A Green Laser Pointer Hazard

TL;DR

This paper reveals that inexpensive green laser pointers emit dangerous infrared radiation during normal use, posing safety risks that are often unnoticed by users, and provides a simple testing method to detect such emissions.

Contribution

It identifies the infrared emission issue in green laser pointers and offers an accessible testing method for consumers to detect potential hazards.

Findings

Green laser pointers emit about 20 mW of infrared radiation.

Infrared emissions originate from the device design.

A simple household test can detect infrared emissions.

Abstract

An inexpensive green laser pointer was found to emit 20 mW of infrared radiation during normal use. This is potentially a serious hazard that would not be noticed by most users of such pointers. We find that this infrared emission derives from the design of the pointer, and describe a simple method of testing for infrared emissions using common household items.