Hydraulic Horn
Children at risk of losing hearing ability
Says Dr Pran Gopal
Hydraulic horn is one of the immeasurable mediums of traffic noise as well as sound pollution that cause serious problems, especially in children, said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Vice-Chancellor Dr Pran Gopal Dutta.
“This horn (hydraulic) specially causes serious damage to children...if a child below three years of age hears a horn producing 100 decibels (dB) of noise from close range, he or she might lose hearing ability,” he said.
As per World Health Organisation, noise reaching 60 dB can temporarily cause deafness in a man and 100 dB could cause complete deafness. The noise in any busy street in Dhaka has been estimated from 60 to 80 dB, with the sound of hydraulic horns measuring 95 dB.
Dr Pran Gopal, an ear, nose and throat expert, narrating various hazards of hydraulic horns and sound pollution, said, “The most obvious consequence of traffic noise is hearing loss that is worst in cities where this type of horns and sirens are common.”
“Hydraulic horn is very loud and can hurt the eardrums of children. Long term exposure to traffic noise causes irreparable health damages,” he told the news agency.
Pediatric expert and in-charge of “Gulshan Ma O Shishu Clinic”, Dr Sakil Sarwar, said, “Hearing loss in children can lead to speech problems.”
“Excessive noise can cause problems in children including a decrease in school performance, weakening of the immune system and sleep disturbance,” he said.
“Excessive traffic noise is one of the most common complaints of the city residents and the sound of hydraulic horn affects people more than any other unwanted noise,” said environment expert and a professor of Dhaka University, Dr M A Bashar.
“Though there are sets of laws to prevent sound pollution, people do not know about them because of a lack of concern,” he said.
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