A study commissioned by the European Union shows that listening to MP3 players on high volumes for long periods of time could lead to complete hearing loss after as little as five years

The scientists performing the study warned against so-called “leisure noise” and recommended that teenagers should be protected from increasingly high sound levels afforded by modern MP3 players which can be played at high volumes without loss of quality; mobile phones with music playing features have been criticized for the same reason.
"Risk for hearing damage depends on sound level and exposure time," Commission experts said, and went on to estimate that the number of people who listen to portable music players on a daily basis is between 50 and 100 million. If these people listened to music for just five hours a week at more than 89 decibels they’re already exceeding EU limits for noise allowed in the work place. Listen to more, the experts say, and you’re risking permanent hearing loss within the space of five years.
A study conducted last year by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People found that more than half of youths who use MP3 players listened for longer periods than that. The study which was conducted by random testing of the volume levels of 110 listeners, found that 72 of them had their players set above 72 decibels.

The scientists’ calculation placed the number of people at risk of hearing damage at about 5% to 10% of MP3 player listeners, that’s up to 10 million people in the European Union.

The study was carried out because in recent years, sales figures of music players, particularly MP3 players have risen exponentially in EU countries. According to the Commission experts’ estimates, between 184 and 246 million units have been sold over the last four years alone. Of those, MP3 players account for a total of between 124 and 165 million.

"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," said EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva in a statement.

The European Commission said it will now look into the possibility of making technical improvements to music players to minimize potential hearing damage, and are considering changes to safety standards. Among changes proposed is a campaign to raise public awareness and inform the public about the danger of listening to loud music for prolonged periods, especially on headsets.

"The scientific findings indicate a clear risk and we need to react rapidly. Most importantly we need to raise consumer awareness and put this information in the public domain. We need also to look again at the controls in place, in the light of this scientific advice, to make sure they are fully effective and keep pace with new technology," added Kuneva.