Holi 2024: All about harmful effects of chemical colours on your health

From gulal to water balloons, the joy of Holi unites us, making remarkable memories of fun and giggling. However, it's important to stay away from certain synthetic colours that contain chemicals

The celebration of colours is here and people across the country are eager to drench themselves in colour to celebrate this joyful festival of Holi. It’s mostly the kids who are very fond of Holi and for the majority of them the celebration starts basically seven days before the main festivities.

While the impact of colours is a visual treat and getting soaked in the shaded water is a delight, the excitement of the celebration can be damaged by chemical-based colors that can play spoilsport, and lead to numerous harmful consequences to health from skin issues, eye issues to respiratory difficulties.

Also Read: Holi 2024: 8 colourful and vibrant ways to decorate your home for Holi

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. 

Also Read: Holi 2024: Tips to celebrate the festival of colours in an eco-friendly way

Impact of Holi colors: Insights 

Hazardous chemicals like endotoxins and heavy metals, similar to lead, can result in moderate to serious medical conditions in individuals. It’s no big surprise that post Holi festivities many individuals make rounds to doctor's clinics and hospitals complaining of skin problems, respiratory disease, conjunctivitis, corneal aberration and ocular harm. 

Holi is an energetic celebration of colours, however, the chemical-loaded colors utilized can represent a danger to your wellbeing. They frequently contain unsafe chemicals like chromium, lead, mercury, cadmium, and asbestos. 

Not at all like past times when there was definitely no health hazard in playing Holi with colors made of flowers, in present day times colours are made artificially with industrial colors or oxidized metals blended in with oil.