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Temperatures fall, use of electronic appliances rises: it was ever thus. The more appliances you use, the more you are exposed to electron waves. Are they harmful? Yes, say many, they can cause leukemia, brain cancer, disorders of the central nervous system, dementia, miscarriage and birth defects. Continuous exposure to even weak waves can have negative effects on growth, the nervous system and skin, they add.
Better not take your chances then. But how to block the evil waves? Prof. Kim Deok-won of Yonsei University¡¯s Department of Medical Engineering says the electron wave blocking devices are rarely effective and even if they are, they cannot block 100 percent. ¡°It¡¯s therefore important to know which appliances emit a high rate of electron waves and reduce their use,¡± he said. Here are some tips for Chosun Ilbo readers.
Microwave ovens
Microwaves emit the most electron waves, equivalent to the energy emitted from 20 fluorescent lamps. Keep a distance of some 2 m from the microwave when using it. Be sure to unplug it when it is not in use because just leaving it plugged in can emit electron waves. It¡¯s also important to keep your microwave clean, because dirt can increase the risk of exposure to electron waves by damaging the plastic lining in the oven.
Electronic Mats
Since electron mats come directly into contact with the body and are used during sleep, the risk is very high. To reduce exposure to the electron wave, magnetic field-reducing hot-wired mats are recommended. Magnetic field-reducing hot wires fend off electron waves by bringing anode and cathode of the electric wire in contact to neutralize the magnetic field, and wrapped in several layers of silicon.
Electronic heaters, hair driers and lamps
It is best to use electronic heaters, hair driers and lamps at as low a level of heat, at as far a distance and for as short a time as possible.
Air purifiers and humidifiers
Air purifiers and humidifiers also emit more electron waves than other appliances since they consume a lot of power. Their emissions are allegedly way above the level recommended by the World Health Organization. The best way to use them is to put them in a distant corner of the house or on a high shelf. Unplugging them when not in use is also a good idea.
Mobile Phones
The face should not come in contact with the antenna, the main source of electron waves. If handsets have exposed antennas, extending them while in use can reduce the amount of the electron waves emitted by halves. Folder and slide phones are safer than flip phones because their antennas keep a quite distance from the brain.
TVs and computers
Keeping a distance of 2 m can reduce quite a lot of electron waves. More advanced products such as light-emitting diode (LED) and liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs are in fact more harmful than old cathode ray tube TVs. In the case of computers, laptop computers operated on batteries have relatively low wave emission.
Electric shavers
Battery-operated shavers are better than those operated on a power plug. Although electric shavers have high wave emission and come in direct contact with the face, they are not very dangerous because shavers are normally used only for a short time.
¡°The further the distance from electronic appliances, the less the power consumption, and the more electronic appliances are unplugged, the less the electron wave emission,¡± says Dr. Suh Soo-won of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Samsung Medical Center. In short, stay a way and keep the power low.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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