The European Union will soon be putting restrictions on the volumes MP3 players such as the Apple iPod can play. This is being done to prevent auditory damage in the present generation.
Meglene Kuneva, the EU’s Consumer Affairs Commissioner said that tougher standards will be drafted to limit hearing loss. There is concern, especially in the younger generation who use MP3 players on a larger scale and so necessary action is being taken.
According to studies, more than 2.5 million Europeans could suffer hearing loss by using MP3 players at unsafe volumes for more than one hour per day for at least five years.
In the MP3 players that are currently available, the maximum volume ranges from 80 to 115 decibels while anything beyond 89 decibels is unsafe. Using different earphones could add 9 decibels or more to these volume levels. An airplane while taking off generates about 120 decibels.
The new standard will set the maximum volume level of MP3 players at 80 decibels. However, users will still be able to bypass that level if they want to.
The risk of hearing damage depends on the time for which the user listens to music. In the future, MP3 player manufacturers may have to display warnings about hearing loss either in the manuals or on the player itself.
Many MP3 player manufacturers have welcomed the move. However, they opined that more studies have to be conducted and better ways found to provide health warnings that convey the message.
Earlier, France passed a similar law restricting MP3 player volumes to 100 decibels. In response, Apple released software upgrades to comply with the law. It also released new iPods conforming to the law.
Apple also ships a warning message with each iPod. The warning message says “permanent hearing loss may occur if earphones or headphones are used at high volume.”
In the recent years, sales of MP3 players have increased manifold in the European Union and elsewhere. More than 50 million people are believed to use MP3 players on a regular basis.
The new regulations will be finalized and come into effect from the next year.