How are noisy celebrations and DJs affecting the hearing of humans?
Can prolonged exposure to high-volume music cause permanent, hidden damage to the ears? And what do scientific research and India’s noise pollution regulations say about the growing risks?
India's urban and rural areas are increasingly filled with noisy celebrations featuring powerful DJs playing high-volume music. A new study, published in Scientific Reports in 2026, identifies this phenomenon as 'subclinical hearing damage', which is hard to detect but can lead to permanent ear damage. The researchers measured sound levels at a festive event in Hyderabad and found them to be over 108 decibels A-weighted (dBA), far exceeding the safe limits set by the Central Pollution Control Board.
The study warns that prolonged exposure to such high sound levels can cause unnoticed but potentially irreversible changes in the hair cells within the inner ear, affecting one's ability to translate sound into neural signals. The World Health Organisation has flagged a global risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss for over 1 billion young adults due to unsafe listening practices.
While local bans and community limits on DJs have been implemented in some urban areas, the pervasive nature of these events and the availability of affordable high-wattage speakers make it a challenge to curb the problem.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
