There has been a great deal of discussion in recent years over the possible safety hazards posed by monitors. Some state governments and safety officials are concerned about emissions of VLF (very low frequency) and ELF (extremely low frequency) magnetic and electric fields.
One of the first governing bodies to regulate such emissions from VDTs was the government of Sweden. Through SWEDAC (Swedish Board for Technical Accreditation), the Swedish government has developed a set of guidelines for the allowable strength of such emissions. The newest set is referred to as the MPR II specs.
Efforts in several U.S. jurisdictions to regulate VDTs have run into problems in the legislative and judicial systems. European countries are much more active in their pursuit of low-emission computer peripherals. Thus, companies selling
in the worldwide market have been forced to produce low-emission products.
Whether this effort is needed is still a question that puzzles medical researchers. No widely accepted evidence of harm caused to humans by VDT emissions has been published. But clearly, lack of evidence notwithstanding, it pays to be safe rather than sorry. All but seven of the monitors in this report provide MPR II compliance (see the Roll Call on page 224), and the formerly large price gap between compliant and noncompliant products is typically small today.
Additional products tested may meet emission standards, but we did not list them as doing so if we did not receive a specific letter to that effect. Buyers should carefully examine product specifications regarding emission controls. We found that not all products in a single product line met the specifications, and on some monitors, such as the Compac Mitac M1564PD, it is optional.
Photograph: Emission-control shields
Emissions Overview
