Radiation survey at video display terminals (VDTs): a credibility issue
New York Telephone and Harvard University routinely monitor video display terminals as part of employee education or office design projects. Measurements are made with sensitive geiger end window or pancake detectors at the screen surface. In previous years all measurements indicated no difference from background levels in the occupied space. Recently, some newer VDTs were found to have measurable levels consistently above normal background at the screen surface. A gamma spectral analysis was made of one of the VDTs using a high resolution Ge-Li gamma ray detector coupled to a multi-channel gamma ray spectrometer. A slightly elevated potassium-40 level was detected and it was hypothesized that the potassium-40 was contained in the glass of the screen surface. The authors recommend that VDTs should be surveyed with the unit turned off to determine if the source of elevated readings may be in the glass. They also recommend expert advice in determining the proper radiation monitoring instrumentation for use in making these measurements.
- Research Organization:
- New York Telephone, NY
- OSTI ID:
- 6765426
- Journal Information:
- Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc. J.; (United States), Vol. 47:8
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
INTERACTIVE DISPLAY DEVICES
RADIATION MONITORING
RECOMMENDATIONS
GAMMA DETECTION
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
GLASS
POTASSIUM 40
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DETECTION
DISPLAY DEVICES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DETECTION
RADIOISOTOPES
SPECTROSCOPY
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
500300* - Environment
Atmospheric- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)