A STATISTICAL SURVEY OF X-RAY EXPOSURE LEVELS FROM COMPUTER MONITOR SCREENS USED WITHIN THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, BOSSO CAMPUS MINNA

Abstract

This work investigates the radiation levels of different computer monitor models used in Bosso Campus of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna. A preliminary survey suggested that seven monitor models/brand accounts for more than 80% of the ones used within the campus. These models (Mercury-15״; HP-17״; Samsung-15״; Dell-15״; Compaq-15״; Maxtron-14״ and Manna-15״) were separately investigated for soft x-rays dose level. To measure the radiation dose from the screen a low radiation monitor (Digilert Nuclear Radiation Monitor, S.E. International, Inc., USA) designed to measure low level radiation and calibrated with a Cesium-137 gamma source was used. The monitor was position at 5cm from the Computer Screen. The mean total radiation count for 3600 seconds was used to evaluate the dose rate (mR/hr). The dose rate obtained for all the monitors ranges from 0.013mR/hr and 0.034mR/hr. The range of the dose rate obtained for all the monitors in this work is less than the 0.5mR/hr limit recommended by Food and Drug Administration Regulations in U.S.