No birthday party is complete without balloons - just as long as they don't burst. Scientists have warned that popping balloons can be louder than blasts from a shotgun, and may lead to permanent hearing loss.
After being inspired by a YouTube video of a child's party, whereby children stomped on hundreds of balloons, hearing experts Bill Hodgetts and Dylan Scott measured the noise generated from bursting balloons and discovered that the impact (at its highest level) could be compared to a high-powered shotgun going off to someone's ear.
Using ear protection and a high-pressure microphone, the University of Alberta scientists measured the noise of balloons being popped with a pin, blowing them up until they popped and finally crushing them until they burst. The loudest noise made by a balloon (being blown up until it ruptured) was 168 decibels – four times higher than a 12-gauge shotgun. The other two methods still produced noises that were still a "concern."
But before you rule out balloons at your next birthday party, the researchers highlight that their study isn't a reason to panic. Instead, they want it to be a conversation starter and to raise awareness about cumulative hearing loss:
"We are not saying don't play with balloons and don't have fun, just try to guard against popping them. Hearing loss is insidious - every loud noise that occurs has a potential lifelong impact. We want people to be mindful of hearing damage over a lifetime, because once you get to the back end of life, no hearing aid is as good as the once healthy built-in system in your inner ear."
While the popping of balloons next to tiny eardrums shouldn't make you worry too much, the study raises the question of safety thresholds for impulse noises (created by a sudden burst of instant energy) that may gradually contribute to hearing loss.
The researchers want people to consider cumulative hearing loss the same way they think about sun damage and other aspects of our overall health.
"It's amazing how loud balloons are. Even one exposure could be considered potentially unsafe to hearing for both children and adults… Nobody would let their child shoot something that loud without hearing protection, but balloons don't cross people's minds."
The research was published in the journal Canadian Audiologist.