The international research team, led by USask environmental toxicologist John Giesy, is sounding the alarm about liquid crystal monomers--the chemical building blocks of everything from flat screen TVs to solar panels--and the potential threat they pose to humans and the environment.
"These chemicals are semi-liquid and can get into the environment at any time during manufacturing and recycling, and they are vaporized during burning. Now we also know that these chemicals are being released by-products just by using them," said Giesy, Canada Research Chair in Environmental Toxicology at USask.
"We don't know yet whether this a problem, but we do know that people are being exposed, and these chemicals have the potential to cause adverse effects," said Giesy.
Details of the Study
In a first-of-its-kind paper published, Giesy's research team assembled and analyzed a comprehensive list of 362 commonly used liquid crystal monomers gathered from 10 different industries and examined each chemical for its potential toxicity.
The team also further tested the toxicity of monomers commonly found in six frequently used smartphone models.
Findings of the Study
The researchers found the specific monomers isolated from the smartphones were potentially hazardous to animals and the environment. In lab testing, the chemicals were found to have properties known to inhibit animals' ability to digest nutrients and to disrupt the proper functioning of the gallbladder and thyroid--similar to dioxins and flame retardants which are known to cause toxic effects in humans and wildlife.
Do Toxic Chemicals from LCD Lurking in Your Household Dust?
To understand how common these monomers are in the environment, researchers tested dust gathered from seven different buildings in China--a canteen, student dormitory, teaching building, hotel, personal residence, lab, and electronics repair facility. Nearly half of the 53 samples tested positive for the liquid crystal monomers.
"Ours is the first paper to list all of the liquid crystal monomers in use and assess their potential to be released and cause toxic effects," said Giesy. "We looked at over 300 different chemicals and found that nearly 100 have significant potential to cause toxicity."
Ninety percent of the monomers tested had concerning chemical properties. They either accumulate in organisms, resist degradation in the environment, or are easily transported long distances in the atmosphere. Nearly one-quarter of the chemicals tested had all three troubling characteristics.
"There are currently no standards for quantifying these chemicals, and no regulatory standards," said Giesy. "We are at ground zero."
Researchers Huijun Su, Shaobo Shi, Ming Zhu, and Guanyong Su of China's Nanjing University of Science and Technology, along with Doug Crump and Robert Letcher of Environment and Climate Change Canada, worked with Giesy to conduct the research. Guanyong Su, who leads the research effort in China, was a former student with Giesy at USask and then a post-doctoral fellow with Environment Canada.
LCD panels are almost exclusively produced in three Asian countries: China, Japan, and South Korea. It's estimated that 198 million square metres of liquid crystal display were produced last year--enough to cover the entire Caribbean island of Aruba.
"Since there are more and more of these devices being made, there's a higher chance of them getting into the environment," said Giesy.
For many years, huge amounts of globally produced e-waste--including LCD displays--have been dismantled, disposed of, and introduced into the environment.
"Right now, there are no measurements of these monomers in surface waters. Our next steps are to understand the fate and effect of these chemicals in the environment," said Giesy.
In his previous work, Giesy was also the first researcher to identify that toxic perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals were widespread in contaminating the environment. His research ultimately resulted in the entire class of chemicals being banned globally.
Hence, getting rid of LCD screen pollution can do more good to humans, animals, and the environment.
Source: Eurekalert
FAQs
We find LCD screens can emit significant levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), an important class of indoor air constituents with known adverse health effects. These screen-emitted VOCs are likely derived from the “building block chemicals” used in the manufacturing of liquid crystals.
Are LCD screens toxic? ›
They are safe. – Driving Circuitry: LCD's driving circuitry has no material different from other electronics. It has IC (Integrated circuit) and PCB (Printed Circuit Board).
What toxic metal is contained inside the LCD screen? ›
LCD Screens and Monitors: Liquid Crystal Displays can contain a small amount of mercury, including from fluorescent backlighting. Circuit Boards: May contain heavy metals, including lead, beryllium, and cadmium.
Is LCD screen leaking fluid toxic? ›
The good news is that the amount of the liquid is very low: probably one or two drops in a notebook display. Avoid skin contact, do not eat, wash hands thoroughly! The phosphor material coating the glass tube is a known danger to health. It contains toxic metals and their salts, including Mercury.
What causes LCD screen damage? ›
Dust can also seep through the cracks on the screen and cause LCD screen damage. Water or liquid damage: If you drop your phone into water or some other liquid, some of it could seep into the phone and damage the LCD screen. In this case, you will notice the damage immediately after you turn your phone on.
Is it OK to touch LCD screen? ›
LCD panels are fairly robust against touch and very slight pressure. You might get fingerprints on it which can be a little tough to clean off, but this won't result in any damage.
Is LCD TV Bad For your eyes? ›
In short, yes. LED screens that are popular these days emit a great deal of blue light, which can be potentially harmful to the eyes. Therefore, watching too much TV, especially late at night, can suppress melatonin production that makes us ready for sleep.
Is LCD or LED harmful to eyes? ›
Does LCD screen harm eyes? Regardless of whether you have an LCD or LED, prolonged sessions in front of a screen can cause dry eyes and blurry vision.
Is LCD or LED bad for eyes? ›
Is LED or LCD Better for the Eyes? An LED display provides the option to dim the backlight, along with other eye comfort features. Not only that, it provides a wider viewing angle without harming image quality. Therefore, an LED display is far better for your eyes than an LCD.
What does LCD screen contain? ›
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a type of flat panel display which uses liquid crystals in its primary form of operation. LEDs have a large and varying set of use cases for consumers and businesses, as they can be commonly found in smartphones, televisions, computer monitors and instrument panels.
Mercury is used in LCD screens and monitors. It is also used in laptop screen shutoffs. Televisions manufactured before 1991 may also contain mercury switches. These products need to be properly disposed at household hazardous waste collection centers.
What is the cleaning material of LCD screen? ›
It's always safest and most effective to use an LCD cleaner free of alcohol, ammonia and acetone to clean an LCD screen, but if you need a DIY fix, you'll be successful if you use a microfiber cloth that's sprayed lightly with a mix of vinegar and distilled water.
Are wet wipes bad for screens? ›
If you have a PC laptop with an LCD screen, you should not use disinfecting wipes. Manufacturers, such as Hewlett-Packard, say that active ingredients found in both Clorox and Lysol wipes could damage your screen.
What does LCD screen damage look like? ›
These are the telltale signs of a broken LCD screen: A black screen. Black spots or blurred areas on your screen. New out-of-place lines or scratches on your screen.
Does LCD display cause eye strain? ›
LCD monitors use backlights to display images. The number of reported cases of eye fatigue caused by screen flickering has increased since the popularization of LED-backlit Monitors. LCD monitors can even affect the eyes of people who don't notice backlight flickering.
Does LCD damage spread? ›
The ink-spreading effect only takes place in devices with LCD screens, so if you are using a device with an OLED screen, the dead pixels will not spread. But in any case, it's best to get this issue fixed on your phone whenever possible to prevent any further problems.
What causes LCD screen bleeding? ›
Your LED LCD, whether it's a TV or a monitor, uses a LED backlight to create the image through the liquid crystal display panel. Some of that light might not get entirely blocked around the display's bezels, which results in backlight bleeding.
What not to use on LCD screen? ›
In particular, don't use any solvent cleaners that include acetone, ethyl alcohol, ethyl acid, ammonia or methyl chloride. You also want to avoid using any materials that could potentially scratch the screen's delicate surface.
Do LCD screens get hot? ›
It is possible the LCD TV may feel warm or hot to the touch after several hours of use. Because LCD TVs are thin and the cabinet enclosure is relatively small, heat generated by the LED backlight located at the bottom or side of the TV is more noticeable.
Is it bad to sit too close to TV? ›
Although you've probably heard that sitting too close to a TV can damage your eyes, this isn't based in science or reality. The truth is, you can sit close to the TV without any permanent eye damage. Sitting close to the TV isn't dangerous to your health or your vision.
Turning on the TV before bedtime can disrupt our sleep cycles and excessive exposure can lead to depression and anxiety. “Anything that is stimulating to the brain before bed may be detrimental to one's ability to fall asleep,” explains Dr. Richard Shuster, clinical psychologist and host of The Daily Helping podcast.
Why do kids sit so close to the TV? ›
Your child may want to sit close to the TV (or other objects) if they have uncorrected nearsightedness (or myopia). Myopia means your eyes naturally focus in front of you leading to blurry distance vision. Therefore kids may be moving closer to the TV in order to clear up the image by finding their natural focal point.
Are LED lights bad for sleep? ›
Blue light waves come from fluorescent and LED lights and back-lit electronic screens on televisions, computers, tablets, and cell phones. Remember, exposure to these lighted screens during the sensitive period can make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night or can wake you up too early.
Does LED give off blue light? ›
To be more energy efficient, many people have replaced their incandescent lights with LED bulbs. However, those currently on the market emit a lot of blue light, which has been linked to eye troubles and sleep disturbances.
Do all LED lights give off blue light? ›
Do LED lights emit blue light? Yes—but no more blue light (pdf) than other lightbulbs, provided they give off the same balance of shorter and longer light wavelengths. “Warmer” light has more of a yellow tone to it, while “cooler” light, which is similar to daylight, appears a little bluer.
Can LED lights cause headaches? ›
Both LED and fluorescent lighting are proven to cause migraine headaches. They're also implicated in multiple health issues, and the research is ongoing, with additional effects likely to be discovered.
What color light is best for your eyes? ›
Yellow light, has been proven effective in protecting the retinas of patients exposed to excessive blue light, since it offers the best contrast.
Is LCD light good for eyes? ›
As mentioned above, your TVs and therefore your LED and LCD screens and lamps also emit blue light that can affect your eyes. To minimise exposure, wear light-blocking glasses when watching TV or playing video games, especially at night.
Are LCD screens glass? ›
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
For LCDs, two glass layers are separated by a thin liquid crystal layer (the 'LC' in LCD). This liquid crystal layer, in combination with other optical components, is responsible for creating the image by encoding the image in the orientation of the liquid crystal material.
Is my phone an LCD screen? ›
One of the easiest ways to determine which display type you have is to go to a true black screen – you can search for this on Google Images. If your display type is LCD your pixels will still be displaying a dark gray light. If you have an OLED display the screen will be totally black.
Liquid crystal display explained
Both types of displays use liquid crystals to help create an image. The difference is in the backlights. While a standard LCD monitor uses fluorescent backlights, an LED monitor uses light-emitting diodes for backlights.
Do LCD TVs contain lead? ›
As TVs are replaced, how to dispose of the old units needs to be considered. LCD and plasma TVs can potentially contain lead, mercury, or cadmium. These materials can wreak havoc on the environment as well as human health. In order to be environmentally responsible, recycle your televisions!
Are all LCD screens LED? ›
LCD is the broader category; LED is a subset. In other words, all LED displays are LCDs, but not all LCDs are LED. LCDs are made up of hundreds of thousands — even millions — of individual pixels built from liquid crystals. Each pixel is capable of displaying a color when it receives an electrical charge.
Are LCD screens magnetic? ›
LCDs don't use an electron gun, nor do they use a magnetic field. They simply use a layer of liquid pixels with a backlighting component. As a result, LCDs are immune to the effects of magnets. You should still try to avoid placing magnets near your LCD, but you can rest assured knowing that a magnet won't damage it.
How should LCD screens be cleaned? ›
Here's how:
- Step 1: Disconnect the power cord from desktop monitors. ...
- Step 2: Gently wipe the dust from the surface of the display using a dry, lint-free cloth, like a microfiber cloth. ...
- Step 3: For tough spots, lightly dampen a microfiber cloth with water and gently wipe the display with as little pressure as possible.
Avoid Harmful Chemicals
Alcohol and ammonia, found in window cleaners such as Windex, can wreak havoc on your expensive flat-screen TV, so don't use cleaners that have them.
Are Lysol wipes good for screens? ›
In this new world of touch screens and screen protectors, cleaning electronics can often be a challenge. Lysol® Disinfecting Wipes are suitable to use on electronics, making the cleaning process easier than you think.
Are Clorox wipes good for cleaning screens? ›
As the Clorox® Expert Disinfecting Wipes are bleach free, you can use them to clean and disinfect the screen too.
Do alcohol wipes clean screens? ›
Using a circular motion can help remove stubborn smudges. Never spray alcohol or another liquid directly on your computer or laptop screen. Use another clean microfiber cloth with a small amount of 70%+ Isopropyl Alcohol or a 70%+ alcohol cleaning wipe. Wipe down your entire screen and be sure to get the edges.
Do I need to replace LCD or just screen? ›
If you drop your phone and the screen is cracked or shattered, but the display is still lit up, you have probably only damaged the front screen. However, if you see lines, black spots or discolored areas, or the screen won't light up, your LCD screen is most likely damaged and will need to be repaired.
LCD would need to be replaced as well if you see display artifacting on the screen such as:
- Horizontal or Vertical lines appearing on the screen.
- Black splotches on the screen.
- Ghosting effect on text / graphics on the display.
When comparing LED versus LCD screen lifespan, there's no contest. LCDs have a lifespan of about 50,000 hours, or 5 years — half the lifespan of LED.
Can you drink LCD? ›
Liquid Crystal Material
Liquid crystal is a state between liquid (like water) and crystal/solid (like ice). Although we have liquid crystal displays around us, most of people never see what liquid crystal materials look like. Actually, commercial liquid crystal materials look like milk. But you can't drink it.
How do you stop LCD liquid from spreading? ›
If it is just a crack on your phone's screen, then you can apply a temporary seal to prevent the crack from spreading or growing further. For this temporary seal, you need to apply a compound called cyanoacrylate.
What does LCD liquid taste like? ›
Liquid LSD (often called liquid acid) has no taste at all.
Is LCD carcinogenic? ›
The small amount was not considered to be harmful to the human body. Newer LCD (liquid crystal display) and flat-panel monitors do not emit X-ray radiation. Some LCD monitors may emit a small amount of UV radiation, but the amounts are so small that there is virtually no risk to the human body.
What is toxic in flat screen TVs? ›
Most LCD screens made before 2009 contain mercury, which makes these TVs hazardous waste. Newer flat screens may contain other hazardous materials, such as heavy metals and flame retardants. These chemicals can leach into the environment from a landfill, so make sure not to throw any TVs in the trash.
Does LCD contain cadmium? ›
It is important to note that while the QD film in an LCD application contains at most 20 μg of Cadmium per cm2 of screen area, it is contained within a physical device.
Is LCD safe for eyes? ›
Which is the biggest disadvantage of LCD/LEDs in terms of eyesight. Although they produce quality images, the color and contrast from these displays are due to their light sources, so they give off more brightness that can cause eye strain if not moderated. To sum it up, OLED displays are better for your eyesight.
Is LCD phone bad for eyes? ›
Does LCD screen harm eyes? Regardless of whether you have an LCD or LED, prolonged sessions in front of a screen can cause dry eyes and blurry vision.
LCD monitors use backlights to display images. The number of reported cases of eye fatigue caused by screen flickering has increased since the popularization of LED-backlit Monitors. LCD monitors can even affect the eyes of people who don't notice backlight flickering.
Are TVs bad to have in your room? ›
Often, the bright artificial light of a television screen playing in a dark room can have a poor impact on circadian rhythms. This can then disrupt your melatonin levels and cause you to take a long time to fall asleep and have trouble staying asleep.
Are LED TVs unhealthy? ›
Is the general public at any risk from exposure to LED screens in TV sets, laptops, phones, tablets and toys? Studies show that the radiance from screens is less than 10% of the maximum amount that would be within safe limits to still protect the retina from photochemically-induced injury, so the short answer is no.
Are smart TVs unsafe? ›
It's smart to check the fine print before turning on or turning off features on your smart TV. As with many internet-connected devices, smart TVs can also be hacked. Smart TV webcams could be hacked for spying, or malware can move from device to device through your router.
Does LCD emit radiation? ›
It is important to note also that flat panel TVs incorporating Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) or Plasma displays are not capable of emitting x-radiation. As such these products and are not subject to the FDA standard and do not pose a public health hazard.
Is alcohol safe for LCD screens? ›
Before we get to how to clean a screen, there are a few ways you don't want to go about the process. The first, and most important, is that you don't want to clean a display using substances like isopropyl alcohol or Windex. Alcohol- and ammonia-based cleaners can damage your screen's anti-reflective coating.
What minerals are in LCD display? ›
The minerals needed to make LCD screens are Galena, Quartz, Pyromorphite, Cerussite, Anglesite, Hematite, Cassiterite, and Sphalerite.
