Answer to Question #602 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Q

We have a Toshiba 61-inch TV that we just bought. I was wondering how much radiation, if there is any, we can get from this—especially since we have a seven-month-old baby. My baby and I are in the living room (a small one) most of the time, with the TV always on. Also, how should we protect ourselves from radiation from microwave ovens? Thank you.

A

In 1968 Congress passed the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act which gives the federal government the authority to have mandatory safety performance standards for electronic products. The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health is charged with this responsibility.

In answer to your specific question, both televison receivers (Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1020.10 Television Receivers) and microwave ovens (Section 1030.10 Microwave Ovens) have mandatory standards which limit the amount of radiation emitted by these products. These standards have been in existence for almost 30 years, and the safety record of these products is evident. These products are safe, and you need not be concerned about any radiation emitted from them.

For the technically inclined, the television standard specifies a limit of "0.5 milliRoentgen per hour at a distance of five (5) centimeters from any point on the external surface of the receiver." For microwave ovens the limit is "1 milliwatt per square centimeter at any point 5 centimeters or more from the external surface of the oven."

The reader should also understand that the electronic products are not radioactive materials; if the product is not on, radiation is not emitted. With microwave ovens, along with other electronic products which emit electromagentic radiation, FDA's main concern in recent years has been the potential for electromagnetic interference with implanted medical devices. Patients with these types of devices are usually informed regarding such potential interference.

Although there is concern regarding such interference, scientific studies continue to support the general safety of these products.

Orhan H. Suleiman, MS, PhD