Fresh concerns have arisen over the use of iPods and MP3 players within the UK, according to the EU’s science committee. The means almost one million people in the UK are risking deafness by using MP3 players for over one hour per day for just over five years.

According the science committee, up to ten million people across Europe are in danger of going deaf as a result of MP3 players. This equates to anything between 300,000 and 1.2 million UK residents losing their hearing.

Deaf campaigners will welcome the report as they fight against the dangers of portable music players. The study was ordered by the European Commission after increased numbers of EU inhabitants faced permanent hearing damage caused by iPods and MP3 players.

The noise level create by MP3 players is already restricted by an EU safety standard to just 100 decibels, but experts warn that anything above 89 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss. The level of noise created by MP3 players is higher than that allowed in factories, illustrating how loud MP3 players can be for someone’s ears.