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During tune-up for a new plasma display (2 tubes, 4" in diameter, 72" in
length), we became aware that one person within the museum was suffering
adverse physical reactions.

I'm curious to know if other science centers with exhibits producing
rapidly alternating and/or high strength EMF have experienced this issue.
If so, what (if anything) was done do to address it?


Although we have not featured a plasma display in the last 4 years, I'm
unaware of any reactions like this during the previous 6 years when we ran
a 24" diameter plasma ball. As we look to finalizing the new exhibit, we
are considering constructing an open-mesh Faraday cage to surround the
tubes. Before we proceed, we intend to test its efficacy by modeling the
exhibit with a Tesla coil-based plasma ball within a Faraday cage, but I'm
hoping others in the science center world have some experience and wisdom
to share.


Although I was previously unaware of it, when a small fraction of the
population is exposed to plasma displays and other technology that produce
strong electromagnetic fields (MRIs, high-tension AC current), these folks
suffer symptoms akin to those experience when a person is shot with a
taser.

The NIH's PubMed.gov describes this condition as "idiopathic environmental
intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields" (IEI-EMF), although it
notes that it is a medically unexplained illness (Source:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19681059). Other peer-reiviewed
publications have lamented the inherent difficulties of exploring the
phenomena, but at least one has shown a correlation between test subjects'
Tesla exposure intensity from MRIs and a negative impact "in situations
where high working memory performance was required."

The most common symptoms of IEI-EMF include:
- headaches
- difficulty concentrating
- spatial disorientation
- short-term memory loss or impairment

Many thanks,

Greg


Greg Danner
IDC Manager/Assistant Curator
Anchorage Museum
www.anchoragemuseum.org
[log in to unmask]
907.929.9283
907.841.3131c

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