ST. PAUL, Minn. - In time for the busiest shopping season of the year, the Sight & Hearing Association releases its annual Noisy Toys list. The loudest toys on this year's list aren't play guns or simulated power tools. They're books.

Play-a-Song® "Pooh's Playful Songs" and Play-a-Sound® "Dora the Explorer Choo Choo," both meant for children 18-months-old and up, sounded off at 107 and 102 dB, respectively. Exposure to noise levels above 85 dB for eight hours is the federal threshold for hearing protection. Levels above 90 dB can cause permanent hearing loss with relatively short exposure.

For the seventh year, the nonprofit organization and researchers from the University of Minnesota tested a variety of toys - taken right off the shelves of local toy stores - for potentially dangerous noise levels. Five of the toys tested were 100 decibels (dB) or louder, a level similar to a chainsaw.

"I was surprised that the book-like toys were so loud," said Eric Becken, an otolaryngologist and chief resident at the University of Minnesota's department of otolaryngology who tested the toys. "Some of the toys are borderline - the sounds are of a short duration and meet the new acoustical standards for toys. The number of times a child plays with the toy will play a role in exposure time and this could pose a risk. With toys, you need to think like a kid. An adult wouldn't put his head in the book to find the speaker but a child would. This can dramatically increase the sound levels."

Because of a child's shorter arm span, toys are often potentially more dangerous to hearing because children hold them closer to their ears. In the Sight & Hearing Association study, the toys were repeatedly tested at distances simulating how a child might hold the toy, directly near the ear (0 inches) and at arm's length (12 inches). A sound-proof acoustic chamber was used to ensure accurate measurements.

Up until this year, there have been no regulations in the United States regarding the loudness of toys. Today, a new acoustics standard (ASTM F963), adopted and revised in March 2004, states that a hand-held, table-top or crib toy cannot exceed 90 dB 25 cm (approx. 10 in.) from the surface of the toy. Compliance with the standard is voluntary.

"We are thrilled that the toy industry and consumer safety groups have finally realized that acoustics are an important part of overall toy safety," said Julee Sylvester, Sight & Hearing Association spokesperson. "While the new standard will benefit consumers, we still believe it's important to continue our testing. Our test methods follow protocol, but go one step further in measuring the direct sound level of the toy. We want consumers to know what sound levels toys are capable of producing so they can make their own decisions."

Unlike with choking hazards and other injuries, there are no injury statistics on toys and hearing loss. That's because noise-induced hearing loss is nearly impossible to track its origination.

"Noise-induced hearing loss is cumulative," explains Sylvester. "It doesn't typically happen from one event; it gradually happens over time. That's why it's important to start protecting hearing at a young age."

To protect your children, the Sight & Hearing Association offers the following tips:

• Listen to a toy before you buy it. If it sounds loud to you, it's too loud for your child.
• Report a loud toy. Call the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Sight & Hearing Association.
• Put masking or packing tape over the speaker on the toy. This will reduce the volume.

"In addition to toys we think consumers should stay away from, we want to highlight a few toys that have safe sound levels," said Sylvester. "Of course, there are also the toys that don't make any kind of sound, such as Barbies, Legos, and board games."

The Minnesota-based Sight & Hearing Association, founded in 1939, is dedicated to preventing vision and hearing loss through education, screening and research.