Is my PC tower dangerous?

as far as i understand, the tower its self does not emit any radiation. It is the monitor that does, and even then I believe it is only a tiny amount, probably no more dangerous than the radiation you are exposed to on a day to day basis from the sun. as far as I know, it is old 80’s and 90’s monitors that cause the most radiation. I remember back in the 80’s I used to have a special radiation shield that went over my monitor, but they became redundant around 1995 when more modern monitors came on the market. Im fairly sure modern monitors dont do any damage.

Im no expert on the matter, however I do sit in front of a computer all day because of my work, if they do cause harm I am sure I would be one of the first people to be harmed by them. I have been spending about 4 to 18 hours a day in front of a computer since the 80’s, and im fine. However, I do know that radiation damage is cumulative, so maybe after many many years there could be some risk.

Cell phones and stuff just emit radiation to achieve long distance communication. Computers towers are probably a lot safer if you don’t use wireless internet, in which case it will probably be at cell phone level again.

You should however remain vigilant as hackers can blow up your computer from anywhere on the planet. (No they can’t.)

Please note:

1. The word “radiation” does not always mean the same thing, don’t be afraid of it.
2. There are two types of radiation: ionizing and non-ionizing. Ionizing radiation will knock electrons off your DNA, typically not causing any problems, but in some cases can cause a genetic change that leads to cancer or other ills. Non-ionizing radiation will simply make things warm. In some cases, non-ionizing radiation will cause short term problems, but it has to be REALLY strong. Sticking your head in front of an airport radar dish strong. (Apparently makes a “clicking” noise in the ear canal)

Old CRT monitors (not the new flat ones) produced a small amount of radiation, since they are essentially a particle accelerator that’s tossing electrons at the front of the screen. The monitors were so heavy because of all the lead in the glass to contain this.

Modern LCD monitors don’t do this. They have fluorescent or LED lights behind the glass to provide backlight. They are no more harmful than the fluorescent lights at the grocery store.

Radio signals are non-ionizing radiation. Cell phones, wireless internet, etc. all are harmless. There are a few preliminary studies showing problems from cell phones, but again these are devices held against your head. Your computer is at least several inches from you, and is fine.

The primary way in which a PC tower would radiate is from the resonators inside. The computer is probably 1–2GHz, with a bus speed around 500MHz. The wires inside the computer will resonate at these frequencies and produce very low level radio waves (radiation) at these frequencies. 500MHz signals will go right through you without stopping. 2GHz (2.4GHz in particular) will bounce off most solid objects, but again won’t cause any sort of genetic or other damage.

—
As an aside: folks who claim wifi allergies GENERALLY fail a double blind test, meaning its psychosomatic symptoms. That is, they’ll react equally to a blinking box that looks like a wireless router vs. an actual wireless router.

I would have thought the majority of radiation it will give off will in the micrometer wavelength portion of the spectrum (ie heat).

Here is the straight skinny from the FCC itself.

The general answer to your question can be found in one of the FAQs:

CAN PEOPLE BE EXPOSED TO LEVELS OF RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATION THAT COULD BE HARMFUL?

Studies have shown that environmental levels of RF energy routinely encountered by the general public are typically far below levels necessary to produce significant heating and increased body temperature. However, there may be situations, particularly in workplace environments near high-powered RF sources, where the recommended limits for safe exposure of human beings to RF energy could be exceeded. In such cases, restrictive measures or mitigation actions may be necessary to ensure the safe use of RF energy. (Back to Index)

It might devour your soul while you sleep, but real radiation concerns are found at the back of a CRT.

I say YES computer towers emit radiation strong enough to harm because 4 months ago I noticed a golf ball size lump on my leg right where it sits next to the tower. 2 weeks ago I finally had it removed and they called me a few days ago and told me its MELANOMA. Im suppose to go see an Oncologist now and have a lymph node removed so they can see if it spread. If it did, Im history. I am very healthy other than that and Im 57 years old. My leg sat next to the tower for probably 5 years, a couple hrs a day. The tumor just appeared in one day, It didnt slowly grow. I never saw a thing prior to the day I saw a huge lump. Very strange. Do not have your tower anywhere near you or kids. I bought an EMF detector so I could measure the EMF’s and they were way in the danger zone.