Health warning to music lovers

cientists have issued a health warning to the personal music generation about noise levels from their in-ear entertainment.

The quality of music reproduction at high levels on tiny players is now so good that more people are turning up the volume - risking permanent hearing damage.

A report from the European Union's Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) estimates that five-10% of personal music player users risk permanent hearing loss if they listen for more than an hour a day at high volume settings for at least five years.

And if that sounds like a low risk, European Commission officials pointed to the rising numbers of people who plug themselves into loud music every day just for journeys to and from school or work.

Add up the hours and the decibels, they said, and the number in the EU risking some permanent hearing loss is put at between 2.5 and 10 million people.

The Commission ordered the study from the independent committee because of the soaring numbers routinely exposed to high noise volumes through personal players.

An EU safety standard already exists restricting the noise level of personal music players to 100 decibels, but the scientists said the danger level is long-term exposure to music pumped into the ears above 89 decibels.

At that level, users of personal music players are exposed to higher noise levels than currently allowed in factories after just five hours' listening.

EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva, said the scientists had now clearly signalled "cause for concern" and she would be organising a conference early next year with governments, the music industry and consumers "to discuss the way forward".

Ms Kuneva commented: "I am concerned that so many young people, in particular, who are frequent users of personal music players and mobile phones at high acoustic levels, may be unknowingly damaging their hearing irrevocably." source>>>

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