Electro-smog: What it is and how to avoid it

Since the times of the simplest stone tools to today’s quantum computing capabilities, humans have been enthralled with our ability to create technology. And with good reason. From basic stone cutting tools to the steam engine to the internal combustion engine to being able to carry mind-boggling computing power in the palm of our hands, each new advance has brought us greater abundance and connection to the world around us. 

But at what cost?

This article focuses on the ways our current technology is delivered to us, specifically by Electro-Magnetic Fields, or EMFs. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to take anyone’s cell phones or computers away. 

But it is important to realize that we are electrical-magnetic beings and our health is negatively impacted by the EMF soup we are living in. 

This post is designed to give you a basic understanding of where EMFs come from, how they affect us, and most importantly, what we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the damage. 

There are many excellent books that go into much more detail if you want to dive deeper into the fascinating science about this topic and how to protect yourself. I like “The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs: How to Fix our Stupid Use of Technology”.

Some EMFs are natural.

Both the earth and sun generate natural EMFs. Our bodies have evolved with these natural EMFs, of course. So Electro-Magnetic Fields in and of themselves are not bad, per se.

However, man-made EMFs can be much more powerful than the relatively weak ones that the earth, sun and even our own bodies generate. 

Two basic categories of EMFs are:

• Low frequency EMF radiation. They have lower frequencies than visible light and are non-ionizing radiation. Examples include EMFs from microwave ovens, computers, visible light, smart meters, WiFi, cell phones, Bluetooth, power lines, and MRIs.
• High frequency EMF radiation. These have higher frequencies than visible light, and are ionizing radiation. Examples include ultraviolet (UV) light, X-Rays, and Gamma rays.

There is no question that too much exposure to high frequency radiation can create health problems. Too much sun leads to sunburns from prolonged UV exposure. When we go to the dentist for an X-ray, we get the lead blanket to cover us and protect from the potential hazards of X-Rays.

Sunlight in moderate amounts is very healthy for us, and X-rays are an important part of medical care. They are not bad. They just need to be used wisely. 

Health effects of low frequency EMF radiation are more controversial for many reasons:

First, illness due to use of microwave ovens, smart meters, WiFi, cell phones, etc. may take time to show up. The damage takes time to accumulate so it’s harder to pinpoint the cause.

Second, the electronic and telecommunication industries have strong financial interests in consumers not being aware of potential harm from using their products.

Symptoms of Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Sensitivity include:

• Difficulty sleeping; Chronic Fatigue; muscle and joint pain
• Poor memory and concentration; difficulty focusing and learning; tinnitus; ADHD due to Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability. Kids more at risk for these symptoms due to their thinner skulls and smaller/developing brains
• Heart palpitations; headaches; anxiety
• May affect blood sugar levels
• May be a major factor in autism and autism spectrum disorders
• May cause DNA damage that can lead to cancer
• Potential infertility
• May also cause permeability in BBB and gut (leaky gut).The blood-brain barrier is designed to keep toxins out and let nutrients in; when it becomes permeable it allows toxins in to the brain

According to the World Health Organization: “To date, scientific evidence does not support a link between these symptoms and exposure to electromagnetic fields”.

The burden of proof should be on the cell phone and tech industries to prove safety. Instead, these technologies are being used at an accelerating rate and it is up to the consumer to prove harm.

Why are some people more susceptible or sensitive to EMF exposure than others? 

Many of the forms of EMFs discussed in this article are attracted to metal. Many of us have greater loads of heavy metal toxicity in our bodies, due to mercury-amalgam fillings and other factors. 

Another less-discussed reason is due to stress. When we are in chronic fight or flight mode, our body’s ability to detoxify itself is greatly reduced. So the body’s ability to remove these heavy metals can be weakened when in a state of ongoing stress. 

What are the main sources of EMFs in your home, and how do you lower their risks?

1. Smartphones 

Smartphones are a major source of EMF radiation, not only because of the strength of EMF radiation they emit. It’s because most people have a cellphone very close to their bodies nearly the entire day. Most people simply don’t realize how much harm they’re exposing themselves to through a cellphone’s EMF radiation.

Gut bacteria communicate by Electro-magnetic frequencies. Carrying your cellphone in contact with your body can disrupt the healthy gut bacteria balance, leading to a wide array of digestive troubles. 

There is an increasing body of science linking cell phone use to brain tumors, as well as numerous other negative health effects. Even the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies cellphones as possibly carcinogenic to humans

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t sleep with your phone. Turn it off and put it outside your bedroom.
• Keep your cell phone as far away from your body as possible. Avoid putting your phone in your pocket or bra.
• Use airtube headphones or put it on speaker on a table if using it to make a phone call. Use a Corded landline whenever possible, but not a cordless phone! Cordless phones emit very high level of damaging EMFs. 
• Get a Defender Shield for your smart phone. It blocks the EMF radiation from phones. Defender Shields are also also available for your laptop.
• Keep it on airplane as much as possible. Download music or videos to your phone so you can watch them in airplane mode. 
• Airplane mode is especially important when driving in a car. Cellphones emit stronger EMFs when their signal is weak or intermittent, as is often the case when driving and moving from tower to tower for reception. Another factor is that the EMFs are magnified in a car, because they bounce around inside the metal of the car and can’t “escape”.

2. Smart Televisions  

Older technology TVs emitted a lot of EMF radiation. That’s part of why your mom always told you to not sit too close to the TV. (My mom told me that, anyway!) The displays on newer flat-screen TVs actually emit much less radiation. 

“Smart TVs,” or TVs that are capable of connecting to the internet, produce more EMF radiation than old-school  “dumb” TVs. They have WiFi and other near-field communication technologies running non-stop.

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t purchase a TV with Wi-Fi functionality.
• If you own a Smart TV, limit how often you use it. Put as much distance between yourself and the TV as possible. EMF strength decreases with distance. 
• Smart TVs come with serious privacy concerns. Samsung’s voice activation feature, for example, relies on listening and identifying voice commands in order to operate. That’s no surprise. The concern is in their policy that states: “If your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.” 

3. Microwave Ovens

Microwave ovens emit immensely powerful levels of EMF radiation— literally strong enough to cook food! 

A lot of people don’t realize that microwave ovens also leak. Over time, the seal on your microwave door wears down. That added radiation affects you, even when the microwave isn’t working.

How to protect yourself:

• Use your stove or toaster oven instead. Get rid of the microwave. 
• If you do own a microwave oven, have it serviced annually to ensure the seal is as strong as possible.
• Stay far away from the microwave when it’s on. Go to the next room if possible. Seriously. There’s a reason they tell pregnant women not to use them.

4. Computers

Computers, just like cellphones, are problematic because of your length of exposure to them. 

One of the worst ways you can use your computer is by resting it on your lap as you work. Not only does more of your body come in contact with EMF radiation, your reproductive organs get the most exposure, too.

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t rest your computer on your lap. If you must use it on your lap (you probably don’t really need to, but…) purchase a computer pad to block EMF radiation. The Defender Shield is a good one. 
• Don’t use your computer plugged in. Charge it first and then use it unplugged. 
• Make sure your computer’s cord is grounded, ie has three prongs. And it is worth checking that your outlets are properly grounded as well. (More on this point soon.)
• Purchase a USB grounding cord for your computer. This directs some of the EMFs into the ground and away from you. 
• Turn off your computer when you’re not using it.

5. Wi-Fi Devices

Any device connected to a Wi-Fi network or one that generates a Wi-Fi network produce massive amounts of EMF radiation. And, with all the “smart” tech that’s making its way into households, it’s not unusual to have a dozen or more active wireless devices in your home, running non-stop, 24/7.

How to protect yourself:

• The safest approach is to wire your computer with an Ethernet cable. This is far better for your health and a more secure way to use internet. Plus, it’s faster! 
• If you must have Wi-Fi, turn off your routers when you’re not using them. Better yet, unplug them completely. Especially at night. EMFs are particularly problematic for our brains when we are sleeping. The radiation interferes with the brain’s metabolic cleaning process, leading to poor sleep quality and incomplete waste removal from the brain. 
• Avoid keeping routers in the bedroom, or wherever people frequently stay.
• Consider getting a low radiation wifi router.
• Really consider whether you need that new wireless “smart” device. Just for the record, Samsung recommends that people not discuss personal or sensitive matters in from of their Smart TVs, even when turned off. And they are very prone to being hacked.
• Wifi enabled devices are very easy to hack into and troll personal data. 

6. Electrical Wiring

You may not realize it, but electrical wiring in your home gives off EMF radiation. That’s true of all electrical wiring, power lines, and electric appliances. And, in fact, poorly designed or faulty electrical wiring can produce even higher levels of radiation than usual. Electrical wires that are tangled or messy are also higher sources of radiation. 

How to Protect Yourself:

• Stay away from EMF hotspots around fuse boxes and power supplies.
• Turn off your lights and appliances when you’re not using them. Better yet, unplug them. Especially at night. 
• Ensure any electrical extension cords you have do not loop across or get tangled up in each other.
• Consider a “kill switch” to disconnect power to your bedroom for sleeping. This requires installation by a licensed electrician, but can be a tremendous health boon to sensitive people. As mentioned above, our brains are extra susceptible to EMF radiation when we are sleeping. 

7. Dimmer Switches and CFLs

Dimmer switches and Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) are major sources of “Dirty Electricity”. Smart Meters are one of the greatest sources of DE in your home. More about DE below.

How to Protect Yourself:

• Avoid installing dimmer switches or convert dimmer switches to regular on/off switches
• Use incandescent lightbulbs
• If you have a smart meter, ask your utility company to replace it with an analog. 

More about Dirty Electricity: 

These appliances and many more are specifically designed to operate by interrupting the current flow of electricity many times per second. A dimmer switch, for example, works by turning the lightbulb on and off about 120 times per second. The result of this very fast flicker that our eyes can’t detect is a reduction in the intensity of light. “Energy efficient” devices work in much the same way. A CFL saves energy by going on and off at least 20,000 times per second. This may help us save energy, but it also corrupts the electricity. Dirty Electricity causes serious health damage, including 

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Cancer 
• Neurological imbalances 

These are not the only sources of EMFs in the average home. Plumbing and radiant floors are also culprits. If you live in close proximity to neighbors, such as in an apartment building, you are likely being bombarded with their EMFs as well. 

However, if you reduce or eliminate the potential hazards listed above, you will be well on your way to reducing the negative health consequences of the constant EMF radiation we are subjected to. 

But science has proven EMFs are safe. Right? 

With the increase in man-made EMFs that has happened and is continuing to increase at ever-faster speeds, we can rest easy because surely science has unequivocally proven that all these EMFs are perfectly safe. Right?

No.

Science is rarely black and white on any subject. Science is, like the humans performing it, a hot, imperfect mess that hopefully does things right most of the time, but that makes lots of mistakes, changes its mind a lot, wastes time going down dead ends, and has more inner conflict than it would like to admit. 

There are many who say EMFs are perfectly safe and point to studies to “prove” this assertion. Here are some questions to ask to help you discern good science from not-good science:

1. Are the study’s researchers really independent? When it comes to EMFs, about 30% of studies are funded by the wireless industry. Of these industry-funded studies, 27% demonstrate a biological effect resulting from EMF exposure. The other 70% are funded by sources that are presumably more independent. These “independent” studies show biological effects in 68% of the studies. Of course, not all industry-funded studies are “wrong” and not all independent studies are “right”. But it’s something to consider. 
2. What does a study really mean? Media outlets love sensational headlines. In their zeal for ever-higher ratings, they often leave out critical details or even distort the facts of a study. You can’t rely on most media reports and have to dig a little to find out what most studies really conclude. 
3. Is someone “cherry-picking” the data? This is an example of confirmation bias. Industry and government want EMFs to be safe. Therefore, to these groups, every study that shows no link between EMFs and health damage is a sure sign that there’s nothing to worry about. They will ignore any study that shows the opposite. EMF activists who think our current EMF exposure is likely not safe see every study which shows EMFs cause adverse health effects as an “I KNEW IT!” moment. These folks will ignore any study that shows EMFs to be safe.
4. Who’s accountable? 2 critical highlights from the 1996 Telecommunications Act are that Telecom companies cannot be held accountable if a cell phone or tower ever causes negative health effects. And Telecom companies never have to remove any wireless service based on health issues if they stay compliant with FCC guidelines. This means that corporations have zero accountability over the safety of their products. Which wouldn’t be so bad if the safety standards weren’t possibly insufficient, based on faulty assumptions or simply outdated. 

So what are the safety standards?

On August 1st, 1996, the Federal Communication Commission issued their FCC 96-326 policy titled “Guidelines for Evaluating the Environmental Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation”. (Radiofrequency or RF radiation is  atype of EMF.) That’s the last time safety standards were issued. 

In 1996, less than 20% of the US population had a cell phone, smart phones were still more than 10 years away, there were no cell phone towers, few laptops and no tablets, smart TVs, smart meters, or Bluetooth. These guidelines were set at a time that had nothing to do with the world we live in today. 

But smart phones and other wireless devices are rigorously tested for safety before we get to use them, right?

Again, no. 

 Let’s talk about smartphone safety testing. 

1. Read the fine print. Smartphone manufacturers tell you to never hold the phone next to your head or any part of your body. The SAR (Specific Absorption rate of EMF radiation to the brain) increases 10% with each millimeter closer to your head.
2. How do manufacturers determine the SAR? Their favorite dummy, SAM, helps to figure this number out. SAM, or Specific Anthropomorphic Mannequin, really is a dummy. With SAM’s help, the manufacturers determine the maximum amount of radiation a phone can give off. Sounds reassuring, right? Maybe, except:

1. 1. 1. Sam’s head is based on top 10% of military recruits, and is bigger than 97% of cell phone users. 
      2. When SAM uses a cellphone, it’s least 5 mm away from the head and tilted at 15 degrees. And SAM is not talkative: he spends less than 6 minutes on the phone
      3. SAM’s head is filled with water, salt and sugar. Not actual brains like yours and mine.
      4. The researchers measure the heat increase of the water solution after 6 minutes of exposure at the phone’s highest power setting. If the temperature increase is less than 2 celsius or 3.6 F, you’re safe according to the FCC.Why 2 C? Rats whose brain temps increase by that amount stop eating. 

In order to stay within the FCC guidelines and stay “safe” when using a cell phone, do the following:

• Be a big male. 6’2” 220 lbs. Smaller men, women and children will absorb more EMFs
• Always be at least 5 mm from your phone. For some smart phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy 8, the minimum distance is 15 mm.
• Use your phone for only 6 minutes. A DAY. 
• Don’t keep your phone on you. Radiation to bones can affect blood cell production. This could be a major contributing factor in Chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Have a brain of salt water and sugar rather than an actual brain. Real human brains and heads are more complex than salt water. Also, bone marrow, eyes, salivary and other glands absorb more EMF. 

Whew! If you read this far, congratulations. That was a lot of info. And we barely scratched the surface of all there is to know about this far-reaching and growing topic. I didn’t even mention the dangers of 5G technology. I will write a blog post on that topic soon. Stay tuned!