Reducing exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields from portable computers

The relevance of this article can be described by the rapid development in computer technology which has resulted in widespread use of laptop computers. Consequently the population is now more exposed to the electromagnetic fields, emanating from such devices. The aim of this article is to test various intervention measures which would help to reduce the exposure. The authors focus only on the measures easily applicable by the general public. The effectiveness of the interventions is measured by reduced electric and magnetic field. This study focuses on the electromagnetic fields in the range of 50 Hz to 400 kHz. The importance of minimizing exposure to the electromagnetic fields is also stressed by the high level European bodies. Reduction of environmental risk factors, where possible, is in fact the corner stone of European occupational health legislation. The measurements are conducted using a novel 14point model, covering the entire body of the user. Measurements from 46 laptop computer workplaces provided data about 156 unique exposure instances. The measurement results show that the least exposure scenario comprises of a laptop computer working on battery, having external input devices and display, the casing of the computer being properly grounded and power wires and adapters are positioned away from the user’s body.