Toxic Computer Monitors - WAS: Using a TV as computer monitor

  • Thread starter Thread starter Maiden
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Maiden

A few years ago, someone on this NG mentioned that computer monitors
give him headaches, but that his TV does not.

Anyway, linked to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition site - there's
an URL re: a guy's lawsuit against Sharp Corp. complaining about the
outgassing of flame retardants in his Sharp TV which caused his health
to degenerate.

So it's not a matter of whether it's a computer monitor or TV (nor
whether it's a CRT or LCD) but rather how much outgassing of chemicals
there is in any of them - that's probably the culprit.

Also see the following URL, though their de-gassed products seem
expensive:
http://www.milligauss.com/comp.htm
 
A few years ago, someone on this NG mentioned that computer monitors
give him headaches, but that his TV does not.

Anyway, linked to the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition site - there's
an URL re: a guy's lawsuit against Sharp Corp. complaining about the
outgassing of flame retardants in his Sharp TV which caused his health
to degenerate.

So it's not a matter of whether it's a computer monitor or TV (nor
whether it's a CRT or LCD) but rather how much outgassing of chemicals
there is in any of them - that's probably the culprit.

Also see the following URL, though their de-gassed products seem
expensive:
http://www.milligauss.com/comp.htm
Click to expand...


Outgassing and degassing --- this thread could easily be about Taco
Bell rather than monitors.
 
Interesting Article.

I have also read that on some older circuitboards that the dust may pick up
some of the flame retardant chemicals. This does not apply to newer
computer equipment.

Hot air is always rising off of a monitor. So the heat may allows some
people in rare circumstances to be exposed to very small amounts of toxic
substances. Since the Tube is sealed in the monitor this must be from the
plastic of the monitor itself or some other parts like circuit boards of
other peripherals that control the monitor. This you could get from any TV
or VCR or other electronic equipment. Having less circulation of air in
your enclosed dwelling environment might actually make matters worse.

Other things can make you ill while viewing a monitor. The REfresh rate of
the monitor if too slow can cause eye strain and possibly headaches.
 
Last Boy Scout said:
Interesting Article.

I have also read that on some older circuitboards that the dust may pick up
some of the flame retardant chemicals. This does not apply to newer
computer equipment.
Click to expand...

No, actually newer equipment can have worse chemicals since they
haven't gassed off yet.

I'm chemical sensitive & have tried a couple of newer monitoers
(including the NEC FE750+ CRT, the Samsung 151s LCD, and Scanport LCD.
I could not tolerate any of them, yet I was (and am still) able to
tolerate an old 1990 non-interlaced CRT, which I'm using now.
Unfortunately, this "vintage" CRT won't last indefinitely.

Also see the below guy's site which includes testimonials that LCDs
don't necessarily solve the problem. However, I think they're not
quite on track since they don't realize about the toxicity issue:
http://www.cloanto.com/users/mcb/19960719lcd.html
 
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