A recent research report has revealed a new health risk linked to commonly used headphones.
According to the ToxFree LIFE for All report, headphones from leading brands such as Bose, Panasonic, Samsung and Sennheiser were found to contain toxic chemicals.
The disturbing discovery of harmful chemicals in consumer electronics has raised safety concerns among the public and experts.
The researchers analyzed 81 in-ear and over-ear headphones. Surprisingly, hazardous substances were found in every product tested.
Most hazardous substances appear to be linked to health problems, including cancer, hormonal disruptions, infertility and problems with neurological development.
The team also found specific hazardous chemicals, including bisphenols, present in 98 percent of the samples. Other chemicals, such as phthalates, chlorinated paraffins and flame retardants, have been reported to cause health problems related to liver, kidney and reproductive health.
According to experts, the prolonged use of headphones, combined with heat and sweating, facilitates the migration of these toxins directly into the human body through skin contact.
According to Karolína Brabcová, chemical expert at Arnika, part of the ToxFree LIFE for All project: “These chemicals are not just additives; they may migrate from the headphones into our bodies.”
“Given the prolonged skin contact associated with headphone use, dermal exposure represents a relevant route, and it is reasonable to assume that a similar migration of BPA and its substitutes may occur from headphone components directly to the user’s skin,” the researchers said.
The vulnerable groups, including teenagers, are more susceptible to hazardous exposure due to their developing bodies and the high frequency with which they use these devices.
Campaigners criticized the manufacturers for ‘a market-wide failure’, arguing that ‘there is no ‘safe’ level for endocrine disruptors that mimic our natural hormones.’
