I’ve spent many, many hours riding the subways in New York, The El in Chicago, and MARTA in Atlanta and took a number of precautions in doing so. Mainly, watching my purse and my back, but now I’ve learned there’s another body part that we mass transit users should be guarding—our ears.
According to a new study, as little as 30 minutes a day exposed to the high decibel levels of New York’s subway system could result in hearing loss — and wearing an iPod can increase the risk. Researchers from Columbia University found that exposure to the noise levels of the New York transit system can exceed recommended guidelines of the World Health Organization and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“A big source of urban noise is mass transit … (but) it’s our means of transportation that is so vital to us that we have to accept it as it is,” Robyn Gershon, professor of sociomedical sciences and lead author of the study told local reporters.
You can read the study (which some are calling “the first scientific subway noise assessment in more than 30 years”) in its entirety in the latest edition of the Journal of Urban Health. But, in summary researchers found the highest decibel level on a New York City subway platform was 106, with the average level being 94 decibels. According to guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization and EPA, people should not be subjected to levels of 106 decibels for more than 30 seconds to protect their hearing.
Upon hearing this, my cousin (who rides the subway six days a week) made the assumption that he was protected because his ears are usually covered by his iPod. Big mistake, says researchers. In fact, in the study, Gershon said people who use personal listening devices to block out the noise were at an even greater risk.
“They are making it that loud because they are trying to drown out all the noise around them, which could be 85 or 90 decibels and that is just too loud,” said Gershon.
So how can you still use the New York subway system and without putting your hearing at risk? Researchers suggest standing at the front of the station platform rather than the back or middle as the study found the noise levels were lighter at the front. Another tip: researchers urge all subway users (especially children) to use earplugs that can be picked up at local pharmacies for about a buck.