Holi 2024: Understanding the Harmful Effects of Chemical Colors on Health

The festival of colors is here, and people all throughout the country are excited to drown themselves in color to commemorate this joyous occasion. Holi is very popular among children, and for the majority of them, the festival begins seven days before the main festivities.

While the play of colors is visually stunning and getting soaked in the shaded water is enjoyable, chemical-based colors have the potential to sabotage the festivities and cause a host of negative health effects, including respiratory troubles, skin problems, and vision problems.

7 Harmful effects of Holi Colors

• Environmental contamination: Chemical colours hurt human well-being as well as adversely affect the climate. They can contaminate water bodies, soil, and vegetation, prompting environmental harm and presenting long term dangers to biodiversity. 
• Poisonousness: Numerous chemical-based colours contain harmful substances like lead, mercury, chromium, and ammonia, which can be consumed through the skin and may present serious wellbeing risks, particularly for pregnant ladies and their creating foetuses. Openness to these poisons can prompt formative abnormalities and different inconveniences during pregnancy.
• Eye irritation: Direct contact with chemical colours can cause irritation, redness, and, surprisingly, temporary visual blindness if the colors enter the eyes. Pregnant ladies are especially helpless against eye irritation because of hormonal changes that can make their eyes more delicate. 
• Respiratory issues: The fine particles of chemical colours can become airborne during Holi festivities, prompting respiratory issues, for example, coughing, sneezing, difficulty in breathing, and exacerbation of conditions like asthma. Pregnant ladies might encounter heightened respiratory responsiveness during pregnancy.
• Eye issues: Chemical colours can cause eye irritation, redness, watering, and even temporary visual deficiency if they get into the eyes. 
• Cancer: A portion of the chemicals utilized in Holi colours, like lead and chromium, are cancer-causing and can build the danger of disease with prolonged openness. 
• Skin irritation and allergies: Chemical colours can cause redness, skin irritation, itching, and burning sensation. Individuals with delicate skin are more inclined to these issues. 

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(Source: Business Standard)