There
are many "glamorous" specifications that are normally
considered when choosing a monitor. Specs like viewable image
size (VIS), maximum resolution, refresh rates and dot pitch
come to mind first. However, they deal with what you can see
- it's what you can't see that may be of bigger concern. There
are other items like radiation emissions that should be considered
as well.
The issue of "potential" health hazards from electromagnetic
radiation emissions is a controversial one. The scientific
and medical communities are divided on the issue. The studies
so far have been inconclusive. However, just because they
haven't established a direct health relationship does not
mean that a risk does not exist. Since the learned types cannot
say for certain that these radiation emissions don't cause
problems, many feel it is better to err on the safe side.
MPRII
Back
in 1990, the Swedish Board for Technical Accreditation (SWEDAC)
developed the MPRII standard which limited the maximum amount
of ELF and VLF electromagnetic radiation a computer monitor
could emit. Measured 50cm from the screen, it was the first
real attempt to protect the viewer from electric fields generated
by the monitor...but that wasn't good enough.
TCO'92
So
in 1992, the Swedish Union of Professionals pushed for a stricter
standard, which eventually appeared when Sweden implemented
TCO'92 (which actually debuted in 1993). Not only were the
allowable emissions stricter, but they decreased the measuring
distance to 30cm. However, even that was not good enough for
the standards group. Through a partnership of TCO, Naturskyddsföreningen,
NUTEK and SEMKO AB, TCO'95 was created.
TCO'95
Where
TCO'92 covered only the displays and their characteristics
regarding electrical and magnetic fields, energy efficiency
and electrical and fire safety, TCO'95 now included the whole
personal computer; the display, system unit and keyboard.
Not only did it address emissions (electrical and magnetic
fields), it also began to touch on ergonomic qualities, noise
and heat issues, energy efficiency and ecology. There were
also concerns about how computers were manufactured (production
processes) and what materials were used in the manufacturing.
While the individual emission limits did not increase from
TCO'92 to TCO'95, the total limit was now affected by all
the components.
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