, but in an closed area the bomb recorded 100.3 db. Similarly, the 'sutli bomb' recorded 92.3 db in open space, but it skyrocketed to 119.4 db in a closed area.
Says Rohit Prajapati of Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti (PSS), "These ear-shattering crackers easily go beyond 140 decibels when the are burst together as is the case during Diwali. Though 125 db is way beyond the capacity of human ear, many crackers in the walled areas certainly cross the stipulated norm."
The Supreme Court in its July order had said that manufacturing of firecrackers generating decibel levels exceeding 125 db at four metres distance from the point of bursting shall be prohibited. According to the apex courts' observation, 75 db for firecrackers was too low.
The decibel was extended citing a few cases of other countries where the permitted level is 125 db. However, one visit to the walled city area like Mandvi, Dandia Bazaar, Nyay Mandir, Raopura and Salatwada during Diwali is sure to blow up your eardrum.
Several big and small firecrackers are burst simultaneously right on the road. The increasing ambient noise levels at public places like industrial area, near site of construction, loud speakers, music systems, vehicular horns and other mechanical devices add up with the sound generating from firecrackers during Diwali.
Regional officer of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) V C Shah says, "Manufacturers should ensure that the sound of firecrackers does not exceed the permissible limit."
Says Rajesh Wajah, a retailer selling firecracker at Polo ground, "Most of the firecrackers adhere to the norms prescribed by the authorities, and we confirm this with the manufacturers."
GPCB officials have three sound meters to test crackers during Diwali. However, what about trying to buy one from the stalls few days before Diwali and checking the decibel level? "It is the duty of the GPCB to check crackers being distributed by vendors," adds Oza.

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