Are there any health dangers when using infrared heating panels?
Infrared heaters work by radiation of warmth rather than convection of hot air. But what about the word “radiation” many stockists of heating panels will avoid this word as it encourages thoughts of cancer but actually if we delve deeper into science we find that radiation can vary, there is harmful and harmless radiation. The term radiation simply means the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves.
We know that infrared waves do penetrate the skin which causes atoms to vibrate and this creates heat but as non ionising radiation this is harmless.
The important distinction is between high energy ionising and low energy non ionising radiation and I am pleased to say infrared heating panels are low energy and therefore completely harmless.It is the harmful ionising radiation which damages the DNA in cells which then may lead to cancer.
Infrared heating is a very natural form of heating, the sun radiates infrared energy and this is absorbed by our bodies to help promote blood circulation and therefore aide metabolism and repair. Heating panels emit infrared at exactly the optimum wavelength for absorption by the body to be most effective.
You can read more from an article on www.cancer.org
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/medicaltreatments/radiation-exposure-and-cancer
