Toxic and Carcinogenic Chemicals in Computers

Posted on October 31st, 2006 in notebooks and laptops, health and wellness, environment, computers and internet by Thomas

Imagine that you wake up tomorrow and feel incredibly tired, even though you just had a full night’s rest. You go to work, but while walking through a hall, by the copy machine and the out-gassing of paint, carpet, plastics, you are overwhelmed with nausea.

For many people with (), this is reality.

Recently, stories about multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome made national news, as in the October 19, 2006 story in the New York Times about Colorado resident Caryl Shonbrun and her efforts to avoid illness from offending chemicals. The story, “Seeking Modern Refuge from Modern Life” describes how Caryl and her husband moved to Fort Collins to build a and succeeded, to a degree.

Her balance can come off quickly, she was greatly affected when one of their neighbors puts pesticides on their lawn. Modern medicine has no answer to that condition so they are practically on their own. Over 80,000 chemicals are surrounding us, the interaction of those chemicals is completely unknown, for example a certain kind of carpet and certain kind of paint could create a problem, while the carpet by itself and the paint by itself doesn’t.

How are you Feeling?

You may be wondering as you sit in front of your computer and feeling quite normal, what MCS has to do with computers? The problem of potentially offensive chemicals in computers lies within the case of your desktop or notebook and in the construction of its components.

Motherboards of almost all computers are manufactured in oxygen filled environments. Toxic and carcinogenic solder flux and many times even a toxic and carcinogenic washing solution to get the flux off the board, have to be used to manufacture the electronics.
Once the computer sits on or under your desk, these toxic chemicals can gas out when the computer warms or heats up and is then distributed in your work environment by the cooling fans.

So how does this affect you? You have made it this far in the article and probably aren’t feeling too ill I assume. While the chemicals from computers may not produce noticeable symptoms in everyone, that doesn’t mean there aren’t negative impacts on the body. Just because you don’t notice feeling ill, doesn’t mean your body isn’t having to expend extra energy to combat any side affects and “detox” your body from chemicals coming from your desktop or laptop.

In our Free E-Class “Secrets to Healthier Computing” you can learn more about how to avoid many of these toxic and carcinogenic substances that you can currently find in your computer.

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From Red to Green: Are Hot Notebooks Cool?

Posted on October 19th, 2006 in notebooks and laptops, ergonomics, health and wellness, energy, environment, computers and internet by Thomas

Much like the first Americans who experienced nuclear power, or a TV set in their home, the health repercussions of computers are not entirely known. It is a sobering thought that those who have spent their lives bathed in the glow of their monitors may find themselves decades from now in poor health, with conditions caused from any number of harmful from their desktops, whether chemical or electromagnetic.

The Hot Topic

Like stilted houses on hurricane coasts, laptops of today seem to be climbing higher and higher off of workspaces in dorm rooms, offices and coffee shops. The “hot” issue with laptops is exactly this. Batteries in laptops run hot; sometimes so hot that they can cause the computer to shut down, that is, if the user can still handle the keys. As a result, these notebook computers are being hefted higher and higher off of their desks. Sometimes this is done with proper stands and other times with books or coasters, either way it is meant to allow for proper heat ventilation.

A recent report by Stephen H. Wildstrom on Business Week Online sheds more light as to why exactly most laptops run so hot. According to the article, the problem lies with the lithium ion batteries nestled inside of most modern laptops. Lithium ion batteries are great because they generate enough power to support high performance laptops with high processing speeds. However, as the battery meets the processor’s need for power, it heats up. This is mainly due to the fact that laptops are small, compact and very poor at allowing heat to escape from their innards.

While overheated laptops are certainly an inconvenience and uncomfortable to use, there are more potentially lethal and destructive surprises waiting within . Wildstrom says that lithium ion batteries rely on electronic circuits, a sort of fail-safe so to speak, to prevent violent chemical reactions. Unfortunately, as of late, these systems seem to be failing in the notebook computers of a couple major notebook manufacturers.

However, heat doesn’t seem to be the only problem facing the laptops of today. In order to compensate for the heat, cooling fans blast on at a high RPM, generating a noise that sounds like a fighter jet turning on its afterburners directly overhead.

While laptops are good for people when on the go, it seems that many people are simply using their notebooks all the time, even when seated at their home office, or designated workplace.

Because of this, the user’s productivity goes down due to the distracting blasts of noise from the cooling unit, his health is jeopardized and put at risk due usually poor ergonomic setup of the workplace and to the overheated batteries, when in reality, they could be using other methods of computing that would prove more productive.

Turning Green

So how are these problems to be solved? A better choice is to use a notebook stand with an external keyboard and mouse to have a better physical position, with the notebook battery removed. However the noise and the higher level of radiation are still there.

What can be done?

The best choice is a silent and environmentally friendly desktop computer. The computer can be tucked away; the keyboard, mouse and monitor can be set up ergonomically. Ideally the screen is about 25 inches away. The top of the screen is at eye level. The keyboard and mouse are in a light color to keep the contrast difference to the monitor to a minimum and help reduce potential eyestrain.

Constant exposure to due to not so well shielded computer cases and electronics increases stress levels as the body has to spend energy to maintain its own energy field. Once you start working with a well shielded and silent computer you’ll feel the difference very quickly.

A high quality, green and silent computer can also increase productivity up to 20%. Michael Kim of InspiredTraffic.com reported increases of 10 to 20% since switching to a GreenMachineShop.com desktop. He had been using mostly his notebook before. Now the notebook is only for the road. As a side effect, he reduced his electricity bill by about 30%. The silent computer made him turn off all other noise sources in the office. And he feels fresher after the work day is done.

He also reports that the compliant monitor causes much less stress to his eyes than before. The rating means that the monitors are built to the highest ergonomic and environmental standards.

To the best of our knowledge, GreenMachineShop.com’s desktops are currently the only truly “green computers.” Although many other companies say their computers are “green” because they offer a buy back program and eliminated heavy metals, mostly lead, this simply isn’t going to improve health conditions in the workplace or at home if the computers themselves are constructed in an unhealthy way.

The Next Step

Now its time for you to decide what is the best way to improve your surroundings. Think of your families or employees well being. Create the healthiest and most environmentally friendly computer workplace and reap the immediate benefits.


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8 Ways to Reduce or Even Eliminate Computer Vision Syndrome

Posted on October 18th, 2006 in ergonomics, health and wellness, computers and internet by Thomas

Over the past week “” has been in the news. The latest story in “The Frederick News-Post” titled “Prolonged computer use can lead to vision problems”.

The article states that more than 88 million people who use computers for more than 4 hours per day suffer from computer vision syndrome, that’s about a quarter of the total population of the U.S.

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics estimates the enormous cost for workman’s comp, to the economy, and employers: In 2002, employers reported a total of 487,900 lost workdays due to work-related (MSDs), representing nearly 50% of all lost work days. On top of these productivity costs, employers have paid approximately $20 billion annually in direct worker’s compensation costs. Indirect costs, like lower productivity at work, etc. add another $60 billion, for a total of $80 billion dollars.

The articles quotes Dr. Frishman, an optometrist from Frederick, Maryland, that the top of the monitor should be at the same level when you stretch your arms out. That would mean that I had to dig my monitor into my desk. The correct location of the monitor is: top of screen at or just below eye level, not shoulder/arm level.

Here are 8 tips to reduce or even eliminate most symptoms:

  • Use a TCO’03 compliant monitor. Not only are they more than other monitors, TCO’03 also requires compliance with standards: contrast, resolution, brightness, adjustability, etc.
  • The area behind the monitor should be lit, too. If it is all dark around your monitor (or TV for that matter), the eye has to constantly adjust between bright and dark.
  • Use a light colored keyboard. Dark, black keyboards create eye strain for the same reason. Ideally the area on your desk where the computer is should be in “lighter” colors.
  • If you need reading glasses, they won’t work with your computer. The monitor should be about arms length away (25?), books and papers only about the length of your forearm (15?). Ask your optometrist what he can do for you. Zeiss Optical has special lenses called “”
  • Avoid glare, reflections, etc. from windows, lamps, etc.
  • Look away at least every 15 minutes, look out the window. For example in Germany, every computer worker has to be able to look out a window from their chair.
  • The human attention span is typically between 20 and 45 minutes. Find your attention span, set an alarm and walk away from your desk for a couple of minutes (if you can, don’t blame me if you get fired)
  • If you use a notebook, the notebook has to be off your desk to bring you monitor to eye level. Get a notebook stand. This will also prolong the life and increase the stability of your notebook, because it runs cooler. Don’t forget to remove the battery when it is charged.

What are you waiting for? Time to change your habits and office layout?


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New Laptop Chips No Big Boost

Posted on October 16th, 2006 in notebooks and laptops, computers and internet by Thomas

PC World Canada tested some of the newer laptop chipsets/CPUs against their predecessors. Unlike the big performance boost the CPUs provide on desktops, there is only a minor performance boost (7%) on notebooks and no increase in .

Click here to read the whole article


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