Do you have everything stored on compact discs and DVDs? Well, those records may not be there forever.

Experts are discovering that data on discs is breaking down in several different ways. Consumer Alert went looking for simple ways to prolong the life of CDs and DVDs.

When CDs came out to store music, data and family pictures, they were supposed to last a lifetime -- experts predicted between 70 and 200 years. But that is not what is happening.

"Some people have noticed that the CDs are not lasting forever -- that they are, in fact, deteriorating," said Dr. Bruce Eisenstein, of Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Dan Koster is one of the people who have noticed a problem with CDs. He said some won't even play anymore.

Koster is the Web content manager at Queens University of Charlotte. He started to notice disc damage years ago.

"I had a disc that was previously playing very well and it was now unplayable -- yet the surface had no scratches. It looked to be in good condition, so I took it and held it up the light," Koster remembered.

He saw pinholes where light was shining through the disc. The information on the disc had actually oxidized.

Some pictures of Koster's CDs showed what else can happen to your precious music or memories.

Some of the discs were not properly sealed around the edges, which allowed oxygen to seep in between the plastic layers and caused the edge to rot.

Bronzing is what happens when sulphur from the CD booklet mixes with the lacquer on the CD itself.

"This bronzing here at the edge, it's so fragile where it's happened you can actually scrape the data right off -- I mean, it's just toast," Koster said.

Sometimes CDs deteriorate because they are poor quality, but most of the time it is because people don't handle them correctly, according to Koster.

"From fingerprints and other things that get on the disc, bacteria can grow in there," Eisenstein said.

Bacteria leaves behind acid that breaks down the layers on the CD. Also, most people worry about scratches on the underside of the disc, where the info is stored, but because of the way CDs are made, scratches on the topside can be more damaging because they expose your data to the atmosphere. That is why you should only use a soft pen with water-based ink when you write on a CD.

You can protect your CDs and prolong their life. Don't stack them on top of one another, handle them by the edges and store them vertically in their cases in a cool, dry place.

"If you want your discs to last a long time, keep them out of the sun, keep them out of bright lights, don't expose them to the elements," Eisenstein said.

Related Resources:

Classical Net On Bronzed CDs

Hyperion Records Limited, London on Bronzed CDs

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