Wireless Technology: why are the known dangers being ignored?

Medical conditions now linked with electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and many other Wireless Devices include:

Autism . Alzheimer’s . Parkinson’s . ADHD . Cardiovascular . Epilepsy . Thyroid Dysfunction . Cancer . Migraine . Arrhythmia . Depression . Insomnia . Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity . Hormone Disruption . Food Allergies . Sterility.

Children are particularly vulnerable.

Brain tumours have overtaken leukaemia as the leading cause of death in children.

This article describes current research in this area and some of the actions you can take to reduce the known risks.

All the independently-funded studies that included long term users have found an association between mobile phone use and an increased risk of brain tumours amongst adults. Some studies have found that people who have used mobile phones for more than a decade have 200% more brain tumours, and only on the side of the head where the user holds the phone.

The evidence for a connection between phone use and cancer is clear and convincing, the more you use mobile or cordless phones and the greater the number of years you have them the greater the risk of brain tumours. There is evidence of other health problems associated with mobile phone use, not just brain tumours. A mobile phone doesn’t just expose the head. Studies indicate that microwave radiation has many other effects on health. These include impaired fertility, pre-natal damage and an increased risk of a range of illnesses, like lymphoma, leukaemia, breast cancer and Alzheimers. Sometimes, the radiation produces short-term symptoms like headaches, nausea, sleep disturbance and depression.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organisation, published a report, reclassifying radiation from mobiles from category 3, with “no conclusive evidence” of causing cancer, to category 2b – a “possible human carcinogen” – along with diesel exhaust, chloroform, jet fuel, lead and DDT.

We are all familiar with electrical power being measured in Watts. For Electromagnetic Radiation the intensity of the radiation is typically measured in terms of the power flowing through each square metre of space. The Watt per square metre is a very large quantity and it is more usual to measure the radiation intensity in microWatts per square metre. ( one microWatts being one millionth of a Watt).

Observed Effects Over a Range of Microwave Power Densities
(measured in micro Watts per square metre, normally abbreviated to μW/m²)

For reference a laptop at half a metre distance radiates typically 22,000 micro Watts per square metre decreasing to 4000μW/m² at one metre.

20    High Blood pressure, digestive problems and fatigue.

600   altered adrenal hormone levels & structural changes in the brain

1000    EEG brainwaves altered.

6,000   cardiac arrhythmia.

10,000   headache, dizziness,irritability,fatigue,insomnia,difficulty breathing.

50,000   biochemical & histological changes in brain, heart, kidney & liver tissue.

80,000    association between increased incidence of childhood leukaemia & mortality.

 

Building Biology Evaluation Guidelines for sleeping areas
(carried out by Safe Living Technology)

Less than 0.1μW/m²   no immediate concerns.

0.1 to 10μW/m²   sensitive individuals may require action.

10 to 1000μW/m²    severe concern (action required as soon as possible).

Greater than 1000μW/m²   extreme concern (immediate and rigorous action required).

 

Note: lower levels are being found to produce problems (not enough research as yet)

Many independent researches suggest long term exposure should be kept below 1000 MicroWatts per square metre in any area.

UK safety level is currently set at an astounding 10,000,000 micro Watts per square metre.

 

Blood-Brain Barrier

In 1975, before mobiles were invented, US neuroscientist Allan Frey surprised the scientific community with a paper describing his work on the blood-brain barrier, the vital protective layer between the brain and our blood supply. The barrier is so protective that normally when blue dye is injected into animals or humans, the body turns blue while the brain remains its natural grey colour. But in Frey’s experiments, microwaves pulsed at certain modulations sent dye leaking into rats’ brains within minutes. Rats have very similar brains to humans. This would mean that the brain’s environment, which needs to be extremely stable for nerve cells to function properly, can be perturbed in all kinds of dangerous ways and exposed to toxins. Subsequent research has expanded and compounded this work. Note the recent concern over protein plaques forming in brain tissue.

Children are more Vulnerable

Research shows that radiation penetrates more deeply into a child’s head and also that children’s thinner skulls absorb much more radiation than an adult’s. A Spanish study found that a single call lasting just two minutes, can alter the natural electrical activity of a child’s brain for up to an hour afterwards. Furthermore, children’s heads are smaller, they have an higher water content, their nervous system and reproductive system is still developing and they have a longer time for latent effects to manifest. For example a five year old absorbs 60% more radiation than an adult, the bone marrow exposure is up to ten times higher than for an adult. Brain tumours have overtaken leukaemia as the leading cause of death in children (5-10% annual rise in paediatric brain tumours).

Another study found that children who had used a mobile phone before they were 20 had five times more chance of getting a brain tumour later in life. That five times greater risk might be the tip of the iceberg because there is every chance the risks increase the longer the phone is used. The increase in risk could turn out to be much greater when the full long-term effects have been studied in the future. Additionally we do not yet know how significant the impact of exposure to other new radiation sources, like cordless phones, wi-fi, Bluetooth, baby listening monitors and games consoles, will be or how the different sources interact in their effect on children’s bodies.

There is every possibility that the use of mobile phones by children and teenagers could be increasing their risks dramatically. Their exposure to microwave radiation is literally millions of times greater than their bodies have evolved to deal with because naturally occurring levels of microwave radiation are negligible. Prior to the first radio transmission across the Atlantic by Marconi in 1901, the only electrical field exposure experienced by humans was static electricity due to electrical storms, which is completely different in nature to radio and microwave frequencies employed in current communication systems. It is as if they are guinea pigs in a global experiment of unprecedented proportions.

The UK Chief Medical Officer has advised against non-essential use of a mobile phone by children. Official NHS advice suggests that children under 12 should only use them in emergencies, because if there is any risk, their thinner skulls and developing brains would make them much more vulnerable to potential damage. The French government has announced it is going to ban advertising of mobile phones aimed specifically at children. Advice from the department of health states “children & young people under 16 should be encouraged to use mobile phones for essential purposes only”, a 2014 update states “ sensitive populations including the developing fetus, infants, children, the elderly, those with pre-existing chronic diseases, and those with developed electrical sensitivity (EHS) must be protected ” . “Wireless laptops & other wireless devices should be strongly discouraged in schools for children of all ages”. Canada and Russia have also advised caution and the Israeli government is considering printing health warnings on phones, as on cigarette packets. Meanwhile, several other countries are considering a total ban of Wi-Fi in schools. Hotspots have been recorded in classrooms equipped with tablet computers which exceed the levels recorded from cell phone masts, which had previously been banned from being located close to schools.

The Council of Europe Resolution 1815 concerning the protection of children 8.3.1, targeted information campaigns aimed at teachers, parents & children to alert them to the specific risks of prolonged use of mobile and other devices emitting microwaves, 8.3.2 ban all mobile phones, DECT phones or WIFI or WLAN systems from classrooms & Schools as advocated by regional authorities, medical associations & civil society organisations.

 

Mobile Phone Manufacturers Response.

Although the phone industry strenuously denies its products have any links to cancer, remember the tobacco companies responding similarly in the past, it covers its back, using small print to counsel holding the phone at least 15mm from the body. BlackBerry’s instructions advise a distance of 25mm and keeping phones away from pregnant abdomens or the abdomens of teenagers. For example Motorola in their phone manual advise that if their phone is worn on the body it must be at least 2.5cm (1 inch ) away from your body when transmitting. Apple states that for body worn operation iPhone 4 radiation levels may exceed the FCC exposure guidelines. When in use for voice calls or wireless data transmission over a cellular network, the device should be at least 1.5cm (5/8 inch) away from your body. Similar advice is given in most mobile phone manuals including ridiculous statements assuring you their device meets FCC guidelines providing it is the only wireless device in your property. Many householders have not only mobile phones, but also cordless DECT phones, wireless broadband, smart meters etc, not to mention the future expansion into the smart home. You might as well sit inside your microwave cooker.

CTIA-The Wireless Association “I want to be clear. Industry has not said once that RF/Microwave radiation is safe”.

Lloyds of London will not cover claims linked with RF/MW radiation. They are among a growing number of similarly unsupportive insurance companies.

 

A Multi-trillion Dollar Industry

The fact is, considering how widespread phones are (some 7 billion mobiles are in use out of a global population of 7 billion) anything that proved they were dangerous would be a highly inconvenient truth. “Mobile phones is an issue we all bury our heads in the sand about,” confirms Denis Henshaw, professor of physics and head of the Human Radiation Effects group at Bristol University. “The first mobile phone technology was rolled out without really any consideration for the long-term effects, just like asbestos and smoking. The government rakes in billions from the technology, in taxes from the mobile phone companies and licensing of the networks. The new generation really doesn’t want to know about any potential ill effects.”
Think of the tobacco companies – says the anti-phone lobby – who concealed the dangers of smoking and the addictiveness of nicotine and supported their position with numerous deceptive studies. Or asbestos producers who hid evidence that the mineral was dangerous even though tens of thousands of workers were dying from exposure.
Mobiles are a multi-trillion-dollar industry, even bigger than pharmaceuticals, and with a sizeable lobbying arm. Nearly every study that’s proven mobiles to be safe has been funded by the industry, though scientists involved in such studies point out funds are usually distributed by neutral bodies, so they have no way of knowing the source.
Scientists who’ve discovered displeasing evidence have spoken about threats being issued to remove funding and pressure put on employers to sack them.

 

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
Abraham Lincoln

 

One Possible Biological Mechanism

A common argument used to deny the existence of biologic and health effects from exposure to low-intensity microwave radiation is that there is no possible biologic mechanism.

Professor Emeritus Martin Pall, PhD, in an hour-long interview describes a biologic mechanism by which the microwave radiation emitted by cell phones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi, wireless baby monitors, smart meters, cell phone towers, and other wireless devices can harm us as well as other species.
Dr. Pall recently published four peer-reviewed papers that explain how exposure to low-intensity (i.e., non-thermal) pulsed electromagnetic fields opens voltage-gated calcium channels in cell membranes allowing excess calcium to penetrate the cells. This increases nitric oxide and superoxide in the cells, leading to production of free radicals, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Potential health effects include cancer, male and female infertility, neurodegenerative disease, neuropsychiatric conditions, and electromagnetic hypersensitivity. In addition, microwave radiation in conjunction with specific chemical exposures may increase autism risk. Dr Pall advocates for the adoption of biologically-based radio frequency standards to replace the obsolete standards which only control for thermal effects that were adopted by the Federal Communications Commission in 1996.

 

Practical things you can do to reduce the risks.

The biological impact of RF radiation has been shown to be be dependent on such factors as cumulative exposure, type of signal modulation employed, intensity (power density), reflection/absorption characteristics of the room, interference effects of multiple sources and related hot spot creation in the room.

Of course there are many easy solutions to reduce the risk from your own microwave frequency devices.
Hardwire your desktop, laptop, printer, camera etc and turn off the wireless option in your router. Only use corded phones, keyboards, mouse and above all do not let the Electricity Supply Company install Smart Meters, they can’t make you have one.

I appreciate it’s impossible to completely eliminate all sources of Electromagnetic Fields and for many people even more difficult to manage without the services they provide. However simple precautions can drastically reduce the risks. In particular the risk is especially high in the bedroom if we leave mobile phones, tablets and the cordless phone base station switched on next to our pillows. Simply because it’s close to our heads for some 8 hours every day. Switch mobile phones and tablets off at night, or put them in aeroplane mode. Alternatively move them outside the bedroom or at least a few metres away from your head.

Putting a little distance between yourself and the emitting device can drastically reduce its damaging effects. This also applies to other devices including the wireless router. Don’t put it in a room you sit in a lot especially near your favourite chair. I have mine in a walk in cupboard on a shelf near the ceiling and the cupboard door is normally closed. This reduces the general level of radiation to quite a low level but being high up still seems to maintain a good connection to my tablet. All other devices are hardwired to the router. It is completely unnecessary to use cordless bluetooth keyboard and mouse connectivity for a device a few cm away from the computer. Don’t stand in front of your microwave cooker watching it cook.

A mobile phone switched on in a motor vehicle will be working on maximum power much of the time trawling for the strongest signal as the distance between cell phone transmission masts is continually changing. Combine that with say four people in the car (a metal box awash with radiation) each having a mobile phone contributing to the standing energy waves and associated hot spots, and you have the worst situation you can imagine. Switch them off!

 

Readings taken in my home using a field strength meter.

My biggest surprise was the very high emission levels from the base unit of the cordless phones. For reference a generally considered safe level may be taken as about one microwatt per square metre in sleeping areas and arguably 10-100μW/m² elsewhere.

Outside room containing base unit, door closed. reading 150μW/m²

Outside room containing base unit, door open. reading 600μW/m²

Approaching 30cm from base station. reading 7,000μW/m²

I did a little research on line and discovered that the base unit of a DECT cordless phone, regardless of the actual distance away from its handsets, transmits continuously 24hrs a day as if they were 300 metres away. This being the range normally quoted by the manufacturer.

I removed all my cordless phones and installed corded phones in their place. This resulted in considerable opposition from phone users in the house requiring freedom of seating position whilst talking on the phone. I eventually reached a compromise and supplemented the corded system with a twinset eco DECT cordless phone made by Siemens, the Gigaset A420 (there may be other similar products available by other manufacturers, this just happens to be the one I purchased.) It does exactly what it claims, I checked it with my Radiation Meter. It radiates nothing until you receive or make a call. Even then it can be set to ECO mode transmitting at only 20% full power which still easily reaches the second phone. So I’m getting there slowly.

Our microwave cooker on 750W power level emits 600,000 μW/m² 30cm (1ft) in front of the door. This of course complies with the ridiculously high British Standard for radiation levels from such devices, despite the growing number of associated cataract cases being reported annually. Even the Russian and Chinese safety level is 100,000μW/m² one sixth of this. Unexpectedly, the microwave radiation levels around the entire kitchen were considerably higher than I had anticipated, measuring 25,000μW/m² even four metres away from the cooker. I’m still working on a solution to this problem.

The field strength 30cm in front of my iPad screen measured 7,000μW/m² and 700μW/m² from the rear of the device. I have so far found no viable way to connect my iPad non-wirelessly, it is dedicated to being a mobile device. Placing the iPad on a metal foil lined tray would protect your delicate parts somewhat but the radiation from the screen is more problematic. A transparent electrostatic screen  was available for cathode ray tube type monitors and may be adaptable for this purpose, I will have to look into this.

I’m in a detached property which reduces radio contamination from my nearest neighbour to practically zero, if you are not so well placed you will have to rely on the signal attenuation provided by the dividing walls or spend a lot of money on RF screening which is not a practical solution open to most people.

I’ve sent a stiff letter to my electricity supplier and they’ve stopped pestering me about fitting smart meters now.

So turn off or distance yourself whenever possible seems like a good motto.

The topic is vast and somewhat controversial. Each of us must weigh the evidence and draw our own conclusions, but in view of the potentially serious consequences err on the cautionary side. It is instructive to consider the manner in which research findings correlate with the source of funding.

Examples of International Microwave Frequency Exposure Limits for comparison.
(Again all values are in micro Watts per square metre for ease of comparison)

Most of Western Europe based on 30 minutes & thermal heating 10,000,000

USA based on 30 minutes & thermal heating   10,000,000

Russia based on 3 hours & biological effects     100,000

China based on 3 hours & biological effects      100,000

European Parliament, Resolution 1815 long term precautionary    106

Germany (Building Biological Guidelines) long term sleeping areas  0.1

The range of what is considered safe covers eight orders of magnitude, Britain and America for example (based on brain frying criteria) is one hundred million times the radiation level advocated as a biological precautionary value in the German Building Guidelines.

Who is right?

There is some light at the end of the tunnel. I read recently of a system currently being developed to communicate with mobile devices, using modulated light from a normal LED light bulb in the luminaries in each of your rooms. It is referred to as LiFi. This has the potential to remove all microwave emissions from your home.

There’s no sense in not avoiding the avoidable and trying to reduce the impact of the unavoidable. Life is dangerous it could kill you in the end.

Keep ducking to avoid those low flying aircraft.

B Kershaw.
Reference sources include:

Personal Internet research.
Measurements taken around my home.
Daily Mail Article.
The Venus Project.
World Health Organisation Publications.
National Health Service.
Building Biology Evaluation Guidelines.
Papers by Alan Frey, Denis Henshaw, professor Martin Pall.
UK department of health.
The Council of Europe Publications.
Various manufacturers of mobile equipment.

If you have any useful ideas on this topic please let me know.