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mellie
November 6th, 2008, 09:55 AM
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/19926#more-19926

Magnetic fields are measured in milligauss, and your exposure to them multiplies exponentially with your proximity. For instance, if you’re standing 4 feet from your microwave while it’s busy nuking fishsticks, you’re getting between 3 and 8 milligauss. At 12 inches, it’s up to 80. And if you’re standing at the entirely unreasonable distance of 1.2 inches from your microwave, it’s arguably nuking you, too, with up to 2,000 milligauss.
But is that a lot? For comparison’s sake, here are the 1.2 inch exposures of other household appliances:
Clothes washer: 400
Electric range: 2,000
Flourescent lamp: 4,000
Television: 500
Hair dryer: up to 20,000

Considering that a hair dryer can be five times stronger than a microwave, and you’re much more likely to hold one just inches from your head, perhaps there’s reason to limit exposure. (But keep in mind, exposure drops off radically with distance: at 12 inches, that same hair dryer’s only giving you 70 milligauss.)
Another bit of comparison: if you’re standing directly under heavy-duty buzzing power transmission lines, you’re only receiving about 300 milligauss — the equivalent of sitting on top of your washing machine while it’s on its spin cycle.

suicides_eve
November 6th, 2008, 02:10 PM
Wow i never knew that- i did know that the decibel volume can eventually cause some hearing loss if used enough.
cool info

Kirin
November 6th, 2008, 02:12 PM
I didn't know about the EMF, but did know about the hearing loss, especially to the right ear of right handed women and left to left handed women. Strange but true.

talullah
November 6th, 2008, 02:34 PM
Oops, I thought this was about that EMF band from the 90's-- you know, the song "You're Unbelievable."

Nevermind me...

Drynwhyl
November 6th, 2008, 03:15 PM
Well that's okay, 'cause I despise blow dryers :D
I advise everyone not to use them if they want good hair (and hearing, now) :P

wintersun99
November 6th, 2008, 03:37 PM
............

happymommy
November 6th, 2008, 06:44 PM
Hee, we used to have fun in lab putting oscilloscope probes on our temples and reading our 'brain waves' which were really just 60 Hz sine waves from the overheads.

:)

What harms exactly do exposure to a 60Hz magnetic field pose? Now I'm curious (as I sit here surrounded by at least 8 different pieces if electronic gear.)

RavennaNight
November 6th, 2008, 06:58 PM
Hmmm. Learn something new every day. That's interesting. So blowdryers can be carcinogenic? :confused: Maybe I do in fact need a better option for the cold wet head/sickness dilemma...

:run: