Sorry, but a lot of people here are just plain wrong and I want to set the record straight:

LCD SCREENS DO EMIT UV RADIATION.

To back up this claim, let me first explain how the bulbs inside LCDs work: The bulbs are called CCFL and are like small flourescent bulbs. An electrical current is passed from one end of the bulb to the other. Along the way, the electrons hit the mercury gas inside the bulb, causing the mercury particles to radiate waves at a frequency of 253.7nm (which IS ultraviolet, in case you didn’t know).

The UV rays excite the phosphors on the coating of the bulb, causing them to glow, which is the light we see. While most normal flourescent bulbs have filters to stop the UV escaping; CCFL and CFL bulbs don’t have filters, so UV radiation does escape. This means that LCDs do emit UV rays.

How can I be so sure LCD screens emit ultraviolet waves?

Sadly, I know first-hand because these bulbs have a nasty effect on me. I am someone who has extremely sensitive skin. When I first got an LCD monitor I slowly noticed I was getting a rash on my face, which felt (and looked) like sunburn. In addition, my eyeballs started to really hurt. Worst of all, I also started to lose my eyesight, to the point where I could only focus on nearby objects. (Bear in mind I was only in my 20s and had perfect vision just a few weeks prior.)

At first, I didn’t connect the symptoms with my LCD screen (because I thought LCD screens were supposed to be “easier on the eyes”). But eventually I came to realise that all my symptoms directly related to using the LCD screen, and when I stopped using it just for a day — the very next day my rash disappeared and my eyesight returned to normal. I now know that all LCD screens have this effect on me, although I only start to notice it after an hour or so of exposure.

I also get the same skin reaction to CFLs (energy saver light bulbs). After a lot of experimentation and scrutiny, I realised that these bulbs were definitely to blame for the skin problems I was having. I would get the “sunburn” effect on the side of me where the bulb had been, and when I stopped using CFLs my skin completely cleared up miraculously!

So now my house is free of LCD screens and CFL bulbs, and I wouldn’t go near one in anyone else’s house. All my bulbs are traditional incandescent bulbs, with one flourescent in the kitchen.

Traditional CRT monitors are completely safe for me. I’ve used them for 30 years (and still use them) and never had any problem with them. Some of them have large electromagnetic fields (which definitely can be dangerous), but as long as you don’t sit too close to them, you’re fine.

I bought an LED-backlit LCD screen, thinking LED would be fine, but I immediately realised that LEDs were just as bad, and gave me the same reaction. I had heard that LEDs were UV-free, but I have since found out that this isn’t the case.

I’ve had mixed results with plasma screens: some give off as much UV as LCDs, while some give me no problems at all. This would seem to be due to the amount of glass/UV sheilding on the front of the model. Some TVs have a nice layer of sheilding at the front — even a layer of plain glass reflects a certain amount of UV (something most LCDs don’t have).

OK, I realise that I have extremely sensitive skin, and I don’t claim to represent the “average human”. Maybe most people are fine with LCD screens and suffer absolutely no side-effects. But it just makes me angry when people say LCDs don’t give off UV — or when people scoff at health concerns. Beacuse I can tell you for a fact LCDs DO give off UV, and for me the side-effects are severe.

I never used to care about the different types of bulbs, but now they are a crucial consideration for me.

I would at least recommend that everyone avoided energy-saver CFL bulbs because they are extremely environmentally unfriendly. Due to the poison inside, you MUST NOT throw them in the bin, or allow them to smash. If they are broken, you have to immediately evacuate the room and cleaning it up properly can take hours.