Study warns against jugaad pipe guns

Calcium carbide-based concoction in the ‘boom tubes’ leads to serious ocular burns, say LVPEI researchers

Hyderabad: The desi pipe ‘guns’ made of plastic (PVC) and filled with calcium carbide (CaC2), which creates a lot of noise to scare wild animals away from agricultural fields, pose a serious threat of ocular injuries, eye specialists and researchers from Hyderabad said in a study.

The research paper, published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology (September, 2023) by specialists from Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) said: “The ‘jugaad’ nature and shoddy construction of plastic ‘boom tubes’ often leads to catastrophic malfunction and serious ocular burns.

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The growing popularity of carbide firecrackers also raises a serious public health concern and there is an urgent need for medical guidelines to treat such burns, for which it is essential to understand the outcomes of CaC2-induced ocular injury.”

Calcium carbide (CaC2) is a common chemical with many agricultural applications, but it is also a popular ingredient for making firecrackers. In parts of rural India, farmers often use homemade PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipe ‘guns’ that use a carbide-based concoction. Carbide gun use is reported in regions with human-animal conflict such as rural Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, the LVPEI researchers said.

Helmed by LVPEI researchers Dr Srikant K Sahu, Dr Anchal Arora, Dr Swapna S Shanbhag and others, the study said, “Calcium carbide-related ocular injuries can result in significant visual morbidity in young adults. Early presentation and management may improve outcomes. Prevention of these injuries by increasing awareness and increasing advocacy efforts is necessary.”

Eye injuries due to fireworks, usually seen in young males, often cause severe vision impairment or total loss of vision because the heat and chemical reactions set off by the fireworks can fuse the eyelid to the eyeball, scour away the ocular surface, and cause lifelong epithelial defects.

It can also result in limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), where cornea loses the ability to repair itself. Soon, the surrounding tissue from the conjunctiva blankets the cornea, making it opaque and leading to vision loss. Calcium carbide-related ocular injuries are severe and often lead to vision loss. The study underscores the severe nature of fireworks-induced ocular burns and the urgent need to advocate for carbide-gun safety, the LVPEI researchers pointed out.