|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

What Dissipates an Electrostatic Discharge?

In electricity there is a negative and a positive charge that creates an electromagnetic field. This energy is abundant in nature and in man-made devices, creating opportunities for static to build up on electrically conductive surfaces. Some surfaces become negatively charged, while others become positively charged. The electrostatic discharge, or ESD, is created when two opposing fields come in contact. While it's impossible to completely dissipate ESDs from the environment, it is possible to reduce the impact.

  1. Grounding

    • Use only three-pronged electrical devices in the home. Properly grounding electrical devices through the home's wiring ensures less potential energy buildup in the powered devices. Check to make sure the wiring is correctly grounded to code. Electricity takes the easiest route and will always follow through the ground wire. This will reduce the fields in the home, which reduces the number of possible charges reacting with you.

    Reducing Static

    • Eliminating static buildup on furniture, carpets and clothing will reduce the static charge in the home. Synthetic materials have static buildup because they are not electrically conductive, giving the charge no place to go. Try using anti-static sprays to reduce static for short periods. Wearing shoes or slippers with insulated soles reduces the charge transfer from the floor. Placing TVs and electrical appliances on rubber mats will keep the charge from spreading.

    Humidity

    • Static buildup is enhanced in warm, dry air. Heating systems, air conditioners and dehumidifiers will reduce the moisture content in the air, giving rise to static in the home. Unfortunately, humidity is hard to control yet is the best way to dissipate static. Invest in a humidity monitor and humidifier for your home and keep the humidity between 40 percent and 50 percent. While this will not eliminate ESDs, it will greatly reduce static charges in the home.

    Ionizers

    • One may think ionizers produce more static because they emit electrical current into the air. The truth is ionizers generate waves of positive and negative charged ions that expand outward into the room. The positive and negative ions come in contact with oppositely charged items, cancelling out some of the static charge. The electricity in the home is continually creating more static and is almost impossible to stop. But a good AC ionizer will reduce the impact.

Environmental Health - Related Articles