X-Ray Radiation:

After Roland mentioned someone's 9 stack of projectors fogging a film in another room, my wife and I have been concerned about the x-ray radiation from our BG808 projector.
My wife is 5 months pregnant and we have already decided to avoid any scans, hospital visits, exams, pain relief, etc, etc, etc.

The barco site states the following.

X-Ray Radiation:
BARCO CRT projectors comply
with the S-ray radiation limits in
21 CRF Subchapter and EN60950.
Typical emissions are less than 0.2
mREM/Hour at a distance of 5 cm
from projector surface.

Does anyone know how much radiation this is and how quickly after this '5 cm' the levels fall off?

If not can someone point me to an environmental site that might deal with such issues

Many thanks
Alex

 

The 808 projector you have is entirely metal shielded and considered one of the lowest emitters of raditaion amoungst projectors.

The earlier models were more dangerous but not ever considered a health risk. My understanding is that your average computor monitor emits more radiation.

The case I was talking about was home project in the states where some one put 9CRT (3x3) tubes into a box to get a brighter image. No shielding at all was used.

Most of the production staff on the Barco projection line are women. I am not aware that any of them have been warned to take special precations and they are working on these projectors all day and with the covers open.

I am sure your wife a child to be are well protected but you are wise to be safe. I hope I can go some way to reasure you.

 

Thank you Roland.
Yes I definitely feel more reassured.
You know how careful we are about such things!

You're always welcome for a smoothie!
Regards
Alex

 

You will get more radiation from eating Brazil nuts.

Nothing to worry about here.

 

The average amount of radiation a person is subjected to in a year is 360 millirems or one a day.

As amusing as Nics comment is that you'll get more radiation from eating Brazil Nuts is he is in fact not far off the mark.
Our bodies themselves are mildly radioactive, our bones having absorbed radioactive elements such as potassium-40 from food we eat. This, on average, contributes 11 percent of our annual background dose, or 39 millirems. We get cosmic radiation from outer space and radiation from the naturally occurring uranium, thorium, radium, radon and potassium atoms in the earth.

There are some small sources of radiation in the home. Your television set accelerates electrons to make the picture on the screen, and produces a few low energy x-rays. Smoke detectors contain small sources in them. These sources emit radiation that are easily stopped even by smoke, and that way detect the presence of smoke.

The thing to remember is that with such small doses of radiation our bodies repair the damage to affected cells very quickly, its only where much higher doses are involved that problems can occur, i.e the cells die or become cancerous.

I read that the average US atomic power plant worker is limited to 5000 millirems a year and that he is usually limited to no more than 2000 by his employer.

In comparison in 1934 he was exposed to 30,000+ millirems a year

Si

 

Christ Gordon dont you know that Twiglets can seriously damage your health!!

Si

 

Guys

As Gordon accurately points out we know a little something about Radiation here in Cumbria.

As one of the senior technical specialists in this field I can assure you that the Brazil nut comment is accurate!