DC ELECTRICAL ENVIRONMENT IN PROXIMITY TO VDTS
Jonathan M. Charry, William H. Bailey, T. Dan Bracken · 1985
Computer monitors create DC electric fields up to 5,000 V/m and deplete beneficial negative ions, potentially explaining early reports of operator health complaints.
Plain English Summary
This 1985 study measured the electrical environment around computer monitors (VDTs) to investigate reports of skin rashes and health complaints among operators. Researchers found that VDTs reduced beneficial negative ions in their immediate vicinity and created DC electric fields up to 5,000 volts per meter at close range, though these levels were comparable to common indoor electrical charges.
Why This Matters
This early research provides crucial baseline data on the electrical environment created by computer displays, predating our modern understanding of EMF health effects. The finding that VDTs deplete negative ions while creating substantial DC electric fields helps explain the non-specific health complaints reported by early computer users. What's particularly significant is that these DC field strengths of 5,000 V/m at 10 centimeters were deemed 'normal' for indoor environments in 1985. The reality is that we've normalized exposure to artificial electrical fields that didn't exist throughout human evolution. While the study authors dismissed these levels as comparable to static charges from clothing and carpets, this comparison misses the point that chronic occupational exposure differs fundamentally from brief static encounters.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Show BibTeX
@article{dc_electrical_environment_in_proximity_to_vdts_g6155,
author = {Jonathan M. Charry and William H. Bailey and T. Dan Bracken},
title = {DC ELECTRICAL ENVIRONMENT IN PROXIMITY TO VDTS},
year = {1985},
}