Are you wondering if your TV is giving off radiation? Television or TV electric and magnetic fields (EMF) radiation is a rising health concern because of the growth in the amount of time people are spending in front of their TVs every day. The short answer is, yes. TV radiation is a real thing and we’ll cover the ways you can protect yourself in this article.
Children now spend 32 hours a week, on average, watching their favorite shows in front of a big screen. The different types of TVs nowadays, access to smart TVs, and the size of the screens, as well as the brightness in newer TV screens for improved resolution, is causing concerns.
Is TV radiation really dangerous? Can you get cancer from TV radiation? Who is more susceptible to TV radiation? Are your children and family safe from TV radiation? What type of radiation do TVs emit? How can you reduce the TV radiation emitted?
These questions are some of the most common questions asked in recent years. We are seeing a rise in TV shows and TV watchers as technology improves.
When you watch TV, you’re being exposed to damaging electric and magnetic fields radiations from the television’s electromagnetic field. Most TVs produce an electromagnetic field for up to twelve feet in all dimensions. This is common in LCD, LED, and plasma TV.
The newer models of TV screens such as LCD, LED, and plasma screens have a really big range of electromagnetic field. The TV radiations are emitted from all directions, not just from the front. Recent flat-screen TVs produce slight radiation if you are sitting at a distance from the TV.
However, if you are sitting very close to the TV, the TV screen will emit radiation that may cause harm to you in rare cases. The most common TV screens present today are LCD, LED, and plasma screens.
These TV screens emit radiation from the electrical system, and the screen itself. It is recommended that you do not sit close to the TV screen to avoid EMF and UV light radiations. If you are watching TV from a few feet away, on your coach, or a desk, you should not have to worry about TV radiation.
How Do TVs Produce Radiation?
There are a few different types of radiations. Some radiation TVs emit come from the motherboard; others come from the converter.
The radiation produced by the motherboard is slightly different than the radiation produced by the converter. Every device with a motherboard emits radiation. Measuring the amount of radiation will depend on the size of the motherboard.
For example, if you are sitting an inch away, you are likely to be exposed to higher radiations; the radiation can go up to 500 milligauss. In contrast, if you are sitting about 3 feet away, you will only be exposed to radiation up to 1.5 milligauss. A milligauss is a measurement used to measure how much EMF is being emitted.
What type of radiation do flat screens produce?
Flat screens mainly emit electric and magnetic fields radiations(EMF).
Do LED screens emit electric and magnetic fields radiations?
LED or Light Emitting Diode screens do produce a relatively safe amount of radiation. You do not have to worry about being exposed to radiation from an LED screen if you are sitting about three feet away from the TV.
Do LCD screens emit electric and magnetic fields radiations?
LCD screens will not emit any radiation that would normally be damaging in the sense of energy nuclear-powered radiation; however, in rare cases, LCD screens can emit radiation in the form of heat and visible light adequate enough to cause bodily and internal injury to humans.
Many of this radiation caused by an LCD screen diminishes with distance. There is not much difference between an LCD screen and an LED. They both emit EMF radiation. LCD screens will also cause harm if you are sitting close to the screen. The best way to deal with this radiation is to distance yourself from where the TV is.
Do plasma screens emit electric and magnetic fields radiations?
Plasma screens emit UV radiation and EMF from the motherboard. At a close distance, you can be exposed to a large amount of radiation. But like the LCD and LED screens, distance yourself and you will not be exposed to much radiation.
Do modern TVs produce X-ray radiation?
Only the old CRT TVs produced dangerous X-ray radiation. Modern TV screens generally do not emit any X-ray radiation. Because old CRT TVs emitted X-ray radiations, you are not able to buy them today because of the dangers X-ray radiations can cause you. Voltages in an LCD TV are very low (3 – 5 v) and unable of producing any unsafe radiation.
The old CRT TVs, however, did release fairly a lot of x-rays, because they functioned at numerous thousands of volts.
Do Smart TVs Emit Radiation?
Smart TVs are TVs that are wireless. They allow you to connect to the internet to watch shows on Hulu, Netflix, and some other popular movie sites.
Because these smart TVs require Wi-Fi to work, radio frequency EMF radiation is produced. If you can, connect your TV via ethernet rather than a wireless system to significantly reduce the amount of radiation emitted.
Some of the smart tvs that have the wifi enabled are still emitting, even if turned off, so some people suggest opening your TV and removing the wifi chip.
If you still want internet access with your TV, you can hard wire your TV with CAT5 internet. You should be able to hard wire your whole house as well instead of using wifi.
Is TV Radiation Dangerous?
Babies are significantly more susceptible to contract radiation from televisions.
Experts have not recognized exact negative health effects resulting from contact with very little amounts of low-level radiation over an extended period of time.
It is advisable, that x-radiation from TVs, as well as other frequently used electronic devices, be kept as low as practically attainable.
It should be highlighted that most TVs currently have not been found to give off any quantifiable level of dangerous radiation, and there is no indication that radiation from TVs has resulted in any type of human damage.
How can you measure EMF radiation from TVs?
There are many EMF radiation meters you can purchase to measure the radiation your TV is emitting. Having a meter in your home is important to test out whether any of the devices in your home are giving off radiation.
If you can’t afford a meter, a simple Sony radio can help you see if there is dirty electricity leaking throughout your house.
Here is a quick video showing you how to do that.
How to reduce TV radiation to be more careful while watching TV?
- Turn down the intensity of the light on your TV’s settings. When you reduce the light produced by the screen, radiation levels decrease and therefore you are more protected against radiation. All LCD, CDL, and plasma screens allow you to adjust the brightness in settings.
- Purchase a UV-blocking film on top of your TV’s screen. Even though modern TVs do not emit x-rays, they still produce UV radiation from the light. A UV blocking film placed over your screen will significantly reduce your exposure to UV light radiations and reduce you’re your risk for skin cancer.
- Buy a UV blocking sunscreen
- You can get sunscreen from any pharmacy store. You can significantly reduce your exposure to UV light emitted from your screen by wearing UV blocking sunscreen before watching TV.
- Distance yourself and sit far away from the TV
- While brightness exposure control and UV protection can aid in reducing the radiation from your TV’s screen, radiation cannot be entirely detached from a TV screen’s display. The main thing you can do to minimize exposure to radiation is by sitting far away from the TV.
- Humans are surrounded by radiation everywhere they go. You cannot directly escape radiation. However, you can reduce it by following some of the steps above.