MP3 players can be deafening

It is an open secret that some devices may produce as much noise as a flying plane or a working factory. MP3 players, which have gained immense popularity in the world recently, are not an exception. Listening to the music in headphones five hours a week at high volume can lead to serious problems with hearing, European scientists say.

Photo: MP3 players can be deafening

A group of researchers from The Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks, or SCENIHR, said that the negative influence of digital audio players on the hearing manifests itself in several years only. Teenagers, the most active users of MP3 players, make the majority of the risk group. As a rule, they can listen to the music non-stop for hours. As a result, such individuals may lose their hearing when they turn 25.

The European Union has already put forth requirements to the companies producing MP3 players to restrict the noise in music player headphones to 100 decibels. Nevertheless, young people continue to listen to the music at high volume to enjoy the music to the maximum and dampen all other external sounds.

Specialists said that up to ten percent of music listeners run the risk of developing hearing disorders including the loss of hearing.

There were incidents, when victims of their own audio players attempted to sue the makers of their devices in an attempt to receive a financial compensation for the damage. A US user of an iPod sued Apple in 2006 claiming that the maximum volume in iPod players exceeded the acceptable level.