Commentary on the hazards of electromagnetic radiation from various household appliances

With the development of the communication and home appliance industries, modern people are enjoying the convenience of modern communication equipment and the comfort brought by electrical appliances. At the same time, people are increasingly exposed to radiation from various electrical appliances and communication equipment. People are increasingly exposed to an environment where electromagnetic radiation is increasing. Common household appliances are also accused of being invisible killers of indoor electromagnetic radiation, and household appliances are also accused of being invisible killers of indoor electromagnetic radiation. How harmful electromagnetic radiation from electrical appliances is, and what attitude should be adopted towards viewing and using home appliances has attracted more and more attention from ordinary home appliance consumers.

What is electromagnetic radiation?

When the electrical appliances and communication equipment we usually use, such as televisions and mobile phones, the interactive changes of the electric field and the magnetic field produce electromagnetic waves. The process of electromagnetic propagation also releases electromagnetic energy to External propagation, this phenomenon of energy propagating through space in the form of electromagnetic waves becomes electromagnetic radiation. At present, electromagnetic radiation has become the fourth major environmental pollution after water, air, and noise, and has been listed as a pollution that must be controlled by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.

Although current home appliances release electromagnetic radiation to varying degrees, there is still a lack of solid experimental basis for how much harm it can cause to the human body. The general view is that electromagnetic fields can interfere with cell release and absorption. The speed of calcium leads to the production of cancer cells, and low-frequency radiation is an important cause of human cancer, reproductive diseases, genetic disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and amnesia. Electromagnetic radiation is the most harmful to children, and long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation will increase Chances of getting cancer in children.

Radiation intensity of general household appliances

Currently, there are specialized international and domestic institutions conducting relevant research and tests. According to the data disclosed by the International Health Organization, we can understand the daily use The electric field and electromagnetic intensity of household appliances.

Judging from the above data, the home appliances we use daily mainly exceed the standard in power frequency magnetic field radiation, and are mainly found in hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, electric shavers, fluorescent lamps and microwave ovens. And many times, several electrical appliances may be used at the same time, and the magnetic field intensity during use is also cumulative. In some informal experiments, many people have discovered that there is a group radiation phenomenon. "'Group radiation' will make the radiation frequency band very wide, which will increase the resonance between devices and the superposition of radiation energy. When the energy reaches a certain level, it will cause The human body is simultaneously affected by the thermal effect of radiation (the higher the frequency, the more severe it is), the non-thermal effect (full frequency band) and the resonance effect (when the wavelength is proportional to the scale of the organism). "This also shows that the impact of radiation is far greater than that of people. Learn more broadly.

Scientific use of electrical appliances and prevention of electromagnetic radiation

At present, there are no special standards for electromagnetic radiation of home appliances in China. Generally speaking, internationally accepted standards are adopted, and there is no such standard in products. Corresponding labels and indicators are used to explain the radiation level of products. It is even more difficult to compare and judge the radiation level of products when purchasing products. This lack of information makes consumers lack sufficient understanding of the products and cannot use them. Take normal precautions and avoid radiation.

As for the radiation damage of home appliances, judging from the current domestic academic perspectives and media public opinion, the two attitudes are completely different. At present, many media articles are also giving a general explanation of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation produced by household appliances such as induction cookers, microwave ovens, etc. is considered to be relatively weak radiation. This radiation is far lower than the radiation of communication equipment such as mobile phones. I think it can be used with confidence. From a general academic point of view, long-term low-dose exposure to electromagnetic radiation can easily cause health hazards. Compared with foreign European and American countries, my country has a larger population and more concentrated residences, and the actual electromagnetic radiation exposure level accepted by the public is higher than that in Europe and the United States. Although experts believe that low-dose radiation hazards exist objectively from an academic perspective, they suggest that everyone treat the radiation of electrical appliances with a relaxed attitude and use electrical appliances to avoid radiation from a scientific perspective.

Electromagnetic radiation is mainly generated by coils and motors in electrical appliances. It decreases exponentially as the distance increases. Therefore, the best radiation protection method is to stay away from electrical appliances during use and avoid centralized placement of home appliances. .

Special groups should pay attention to using radiation protection facilities when using household appliances, and children should stay away from electrical appliances as much as possible.

Electrical radiation is a calm killer at home

Household electricity bills will increase starting from this month, with an increase of nearly 7.6 per kilowatt hour. While everyone is calculating how to save electricity, do you also have a basic understanding of the "side effects" of household appliances?

Household appliances are changing with each passing day, improving the quality of life. Under market competition, "innovative" styles are rushed to be launched as soon as possible. Many "new sales" products have rushed to the market, from design and manufacturing to What kind of quality inspection control do they go through before they are put on the shelves? To be honest, the average consumer is still not clear about this. The key is that there are advanced electrical appliances everywhere in the home, but has anyone seriously thought about the problem of electromagnetic radiation?

Hey, although not everyone has a microwave oven in their home, everyone certainly has a TV in their home. In addition to TVs and microwave ovens, computers, refrigerators, air conditioners, mobile phones, etc. are most commonly found in homes.

Perhaps you have heard a little bit that many household appliances will produce electromagnetic waves of different strengths, wavelengths and frequencies when they are turned on. If you use household appliances in an inappropriate way, you may be exposed. In electromagnetic radiation, this will pose a threat to human health.

Lack of understanding of electromagnetic radiation

Although the radiation from general electrical appliances is only a trace amount and will not cause obvious harm to the body in the short term, manufacturers, while ensuring the quality of their products, Does it also indicate the radiation index of its products in a certain period of time?

Zhuang De'an, the store manager of Liming Trading Household Appliances, said: "If the manufacturer indicates the electromagnetic radiation index, people who are knowledgeable in this area will use it more carefully, but consumers who generally do not understand the facts may not I dare not buy it. Usually, there are columns such as 'Please note' or 'Use with caution' in the manual. Although it is difficult to see manufacturers admit that the product contains electromagnetic radiation, they can often pay attention to this in the rules of use. ”

In the user manuals, some instruct users to place electrical appliances in appropriate places, while others directly remind users to turn off the power when not in use. But in any case, there will be no such explanation: This product contains trace amounts of electromagnetic radiation, so it is best to stay away from it.

Electromagnetic radiation is a cumulative damage. It is impossible to find out which electrical appliance the victim was exposed to or when he was exposed to radiation. In this way, it seems that no electrical appliance manufacturer needs to be held responsible.

“Even if it is obvious which type of electrical appliance emits radiation, even if you file a complaint with a foreign manufacturer, the layers of procedures will take at least one or two years, and local consumers are not familiar with the matter. There is not enough understanding of the electromagnetic radiation of electrical appliances. Without this concept, consumers almost never care. What they usually want to know is the price and power consumption.”

Since it was confirmed not long ago that mobile phones have serious electromagnetic radiation, Thai authorities have banned children from using mobile phones. Mobile phone radiation quickly attracted the world's attention, perhaps because it is closest to the brain when used.

Electromagnetic radiation can penetrate the human body

Chen Huiling, the public relations manager of the local Motorola company, said: "In fact, the head office has been aware of the problem of electromagnetic radiation generated by mobile phones for a long time, so it specially printed The manual that guides the safer use of mobile phones includes the fact that electromagnetic energy from wireless phones affects human health when operated. The manual is written from the perspective of dispelling doubts. However, as far as I know, in addition to the media having made relevant inquiries to us, I have also. I have not received any complaints from customers.”

It shows that Chinese people still have insufficient understanding of electromagnetic radiation.

The frequency unit of electromagnetic waves is Hertz (Hz).

You will never see this "calm killer" with your own eyes. It is colorless, odorless and invisible.

When the magnetic field oscillation frequency of electromagnetic waves exceeds 100,000 Hz, it will pose a potential threat to the human body. However, according to international electrical industry standards, electrical appliances must undergo qualified electromagnetic radiation protection inspections when they leave the factory. However, if we place many electrical appliances together at home and often use them together at the same time, you will be exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Danger in dose radiation.

Excessive radiation interferes with the human body's ecological clock

Excessive electromagnetic waves can cause damage to the human body. In fact, there have been records in early years. From 1969 to 1982, 951 men died of brain tumors in Maryland, a state where many electrical industries were developing at that time, and most of the deceased were electricians or electrical engineers. Later, the Texas Cancer Medical Foundation conducted sampling tests on some patients who had suffered electromagnetic wave damage, and found that the cancer cells of workers who worked near high-voltage electricity grew 24 times faster than the average person.

As long as an electrical appliance is in operation, there is an electromagnetic field or electromagnetic radiation around it. This radiation has a certain amount of energy and can penetrate many materials, including the human body. According to the certification standards, if it does not exceed 50 microwatts per square centimeter and the total dose in a day does not exceed 300 microwatts per square centimeter, it is considered safe enough. But the danger is that it is colorless, odorless, and invisible. You may be exposed to the accumulation of different electromagnetic radiation every day without knowing it, because the impact of electromagnetic radiation on the human body is slow and indirect, and because of this, its harmfulness It's easy to be ignored by people.

If you are exposed to a radiation dose that exceeds safety for a long time, it will damage (or even kill) human cells in a large area. Electromagnetic waves can also affect and destroy the original current and magnetic field of the human body, causing the original electromagnetic changes in the human body to occur. This will interfere with the body's ecological clock, leading to chaos in the ecological balance and autonomic nervous system dysfunction, such as headaches, fatigue, tiredness, agitation, memory loss, inattention, skin heat, hair loss, palpitations, arrhythmia, and blood pressure abnormalities. .

Electromagnetic waves can also affect the brain's nervous system, slowing down the production of melatonin by the pineal gland under the brain, affecting normal sleep. Electromagnetic waves can also damage cell membranes, interfere with hormones, affect children's development, cause menstrual disorders in women, and reduce sexual function in men. Electromagnetic waves also cause significant damage to the eyes. They can cloud the lens of the eyes and cause "electromagnetic wave cataracts."

Computer: Low-frequency electromagnetic fields may affect embryos

Those who need to work in front of a computer for a long time should refer to the standard operating recommendations in the manual and keep a safe distance from the computer. Most people think that computer light filter screens can block electromagnetic radiation from computers, but a recent report says that this kind of light filter screen actually does little to protect computer users.

After the computer is started, it will produce electromagnetic radiation, which includes X-rays, frequency refraction, ultra-low frequencies and electrostatic fields. Fortunately, most of the X-rays will be absorbed by the original glass cover on the screen, and the dose that can actually leak out and be harmful to the human body is very small. However, the ultra-low frequency electromagnetic fields generated around computers can have adverse effects on embryos. Prolonged exposure to them may interfere with the normal development of embryos, and in severe cases, even cause miscarriage.

When purchasing electrical appliances, read the user manual carefully to ensure safety.

If there are too many computers in the office and you spend too long in front of them, you should often open windows for ventilation to allow positive ions in the air to escape.

Microwave oven: If microwave leaks, stay away as soon as possible

The microwave emitted by the microwave oven is a high-frequency electromagnetic wave. In the electromagnetic spectrum, it is between ultrashort waves and infrared rays. Microwaves have great penetrating power and can cook things because microwave irradiation causes molecules inside the objects to move at high speed, causing friction and causing the temperature to rise rapidly. Microwave ovens will not have any impact on the human body when operated correctly. However, if you find that microwave leakage has inadvertently harmed your body, you should stay away from the microwave environment as soon as possible. Generally, in mild cases, as long as the contact is removed, the injured tissue can gradually return to normal. Pregnant women and children should try to stay away from microwave ovens.

TV: Less negative oxygen ions can cause discomfort

When watching TV, it is not advisable to get too close. If you get too close, it will not only hurt your eyes. When the TV's picture tube is activated, its negative electrode will emit high-energy electron beams. When these electron beams violently hit the fluorescent material on the inner wall of the screen, an image will be displayed on the screen, but this will also produce penetrating X-radiation.

It is best to have a time limit for watching TV. If you are watching for a longer period of time, remember to leave the scene at least once every hour.

The seat should be at least two meters away from the TV, and it is best to install a protective screen. When the TV screen displays images, it will also emit a large number of positive ions. They absorb negative oxygen ions in the surrounding air like magnets, making the indoor air more polluted. The negative oxygen ions are greatly reduced. People who are in a state of lacking negative oxygen ions for a long time are prone to headaches, chest tightness and loss of appetite. People who watch TV for a long time should also pay attention to the circulation of indoor air.

Mobile phones: Security will be a selling point in the future

Mobile phones have long been popular, and now almost everyone has one. Mobile phones operate on the ultra-short wave band, and the effect of this ultra-short wave is greater than that of a microwave oven. When a person is exposed to uncontrolled radiation at ultrashort wave frequencies, fatigue and headaches will occur. If the inertial radiation is repeated many times, it is likely to lead to disabling cataracts caused by electromagnetic waves.

Laurence Charles, deputy chairman of the British Medical Surveillance Organization, warned long-term mobile phone users: "Unless it is really necessary, you should avoid mobile phones and switch to ordinary phones. When it is unavoidable, you should also Keep your phone farther away from your brain. “Shortwave is more lethal and invisible. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that many of the highway police officers who used radio shortwave detectors to determine car speeds had tumors. But whether the ultrashort wave intensity of mobile phones is enough to cause cancer is still debated.

Experts in Germany have also studied that mobile phones with radiation transmission exceeding 5 watts may affect health. Children are playful and have the habit of picking up mobile phones and dialing. This is very worrying. However, because there are too many brands of mobile phones, the performance and radiation throughput of each manufacturer are also inconsistent, generally ranging from 2 to 8 watts. Their true safety index still needs to be verified. Some people predict that in the future, the strategic point of mobile phones in the market will no longer be style competition or battery life, but will focus on the minimum safe level of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones.

In fact, in addition to the above-mentioned daily appliances, any appliance equipped with electronics, scanning functions, radar functions, and vacuum tubes will emit varying degrees of electromagnetic radiation when powered on.

In modern cities, where power sources are often encountered in daily life, it is really difficult to avoid being affected by electromagnetic waves from natural or man-made sources around us. Therefore, the only best policy is to minimize the chance of being affected.

Prevent electromagnetic wave radiation

·Don’t use all household appliances together.

·If there is an application manual, follow the instructions and maintain a safe operating distance.

·In any case, long-term operation should be avoided.

·Maintain indoor air circulation.

·When electrical appliances are not in use, it is best to turn off the power instead of leaving them in standby mode.

In the long run, this will not only save electricity, but may also reduce trace amounts of electricity. The

accumulation of radiation.

Electromagnetic radiation and human health

The development of modern electronic technology has created a huge material civilization for mankind, and has also brought mankind into an environment full of artificial electromagnetic radiation. Because electromagnetic radiation harms human health. It has become the fourth major environmental pollution after water, air and noise, and has been listed as a pollution that must be controlled by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. my country's environmental protection department also officially informed the press on May 7, 1999: electromagnetic radiation is harmful to the organism (human body).

The harm of electromagnetic waves to the human body is divided into three types:

1. Macroscopic heating effect that causes the temperature of all or part of the human body to rise.

2. Microscopic heating effect that only causes lesions in cells or parts of human organs.

3. Non-thermal effects caused by the interaction between the electric field or magnetic field of electromagnetic waves and human tissues and cells.

The power density of electromagnetic waves that produces macroscopic heating effects is 10mW/cm2; the microscopic heating effects are between 1mW-10mW/cm2; and the shallow heating effects are below 1mW/cm2.

The main damage caused by electromagnetic waves to the human body is in the following aspects:

1. Macroscopic heating effect, which can cause irreparable damage to human tissues or organs, such as cataracts in the eyes, Male infertility: When a microwave with a power of 1000W is directly irradiated to a person, it can cause death within a few seconds.

2. The non-thermal effects of high-frequency weak electromagnetic fields on the human body should be reflected in the following aspects:

Nervous system - after the human body is repeatedly exposed to electromagnetic radiation, the central nervous system and Other aspects of functionality have changed. If conditioned reflex activities are inhibited, bradycardia, lowered blood pressure, local ventricular block, indigestion, etc. may occur.

Sensory system - low-intensity electromagnetic radiation can reduce the function of people's sense of smell. When the person's head is irradiated by low-frequency and low-power audio pulses, it will cause the person to hear the sound of a machine. , the sound of insects or birds chirping.

Immune system--Some people in my country have initially observed that compared with normal people of the same age who have been exposed to low-intensity microwaves for a long time, the immunoglobulin 1gG in their humoral and cellular immune indicators is reduced, and T cell rosettes and lymphocytes The product of cell turnover rates decreases, which reduces the body's humoral and cellular immunity.

Endocrine system - low-intensity microwave radiation can cause dysfunction of the human thalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands; CRT and ACTH activities increase, and endocrine function is significantly affected.

Hereditary effect - microwave energy damages chromosomes. Animal experiments have found that irradiating mice with 195MHz, 2.45GHz and 96Hz microwaves will cause chromosomal defects in the bone formation of spermatogonia between 4 and 12 years old. Mice can inherit this defect. Chromosomal defects can cause mental retardation and shortened average life span in injured people.

So, what are the sources of electromagnetic pollution around us? In addition to some large-scale radio frequency equipment in industry, military, science, and medicine, the biggest sources of electromagnetic pollution in our daily lives are mobile phones, microwave ovens, computers, VCDs, TVs, etc., especially computers, which produce electromagnetic radiation that affects the human body. The biggest reason is:

(1) People work in front of the computer for a long time;

(2) The display screen is close to people, usually about 30cm.

The frequency of these radiations is below 100 kilohertz, and its impact on human health is a non-thermal effect. In 1998, the World Health Organization (WTO) pointed out in its latest revised opinion on computer screens and worker health that some factors in the computer screen working environment may affect pregnancy outcomes. So who exactly is affected and how?

The first person to be affected is the man. Long-term exposure to electromagnetic waves may reduce the number of male sperm, cause sperm genetic abnormalities, and may cause infertility or fetal abnormalities. According to a professor who studies andrology He said: 10 years ago, it was very common for men to have a sperm count of more than 100 million per milliliter. Now you don’t encounter one a year, and those with a sperm count of 60 to 70 million per milliliter are considered too many. Medically, it is believed that the normal value of sperm is 60 million to 150 million per milliliter. If it is less than 60 million per milliliter, it will be difficult to get pregnant. Secondly, there are pregnant women. There are reports of working in front of the computer for more than 20 hours a week. The probability of pregnant women giving birth to deformities is 2-3 times higher than that of ordinary pregnant women, and the probability of giving birth to a girl is higher.

Faced with this major eugenic issue, we must attach great importance to it. If we are not careful, we may cause irreparable losses to our families and society. In order to be responsible to the country, the nation, and the new generation of the 21st century, we have the responsibility to start from the youth. Many teenagers like to indulge in game consoles and computers. They deserve special care, and it is recommended that qualified parents should equip them with protective clothing and pants. Unmarried young men and women should pay more attention to it and nip it in the bud. As for newlyweds, they should take precautions. Pay attention to the prevention of electromagnetic pollution before the woman becomes pregnant. The specific method is for the couple to wear protective clothing with the function of preventing electromagnetic radiation before boarding the plane. Once pregnant, if possible, the woman will temporarily leave her position in front of the computer. If she cannot be transferred, she will wear protective clothing against electromagnetic radiation.

Magnetic field strength at different locations from household appliances: