NEW research in Britain has found that millions of young people are risking hearing damage by listening to iPods and other music players with volumes turned up too high. Youngsters are generally unaware of such a risk. Continuous exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels (dB) is reported to cause hearing damage. Several studies have linked permanent hearing loss in children to noisy toys, games, firecrackers and exposure to gunfire. Squeaky toys for babies and toy motor vehicles can emit sounds of 78-108 dBA (the "A" is a reference scale) at a distance of 10cm.

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