COMPUTER RADIATION IN SCHOOLS

Mdm Claire Chiang See Ngoh asked the Minister for Health, in view of the dangerous level of computer radiation that could hurt children, what his Ministry will do to moderate the effect of intensive use of Internet learning in primary and secondary schools.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The Centre for Radiation Protection of the Health Sciences Authority undertook a survey of radiation that could possibly be emitted from computer monitors and the central processing units in computers in 1998. The survey indicated that the levels for both ionising radiation (such as x-rays) and non-ionising radiation (such as UV, electrostatic and magnetic fields) emitted were either non-detectable or well below international safety limits. This survey confirms findings from similar studies done on computers in other countries and reviewed by the World Health Organisation's International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection. There is no radiation hazard associated with the use of computers.