Well, this is worrying
It seems like everyday we're presented with a new reason not to take the tube to work.
As if it wasn't enough that commuting more than half an hour a day could take years off our lives, we were then told just how often the London underground is cleaned - and let's just say that ever since learning that snippet of information we've opted to stand on all our journeys.
Well, in yet another reason to choose the bus over the tube, it turns out that frequently riding certain London underground lines could cause you to go deaf. Seriously.
Yep, although the Victoria Line is on average the loudest service, parts of the Jubilee and Northern lines are so loud that they're as bad for your ears as 'being at a rock concert'.
To conduct the research, the BBC teamed up with University College London to spend a week recording the various sound levels on different lines passing through zones one and two.
The study found that certain parts of the two lines were so loud that you would legally be required to wear hearing protection if the same levels of noise was recorded on a worksite.
The loudest recorded tube journey was registered between Liverpool Street and Bethnal Green - with the noise peaking at 109 decibels. And to put that into perspective, that's louder than a helicopter taking off near you.
Dr Joe Sollini from UCL analysed the data and said 'it was concerning' - especially as sounds in a workplace at or above 85 decibels would require hearing protecting to be offered.
'If someone was on a noisy tube line every day for long journeys, it is perfectly possible this could increase the risk of hearing loss and potentially tinnitus.'
However, Transport for London have said the noise 'is highly unlikely' to cause any long-term damage to hearing.
We still think we might invest in some ear plugs, just to be safe.
