Cranking up the volume on your iPod will have limited results if the European Commission gets its way.
The commission is calling for strict limits on the maximum volume of MP3 players sold within the European Union. Experts say volume levels should be capped at 85 decibels, with the ability to reach 100 decibels by overriding the players' default settings.
According to the BBC, EU standardization bodies will consult on the matter beginning in January, with a conclusion to be reached in the spring.
Of course, the industry opposes tight regulations. Digital Europe spokesman Tony Graziano told the BBC that while safety should be improved, 85 decibels "would not be appropriate because noise coming from traffic, engines and so on would obliterate the sound." Graziano doesn't say this, but I'm guessing the industry also isn't too keen on redesigning their MP3 players to comply with one region's volume restrictions.
In testing facilities, some players were found to reach 120 decibels, the equivalent of a jet taking off.
It's easy to find research about the link between personal music players and hearing loss, but it's harder to find evidence that a large portion of the population is at risk. Last year, researchers from Johns Hopkins University said the United States is facing a possible hearing loss epidemic, but placed the blame on the aging baby boomer population in addition to the use of personal music players.
Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder estimated that 7 percent to 24 percent of teens listen to music at risky levels, but concluded that targeted education could promote safer practices. Another study from Vanderbilt, performed with help from MTV.com, found that teens would turn the volume down if told to do so by health care professionals.
All of this makes me think that if MP3 players had volume limits, people who don't care about hearing loss would buy volume-boosting headphones or listen to more music through speakers. I don't think this is a battle the nanny state can win.
