8,700 Studies Reviewed. 87.0% Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
Shield Your Body
Whole Body / General

A REPORT ON ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION SURVEYS OF VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINALS

Bioeffects Seen

C. Eugene Moss, William E. Murray, Wordie H. Parr, Ph.D., Jacqueline Messite, M.D., Gerald J. Karches · 1977

Share:

Bottom line: Scientists were surveying computer display radiation for health concerns as early as 1977, nearly five decades ago.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1977 technical report documented electromagnetic radiation measurements from video display terminals (early computer monitors). The study surveyed EMF emissions from these workplace devices during the early computer era. This represents some of the earliest systematic documentation of EMF exposure from computer equipment.

Why This Matters

This 1977 report represents a pivotal moment in EMF research - the first systematic surveys of radiation from video display terminals just as computers were entering workplaces. What makes this significant is the timing: researchers were already concerned enough about EMF emissions to conduct formal surveys of these new devices. The reality is that VDTs became ubiquitous in offices throughout the 1980s, exposing millions of workers to previously unmeasured electromagnetic fields for hours daily. While we don't have the specific findings from this report, its very existence demonstrates that EMF concerns around computer equipment aren't new - they've been documented for nearly five decades. Today's office workers face exponentially more complex EMF environments, with WiFi, Bluetooth, and multiple wireless devices layered on top of the display radiation that concerned researchers back in 1977.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Cite This Study
C. Eugene Moss, William E. Murray, Wordie H. Parr, Ph.D., Jacqueline Messite, M.D., Gerald J. Karches (1977). A REPORT ON ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION SURVEYS OF VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINALS.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_report_on_electromagnetic_radiation_surveys_of_video_display_terminals_g6064,
  author = {C. Eugene Moss and William E. Murray and Wordie H. Parr and Ph.D. and Jacqueline Messite and M.D. and Gerald J. Karches},
  title = {A REPORT ON ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION SURVEYS OF VIDEO DISPLAY TERMINALS},
  year = {1977},
  
  
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Early video display terminals emitted various forms of electromagnetic radiation including electric fields, magnetic fields, and potentially radio frequency emissions from their cathode ray tube technology and electronic components, though specific measurements aren't available from this report.
Scientists conducted these surveys because video display terminals were new workplace technology and researchers wanted to document potential electromagnetic radiation exposures as these devices became common in offices, showing early awareness of possible health implications.
1977 video display terminals used cathode ray tube technology that typically produced stronger electromagnetic fields than modern LCD or LED screens, though today's devices add new exposures like WiFi and Bluetooth that didn't exist then.
This represents some of the earliest systematic documentation of electromagnetic radiation from computer equipment, establishing that EMF concerns around workplace technology have existed for nearly five decades, not just since modern wireless devices emerged.
Yes, office workers using video display terminals in the 1970s were exposed to electromagnetic radiation from these devices, which prompted researchers to conduct formal surveys to measure and document these previously unknown workplace exposures.