The video display terminal radiation issue has rocketed to the top of consumer attention lately, but most users and dealers know little about the issue other than that VDT emissions are bad.

But monitors emit several distinct types of radiation, and manufacturers may claim control of one type or one range within a type, while doing nothing in another.

Radiation from monitors can be divided into four main categories: visible light, X-rays, electric (static electricity) and electromagnetic. Since the 1960s most displays have shielded virtually all X-rays.

The modest hazards associated with static electricity have been understood for some time. These include skin and respiratory problems related to the attraction of large amounts of dust and the reduction of life-enhancing ionized air. While certainly important, these effects are not life threatening. Also, accessories have been available for years to drain off static electricity, usually with a grounded metal mesh placed over the screen.

What has people scared today is electromagnetic radiation. Monitors create these emissions as a side effect of their operation. They create magnetic fields to guide the electron beam that traces the image on the screen. Magnetic fields such as these have been suspected of causing a variety of ills including elevated cancer rates in children, abnormal pregnancies and miscarriages.

It is difficult, however, for computer monitor manufacturers and resellers to acknowledge the problem and …

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