EC calls for 85dB maximum volume for MP3 players

Portable music players such as iPods and MP3 players may be sold with a default maximum volume of 85 decibels (dB) starting as soon as next year.

The move follows a mandate issued by the European Commission in October, which called on manufacturers to find ways to protect the hearing of people using these devices.

This was prompted by research undertaken by the EU Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risk (Scenihr).

With some MP3 players able to reach volumes of up to 120dB this independent scientific body examined the issue of hearing loss in children and adolescents who used personal music players.

Its research showed that up to 10 million people could be affected by permanent hearing loss as a result of listening to loud music for prolonged periods.

When the mandate was issued, the EC suggested limits on how long people should listen to music at certain volumes; a level of 80dB exposure should be limited to 40 hours per week and at 89dB exposure should not exceed five hours a week.

However, it also wanted technical solutions and better education on the risks these devices pose for hearing loss.

The EC now wants these devices sold with a maximum default of 85dB; although this could be overridden to reach 100dB if the user wanted.

Manufacturers and standards bodies will begin a two-month consultation starting in January. Final agreement on the settings is expected in the spring and the new standards will be drawn up by Cenelec – the European standard setting body.

Although these standards are not mandatory, if the new standard is approved by the EC and published in the Official Journal of the European Union, it 'de facto' becomes the industry norm.

The news has been welcomed by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID), which has been running a long campaign, Don’t Lose the Music, and lobbying the European Commission (EC) and manufacturers to raise awareness about the risks.