Exposure to electromagnetic fields from laptop use of "laptop" computers.
Bellieni CV, Pinto I, Bogi A, Zoppetti N, Andreuccetti D, Buonocore G. · 2012
View Original AbstractLaptop power supplies create electrical currents in the body up to 483% above safety limits when used on the lap.
Plain English Summary
Italian researchers measured electromagnetic fields from five laptops and found that while screens met safety guidelines, the power supplies created electrical currents in users' bodies exceeding safety recommendations by up to 483%. The study concludes laptops shouldn't actually be used on laps due to these excessive exposures.
Why This Matters
This research highlights a critical gap between how we use technology and how it's actually tested for safety. The science demonstrates that laptop power supplies create electrical currents in the body that far exceed international safety guidelines, particularly concerning for pregnant women where fetal exposure reached nearly three times recommended limits. What makes this study particularly significant is that it measured real-world usage patterns, not the artificial testing scenarios typically used by manufacturers. The reality is that laptops are designed and named to suggest lap use, yet this Italian research shows such positioning creates potentially harmful exposures. This adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting our current safety standards may be inadequate for protecting against the biological effects of everyday EMF exposure, especially for vulnerable populations like developing fetuses.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 0.0018 - 0.006 mG
Exposure Context
This study used 0.0018 - 0.006 mG for magnetic fields:
- 90x above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 18x above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
The authors measured electromagnetic fields (EMFs) laptop computers produce and estimated the induced currents in the body, to assess the safety of laptop computers.
The authors evaluated 5 commonly used laptop of different brands. They measured EMF exposure produce...
In the LTCs analyzed, EMF values (range 1.8–6 μT) are within International Commission on Non-Ionizin...
Show BibTeX
@article{cv_2012_exposure_to_electromagnetic_fields_851,
author = {Bellieni CV and Pinto I and Bogi A and Zoppetti N and Andreuccetti D and Buonocore G.},
title = {Exposure to electromagnetic fields from laptop use of "laptop" computers.},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1080/19338244.2011.564232},
url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19338244.2011.564232},
}