Are infrared heaters harmful or not?

Infrared rays do not emit ultraviolet light, kill harmful microorganisms, do not contribute to the burning of oxygen, as they heat up the surfaces of physical objects, which subsequently give off heat. A correctly selected infrared heater is quite useful for the human body, but can be very dangerous if used improperly.

Infrared Heater Information

Despite the serious benefits for human immunity, an infrared heater is able to deliver serious problems, and the reason is the wrong choice of the wavelength of the heater for the home use.

The following categories of infrared radiation:

• long-wave (maximum safe for humans; wavelength 50-200 microns);
• medium-wave (can cause harm to the body; length 2.5-50 microns);
• shortwave (very dangerous radiation at home; length 0.76-2.5 microns).

The influence of different wavelengths from infrared radiation can be described as follows, in decreasing order:

• IR-C - rays affect only the surface of the skin;
instagram viewer
• IR-B - radiation penetrates the upper layers of the skin, causing changes;
• IR-A - harmful radiation passes through the layers of the epidermis up to 4 cm deep, causing dangerous consequences.

Harm of infrared heater

An infrared heater causes the following changes in the human body:

1. Overdrying skin. Infrared radiation acts on the surface almost instantly, causing evaporation of moisture. Human skin does not have time to develop a sufficient amount of moisture, which is why the skin is dried.
2. Burns. A prolonged presence near the IR heater can cause real burns on the skin. This applies to radiation with an average wavelength and, especially, with a short one.
3. More serious consequences. When located near an infrared heater emitting short waves, if a person is not fully protected by clothing, more dangerous consequences occur:

• the protein in the body begins to melt, after which it becomes extremely difficult to restore its normal function;
• cell membranes lose the ability to pass metabolites through themselves (lose their permeability property);
• serious changes in blood cells;
• when exposed to the eyes, IR radiation negatively affects the retina and lens of the eye (not only causes vision problems, but also can develop cataracts in the shortest possible time).

1. With constant exposure to the skin, burns are the most minimally scary event. The next stage is the appearance of redness and blisters.

Read about which heater is better to choose and what criteria you should pay attention to: https://sovetexpert.ru/kak-vybrat-obogrevatel.html.

The harm from an infrared heater is not unconditional. With proper operation and avoiding the constant exposure of the rays to the body, such a heater is very useful. It is necessary to take seriously all the characteristics of the purchased equipment and be sure to avoid exposure to the most dangerous radiation - short-wave.