Editing Plasma globe (section)

==Hazards==
Bringing conductive materials or electronic devices close to a plasma ball may cause the glass to become hot. The high voltage radio frequency energy coupled to them from within the ball may cause a mild electric shock to the person touching, even through a protective glass casing. The [[radio frequency]] field produced by plasma balls can interfere with the operation of touchpads used on [[laptop computer]]s, [[digital audio player]]s, [[cell phones]], and other similar devices.<ref name=Gache/> Some types of plasma ball can radiate sufficient [[radio frequency interference]] (RFI) to interfere with [[cordless telephone]]s and [[Wi-Fi]] devices several feet or some meters away.

If an electrical conductor touches the outside of the ball, [[capacitive coupling]] can induce enough potential on it to produce a small [[electric arc|arc]]. This is possible because the ball's glass acts as a capacitor [[dielectric]]: the inside of the lamp acts as one plate, and the conductive object on the outside acts as the opposite capacitor plate.<ref name=powerlabs/>  This is a dangerous action that can damage the ball or other electronic devices, and presents a fire ignition hazard.<ref name=Gache/>

Perceptible amounts of [[ozone]] can be formed on the surface of a plasma ball. Many people can detect ozone at concentrations of {{val|0.01|-|0.1|ul=ppm}}, which is right below the lowest concentration at which ozone is considered harmful to health. Exposure of {{val|0.1|to|1|ul=ppm}} produces headaches, burning eyes, and irritation to the respiratory passages.

In July 2022, a spark from a plasma globe at the ''[[Questacon]]'' museum in Australia ignited the alcohol-based hand sanitiser that had been applied to a child's hands leaving them with serious burns.<ref>{{cite news |last=Twyford |first=Lottie |date=2024-08-07 |title=Federal government department charged after nine-year-old child's hands allegedly caught fire while touching plasma globe at Questacon |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-07/department-charged-after-child-hands-caught-fire-at-questacon/104194556 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=[[Canberra]] |access-date=2024-08-07}}</ref>