hsplab@ecsvax.UUCP (05/19/84)
[]
An FDA report was summarized in a recent issue of FDA Drug Bulletin (An
Evaluation of Radiation Emission from Video Display Terminals - FDA 81-8153.
Superintendent of Documents, US Govt Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402).
I also seem to remember a summary of this same report in another publication,
but can not remember where. Basically the report cites that most CRTs
generate unmeasurable amounts of xrays. Out of all models tested only 7
generated measurable amounts of xrays and almost all of these were non-
production prototypes which were never manufactured. I do not think that
monitors were included in this study.
I feel fairly confident in saying that there is little to no chance that
current monochrome CRTs and monitors generate significant xrays. The
anode voltages are too low. It is possible that some of the color
monitors can generate xrays since color tubes operate at higher anode
voltages. Another National Academy of Sciences summarized that "A
person is exposed to greater radiation levels in all parts of the
(electromagnetic) spectrum from ambient sources than from a VDT."
[Video Displays, Work and Vision. Committee on Behavioral and Social
Sciences and Education, National Research Council, National Academy
of Sciences, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1983].
David Chou
University of NC, Chapel Hill
School of Medicine, Department of Pathology
{akgua,decvax}!mcnc!ecsvax!hsplabtodd@islenet.UUCP (Todd Ogasawara) (05/29/84)
Page 15 of the 21 May 1984 issue of InfoWorld has a one paragraph mention of
an NIOSH investigation of "unusually high rates of miscarriages among workers
at two sites where video display terminals (VDTs) are usedd in large numbers."
miscarriages/pregnancies site
24/48 United Airlines San Francisco res off.
6/15 Southern Bell data proc. center/Atlanta
(also 2 premature births, 1 still birth, 1 neonatal death)
Of course, it may be other environmental(job stress, chemical wastes, etc.)
factors that are really behind these unfortunate incidents. Still, it does
make me wonder what is really happening to people (male & female) like us who
sit in front of a VDT for long hours. Does anyone know how the followup
to the incidents mentioned above is going?
Todd Ogasawara -- University of Hawaii -- Dept. of Psychology
{ dual,vortex,ihnp4,uhpgvax }!islenet!todd