Radiation Emission Levels From Monitor Screens of Some Residential and Office Electronic Equipments within A University Community in Nigeria

Abstract

A study of the possible exposure to ionizing radiation from home viewing monitors and office computer monitor screens at normal distances of 0.5m and 1.0m and the environmental background level within university of Port Harcourt, Nigeria has been carried out using 18 different models of computer monitors and 15 deferent models of television sets. Radiation measurements were carried out insitu using Digilert 50 nuclear radiation monitor (SE INTERNATONAL INC, SUMMER TOWN USA) which is optimized to measure average exposure rate. The measured exposure rate ranged between 08.00± 0.80 μRh ̄1 (3.56 ± 0.36 μSv / week) to 20.00± 3.20 μRh ̄1 (8.90 ± 1.42 μSv / week) for computer monitors and 11.00± 1.20μRh ̄1 (5.26± 1.00 μSv / week) to 23.00±4.40 μRh ̄1(10.24 ± 1.96 μSv / week) for television sets, with B.I.R level range of 6.00μRh ̄1 to 13.00μRh ̄1. Dell computer monitors and 21”Toshiba television sets have the respective highest exposure rate. Samsung computer monitors and television sets were observed to emit the lowest amount of radiation and considered safest among the investigated products. A comparison of radiation from the computer monitors and television sets show that television sets emit more ionizing radiation than computers monitors. The overall result shows that the average exposure rate obtained are within the radiation limit of 0.2mSv/week recommended by ICRP, thus computer operators and television viewers using those models are exposed to radiation levels that may not be hazardous. Keyword: Radiation level, computer monitor television screens, university community.