{
  "id": 8390571,
  "title": "How are noisy celebrations and DJs affecting the hearing of humans?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/how-are-noisy-celebrations-and-djs-affecting-the-hearing-of-humans",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-19T05:45:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/how-are-noisy-celebrations-and-djs-affecting-the-hearing-of-humans/article71483768.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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?",
  "key_points": [
    "Subclinical hearing damage from noisy celebrations affects humans.",
    "Sound levels at Hyderabad event exceeded 108 dBA, surpassing safe limits.",
    "WHO warns of global risk of permanent hearing loss for young adults."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The rising prevalence of high-volume celebrations and DJs in India indicates a growing risk of permanent, unnoticed hearing damage, particularly among young adults, as safe sound limits are frequently exceeded.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}