Investigations on DNA damage and frequency of micronuclei in occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted from video display terminals (VDTs).
Lakshmi NK, Tiwari R, BhargavaSC, Ahuja YR · 2010
View Original AbstractComputer workers showed DNA damage after 10+ years of occupational screen use, suggesting cumulative EMF exposure has measurable genetic effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers studied 138 software professionals who used computer screens for over 2 years, looking for DNA damage and cellular abnormalities compared to matched controls. While overall results showed no significant differences, workers with more than 10 years of computer use showed increased DNA damage and abnormal cells. This suggests that long-term occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields from computers may pose cumulative health risks.
Why This Matters
This study breaks important ground as the first to examine genetic damage in computer workers using rigorous laboratory tests. The finding that DNA damage increases after 10 years of occupational computer use aligns with what we know about EMF bioeffects - they often emerge with cumulative, long-term exposure rather than immediately. What makes this particularly relevant is that computer screens emit both extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields and some radiofrequency radiation, creating a mixed EMF environment similar to what millions of office workers experience daily. The reality is that if occupational computer use can cause measurable genetic damage over time, we need to take EMF exposure from all our devices more seriously. This research supports the growing body of evidence that EMF bioeffects are real and that duration of exposure matters significantly.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
This study was undertaken to evaluate DNA damage and incidences of micronuclei in such professionals. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first attempt to carry out cytogenetic investigations on assessing bioeffects in personal computer users
The study subjects (n = 138) included software professionals using VDTs for more than 2 years with a...
Overall DNA damage and incidence of micronuclei showed no significant differences between the expose...
Show BibTeX
@article{nk_2010_investigations_on_dna_damage_2331,
author = {Lakshmi NK and Tiwari R and BhargavaSC and Ahuja YR},
title = {Investigations on DNA damage and frequency of micronuclei in occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted from video display terminals (VDTs).},
year = {2010},
url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3036072/},
}