Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 SMI; site sun.uucp
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!sun!sunny
From: sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: are ion generators bad for machinery and other living things?
Message-ID: <2221@sun.uucp>
Date: Sat, 25-May-85 14:54:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.2221
Posted: Sat May 25 14:54:53 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 27-May-85 00:06:22 EDT
References: <4147@allegra.UUCP>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 36

Sun workstations (ANY CRT for that matter) *is* a negative ion generator.
Therefore it is unlikely you need to protect it from other ion generators.
When I touch with my finger the screen of my Sun 100U workstation, there
is a crackle of discharge of static electricity between my finger and the
screen.  The reason for this is that every CRT works on the principle of
beaming electrons from the cathode at the back of the CRT to the phosphor
inside the screen, which means that the negatively charged electrons tend
to charge the screen negatively, hence the screen becomes a generator of
negative ions unless it is thoroughly grounded.  Most CRT's have the
cathode at a very high negative potential and the phosphor grounded to
minimize this effect (as you wouldn't want to get a serious shock from the
alternative arrangement of putting the cathode at ground potential and
raising the screen to a large positive potential).  The higher performance
video monitors use a higher voltage and therefore tend to produce more
screen charge.  and X-rays.  but you didn't mention those.  Note also,
that color CRTs use (typically) even higher voltages, and produce even
more X-rays and screen charge.  Naturally, the highest level of health
threat to your body is sitting right in front of a color monitor, as in
a Sun 160 workstation.  Not that Sun workstations are any more or less
this way than the equivalent products of any other manufacturer.  These
are *definitely* not in any way to be construed as statements of
Sun Microsystems Inc, but are instead my own personal opinions, totally
unsupported by *any* facts.  Caveat Emptor.  Penguins are roaming the streets.

> A bunch of the non-smokers in our corridor have just received a
> shipment of Bionaire smoke filters.  These machines contain both air
> filters and ion generators.  I've read (perhaps in this newsgroup) that
> ion generators don't have any hazardous effects on humans (and in fact
> may make people feel better), but I seem to recall that they can cause
> plants to wilt and make certain types of plastics disintegrate in time
> (hopefully not as fast as the virus in The Andromeda Strain...).
> Anyway, would it be wise to move expensive machinery like Sun
> workstations, 3B2's, and plants out of our offices?
> 	Mark Plotnick
-- 
{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)