The electrical appliances you use everyday may carry a serious health risk.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Health Reporter Micki Flowers reveals what a local researcher has just discovered.

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We're talking about household appliances most us can't imagine living without, such as blow-dryers, razors, alarm clocks and electrical blankets.

Now a University of Washington researcher has found a certain type of energy emitted from these devices may be damaging your cells.

Mariana Quarnstrom uses her blow-dryer every day.

"Big time savers," said Quarnstrom.

And she has every other modern convenience you can plug in. But new research raises concern that the type of energy emitted from common household appliances may cause harm.

UW bioengineer Henry Lai says in a study of rats continuously exposed for one to two days to the same energy of low-level magnetic fields found in household appliances, he found something major happening in their brain cells.

"One, they caused DNA damage in the cells and second is some of the cells died," said Lai.

And Dr. Lai says cell damage can lead to cancer. And his rat study shows that damage can build up over time.

He says right now scientists can only speculate what that may mean for humans.

"What it means is you expose the hair blower for five minutes today, five minutes tomorrow, it will add up over time and eventually it may cause some kind of health damage," said Lai.

Dr. Lai says until more is known, the best advice is to limit use of appliances used close to the body.

Mariana Quarnstrom agrees. She isn't ready to give up life's conveniences just yet.

"I figure anything in moderation you're proabably okay," she said.

Dr. Lai found something encouraging in his study on rats. Rats that were given vitamin E and melatonin before they were exposed to low-level magnetic fields did not have damage to their brain cell DNA.