| Smoking Kills. Firecrackers are perhaps
only slightly better. Studies on environment and health have
repeatedly pointed out that firecrackers burst on Diwali spell
doom for the community's health. "Even a small firecracker like
the chakri emits a lot of toxic fumes. Now, imagine what damage
the bigger, more popular firecrackers cause to your body?" says
Dr Neeraj Gupta, medical officer at the Centre for Environment
and Occupational Health at Delhi's Maulana Azad Medical College
(MAMC).
A study by NGO Toxics Link has found significant quantity
of poisonous heavy metals like lead and cadmium in the composition
of firecrackers. The fumes contain oxides of sulphur, phosphorous,
nitrogen and carbon, which are highly harmful, it says. "The
oxides come into contact with moisture while passing from
nostrils to the lungs and form acids, which cause immense
damage to the body," says Ravi Agarwal, director, Toxics Link.
No wonder, cases of asthma and bronchitis rise by 35 per cent
during this season, says Dr Gupta. "Patients of asthma and
allergies increase their medicine intake during Diwali. Same
is the case with bronchitis patients," he says.
Those suffering from heart ailments are also at grave risk.
"Studies have shown that the incessant noise during Diwali
acts as a catalyst to rising blood pressure levels. Those
suffering from hypertension or chronic heart diseases suffer
the most," says Dr Gupta.
Eardrums bear the brunt of the assault. Almost all the popular
firecrackers individually produce noise much higher than the
permissible limit of 125 dB at 4 meters, which roughly is
as loud as the sound of a car's tyre burst. "Every Diwali
brings to us cases of people suffering from temporary hearing
loss that at times stays on for eight to ten hours," says
Dr R.C. Deka, head of ENT, All India Institute of Medical
Sciences.
Temporary hearing loss is still a lesser evil. "Exposure
to noise levels more than 80-90 dB is terrible for the aural
membrane or the inner ear, especially of children. The noise
during Diwali is almost double that," he adds.
While these hazards are directly linked to the noise that
Diwali produces, there are a variety of other problems, which,
perhaps, go unnoticed. "Firecrackers during Diwali can act
as a source of irritation and prolonged exposure may aggravate
certain psychiatric conditions as well," says Dr Rajesh Sagar,
associate professor, department of psychiatry, AIIMS. Women
in later stages of pregnancy should also be careful. A day's
exposure to Diwali din can harm the foetus.
"The list of health hazards is virtually endless. People
should ask themselves if bursting crackers is worth the price
one's health has to pay even long after Diwali is over," says
Dr Deka.
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