We all are using remote control in our everyday life when watching TV, controlling home theater, etc. It’s known to us that radiation is used as a signal to communicate between the remote control and the device. In most cases, Infrared radiation is used, but there are radio frequency waves too.
The TV remote control radiation is not harmful to the human body and it doesn’t cause any health issues. Remote radiation doesn’t cause cancer. Both IR and RF waves are safe so using any type of remote does not have any negative impact on the human being. TV remotes emit radiation in a small portion just to send the command to the TV and it only emits the radiation when we press any key.
Why TV remote radiation is not harmful?
Infrared radiation is used in remote controls to send and receive signals to the device like TV, DVD player, etc. The IR signals are sent in the form of commands, and the IR sensor on the device will receive and process the IR commands to provide the output like changing channels, Volume control, etc.
To know more about this, we have to look deep into the radiations in the electromagnetic spectrum
Radiations are two types, Ionizing radiation, and non-ionizing radiation
What are ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiations?
Ionizing radiation:- The radiations emitted by X-ray and ultraviolet rays usually come under ionizing radiations. These waves are high-frequency radiations that can be able to penetrate the DNA and damage the DNA and other cells in the human body.
This type of radiation is not necessary to be used in home devices like remote controls, ovens, etc. While we humans getting these kinds of rays may cause the health issues like skin cancer, etc.
Non-ionizing radiation:- Non-ionizing radiations are low-frequency radiations that have no potential to cause damage to the human skin or body.
Fortunately, infrared radiations are under non-ionizing radiation, and that’s why this radiation is used in home devices like different types of remote controls, Microwave ovens, etc.
The frequency range of IR radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum
In an electromagnetic spectrum, the frequency range of IR waves is just 5.8GHz and is used in remote controls. This is a very low-frequency range. IR rays have a 5.8GHz frequency, but not all the frequency range is needed to work on simple devices. Just using the 300 – 500 MHz range in our TV remote controls.
IMG CREDIT
Look at the image above to clear your doubts, about the electromagnetic spectrum, and the different waves, and they used in different devices that we are used in our daily life.
Non-ionizing radiations
- Radio waves – used in FM radios
- UMTS – Used in phones
- Microwaves – in ovens
- IR waves – in remote control
They are extremely low-frequency radiations and do not cause any harm to humans.
RF Radiation
In some of the remote controls, they use radio frequency which has the potential to penetrate solid things. The type of frequency is most widely used in the remote controls of cars. They do not need a direct line of sight in order to communicate with the device. That’s why we can unlock the car door by using the remote control which is inside our home.
Radio-frequency radiation is also under non-ionizing radiation and has a low-frequency range.
Does TV remote cause any kind of health issues?
By radiation-wise, it’s safe. Our children may use the remote and it will be in their mouths. A lot of germs will be on the surface, so don’t allow them to put it in the mouth. Just keep the remote clean using sanitizer.
Conclusion
Because TV remotes use low-frequency non-ionizing radiation, they do not cause any health-related issues, skin disease, or cancer. Simply, they are safe to use without worrying.