University
Health problems linked to video monitors
By Virginia Sliman
Its lute al’tei m urn nit In- I AH
t iomputei 1 .ounge Si altered
through tin- lounge stiulcnts
slam into video disptav mom
tois; somi- slum h nr limit h in
their seats while others sit up
straight nt pause for a strati li
Ml sit with their lat es about
12 inches from the computer
monitor
Probably. Iev\ are aware nl
studies linking low-level elei
tromagnetii radiation, like that
emitted by VIVI's. \\ ith i am er
birth delects and mist,images
St ientists in Suedt-n mtied
signitii ant increases in letaI
deaths and miscarriages in
mice exposed to weak magnetic
Iields as part ol three rei ent
studies All three studies used
radiation designed to mimii as
closely as possible the magnet
it fit-ids produt ed by VIVi s .it
cording to a ret ent .util In in
A/at worhl. a t omputei maga
/me
The maga/ me also titt-ti
some A merit an si ml it-s I hat
showed low-level electromag
net it radiation ni.iv promote
cancer bv suppressing the
hod\ s immune system and in
t reusing activity of an en/vine
connected with t auter promo
linn
David Ut'M. who has worked
with computers for -a visits
said that while working in cer
lain environments lie and Ills
i n workers o< i asionall\ sul
feted chronit headai lies that he
suspet ts Ilia\ lie linked to the
i omputers
I didn't know about radi
ation then, and now I wonder it
!here s a t onnet tion said
West who is now a network
manager for Random l engths
publishing t nmpam itt ku -
gene
West became concerned
about a possible link between
electromagnetii emissions and
i ant et - brain tumors and lenke
min tit children after lie read a
series ol artit les in Vew 1 ttrkri
ibis spring
"They were well researt bed
I felt there was definitelv some
thing I here w or ill w on v i ng
about worth paving attention
to.’’ West said
I'he \eu ) ii krr articles
raised issues and evidence oi
the possible* elfet ts of elei tro
magnetic lields, said Steve
I let kei oct upalionut health
spot i.ilist .it the l () s I .ahiir r.d
in .il inn .uni Ri'mmii h ( Cnlci
(aiucern about the risk, of e\
posu i u In elei t ro in .t it net ii
fluids is gaining w nlui an opt
.UK o bn said
Tile .»rtit In i ifus studies tli.it
found a signifii antl\ Ingfiui
l ain of camel especially
fir,on i aiu nr and leukrinia in
punplu who worked around
elei trout.ignetn fields, mi lud
mg elec trii ians. elei tin al engi
liners, electrii -utility workers
power station opeiators and tel
ephone and pou ei linemen
"There are just as mam stud
ies that s.n there is something
there as there are studies tfiat
sav there is not a problem."
said 1 ran/. SI (ieorge a phvsi
list and radiation safety officer
at Sat mil I leart t ieneral I lospi
tal
It makes it veiv difficult for
people like me to sav am
thing '' he said
I on tri•<|rit• in y elei Irit cur
rent produces a magnetic field
that penetrates almost anything
in its path, including the hu
man both Magnetic fields
( ause (lie inolei ules o{ the Ini
man body and the brain to v1
br.ite I tat k and forth al a rate ol
as mill h as tat times a set Olid
according to the July 0 issue of
the .Veil ) i il ktT
I hr strength ol magnetit
fields llri essarv In ( arise .ui
\rrsr lir.ilth effet Is in human
beings is i entral to the VI) 1
i ontriiv ers\
Levels .is low as two nr three
milligauss have been linked tu
the development of cancel in
cliildren living near high-cur
rent eleclrii distribution wires
act circling to studies cited in
\/ut world A gauss is a unit ul
measure for electromagnetic
energy. a mitligauss is one
one thousandth ul a gauss
In 1*)?I2 ( anatlian research
ets measured the strength of
magnetic fields 12 int lies from
two computet monitors ami re
circle'll a reading of lie ire than
two mitligauss Hie n ailing 20
mi lies away from several moni
tors was about one inilligauss
Hie ( anatlian (leiitre for ()t
i upatnm Health and Safety ret
olnmentled that workplai.es lie
redesigned to put more ills
lame liefvveell VI)1 operators
and then display monitors and
neighboring monitors For the
most part. (iauadian and I S
health oliit lais ignored warn
mgs as tlitl major media m
I'hulii l»* Nr .in I'mliiM
Sonic sluilii's h.i\r linked the lnn-le\el r,idi.it ion Ironi video
i/is/i/.iv terminals to hr.ilth problems, ini lulling i ,nu er
both i.ountries. a< i nrdmg III
\l,ii wurhi
()r i >41 n.i 11 \ ionizing radi
<11iiiii like that emitted fnnii
Xi.n tubes. was thought to
i (His*1 ( .mi nr SI ( ieorge said
bill i! is no longer i : ’isideted a
pn iblein
Within the Iasi de< ade how
evei two tvpes ot non ionizing
radiation have raised i om erns
vers low frequent s radiation
|\ I I | and eslreinels low radi
al ion
There are no federal sian
daubs lol eithel \ 1.1 ot I I I la
illation ill the 1 lilted Slates
how evei several i outlines in
eluding Ssveden and ( anada
have set standards lor \ 1,1
emissions \ number ot compa
nies mi hiding IBM. 1 )K( I’liil
ips and Sigma sell monitors
that meet those standards
t sing a devk e that measures
magnetic fields \/ai iiarW test
ed Ml displav monitors i om
monh used with Mai intosh
■ omputers
\/ai it or/d disi.overed that
the strongest emissions name
Imm the tups ,iiul sides nt Mm
intnsh COlIipiltel monitors t he
Vppli'f silur High Resolution
l\‘t di inonitm gave nit mure
tli.m '(I milhgatiss I mi lies
litnn the right side ul the muni
tut I'Jiiissioie. .it lh. s.ime ills
lilllt e IIIJill the IiiiiiI lit the
\pplef iiiui monitor ,iiuI .ninth
ei M.ii intush i ulm muiiitiii
measured linin' th.in
milligauss
I v. enK eight lin lies frnin the
tmill ul i display si leeii
\/,ii u or hi tumid lh.it inagm-lii
held eiiiissinii. mi .ill monitors
i iiiiinmiilv used vv itli M.h in
lush eninjiii tel S lel I i ill In less
tlwm I milligauss
\s ,i result \l.it world ret inn
mends lh.it \ I) I users sit .it
least .in .urn's length .nva\ Iriim
monitors .mil ,it le.isl four teet
• iu ,i\ Ittiiii the sides lit h.ii I i il
• ms nearby monitors
Salespersons ,il sever.il I n
gene t ouipulei stores said ill,it
although the\ did mil have
i unpulei raili.itmil shield in
slut k . they i i hi Id he ordered
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