A 13-Year-Old Girl’s Science Fair Project Uncovers An Insight Into Hand Dryers And Hearing Damage

Oct 11, 2019

Most people spend very little time thinking about the hand dryers in public restrooms. However, that may change based on a discovery by a 13-year-old girl. Although hand dryers in public restrooms are an environmentally friendly way to eliminate paper waste, Nora Keegan recently discovered that some hand dryers might be loud enough to actually pose a risk to hearing.

Nora began to be curious about the loudness of hand dryers when she noticed that her ears were ringing after washing and drying her hands in a public restroom. This inspired her to learn more about the issue, and what she found out led her to do her science project on the topic. Nora’s research revealed that the National Institute of Health classifies exposure to any sound above 85 decibels as potentially harmful to hearing.

Armed with this information, Nora visited several public restrooms and measured the sounds being produced by the hand dryers. She found that the average decibel level for hand dryers was 110 decibels, well above the potentially harmful standard cited by the National Institute of Health. She even found one hand dryer that registered an eye-popping 120 decibels, which is louder than a typical concert. The impact of these types of loud sounds from dryers can be even more harmful to children whose ears are often closer to the dryer than adults.

Although short periods of exposure may be acceptable, hearing experts said to Inside Edition that the long-term effects of exposure to loud sounds are cumulative and can lead to hearing loss. Nora is hopeful that her findings can be used to remedy this issue in the future.

Send this story to someone you know who will be inspired by Nora’s determination to address a problem that is hiding in plain sight and appreciate the reminder that all of us have the power to make the world a better place.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!