Sources of EMF Radiation In Your Car

Over the past decade, automotive technology has advanced rapidly, equipping cars with sophisticated features for convenience, safety, and luxury. Unfortunately, with these technological advancements comes an increase in the radiation danger posed by automobiles.

Many of the modern features in cars, such as Bluetooth, radar, WiFi hotspots, and communication systems, emit substantial amounts of EMF radiation. This applies to all types of vehicles, including gas, diesel, electric, and hybrid cars. These features result in elevated levels of various EMF fields, including electric, magnetic, radio frequency, and dirty electricity.

Additionally, the extensive electrical wirings throughout cars, connecting various components like fuel pumps, ventilation fans, tire pressure sensors, and more, contribute to the density of EMF fields in your car. Prolonged exposure to EMF radiation has been associated with health issues like leukemia and brain tumors.

Furthermore, since 2010, cars have been equipped with various radiofrequency emitting devices, especially electric and hybrid cars. Despite their safety and convenience benefits, these devices emit varying levels of radiofrequency radiation, which has been classified as a potential human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Studies have shown associations between RF radiation and increased risks of tumors and other health problems.

EMF Radiation from Car Batteries

Car batteries, particularly in electric and hybrid vehicles, are another powerful source of EMF radiation. Unlike gas and diesel cars that only require batteries to ignite the engine, electric cars rely on batteries for almost all functions. The position of these batteries is a major concern, as they are often placed close to the driver and passenger’s seat, resulting in increased exposure to EMF radiation.

Electric cars use AC batteries instead of the conventional DC batteries found in most gas and diesel vehicles. AC batteries produce considerable electromagnetic fields, which, with long-term exposure, could trigger health problems in humans. Charging electric vehicles also produces significant amounts of dirty energy, leading to inflammatory responses in humans.

Although electric and hybrid vehicles may expose you to higher levels of EMF radiation, gas and diesel cars are not entirely free from EMF exposure. Various components such as alternators, fuel pumps, spark plugs, turning motors, batteries, and wires contribute to some level of EMF radiation. The accumulation of these emissions can have adverse effects on human health, including impacts on male fertility.

Protecting Yourself from EMF Radiation in Your Car

Considering the prevalence of EMF radiation in cars, regardless of the type, it’s crucial to take measures to protect yourself and your loved ones. While it’s challenging to completely avoid driving cars, you can reduce your exposure and minimize potential health risks.

Types of Vehicles and Their EMF Radiation Levels

The type of car you drive can significantly influence your level of EMF radiation exposure. Factors such as the type of car battery and proximity to technological devices like GPS systems play a role in determining the exposure level. Let’s explore the differences between electric cars, hybrid cars, and self-driving cars to understand your exposure better and identify ways to mitigate it.

Electric and Hybrid Cars: Potential Cancer Risks

Research on the EMF radiation from electric and hybrid cars has yielded conflicting results, largely due to industry-funded studies with vested interests. However, numerous peer-reviewed laboratory studies over the years have shown biologic effects from limited exposures to ELF EMF, suggesting that the current guidelines established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) might be inadequate.

Magnetic fields have been classified as “possibly carcinogenic” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer since 2001. Therefore, it’s crucial to apply the precautionary principle and design consumer products, especially hybrid and electric automobiles, to minimize consumers’ exposure to ELF EMF.

Proposed Manufacturing Guidelines for Safer Electric Vehicles

In January 2014, SINTEF, the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, proposed manufacturing design guidelines to reduce magnetic fields in electric vehicles. All automobile manufacturers should adopt these guidelines to prioritize their customers’ safety.

Advocating for More Research and Better Regulation

Given the potential health risks associated with EMF radiation from cars, it’s essential to demand adequate funding for high-quality research on electromagnetic fields, independent of industry influence. A well-funded research and education initiative could make a significant impact on public health. Governments must take the initiative to ensure our safety.

The Link Between EMF Radiation and Human Health

To understand the potential impact of EMF radiation from your car, it’s essential to delve deeper into its relationship with human health. While EMF radiation is invisible and intangible, it can have tangible effects on the human body.

EMF Radiation and Cancer Risk

One of the most concerning aspects of EMF radiation is its potential link to cancer. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” based on some studies that suggest a possible association with certain types of cancer.

A study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) in the United States found evidence of clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in male rats exposed to radiofrequency radiation. However, the results were not entirely conclusive for female rats or mice.

Similarly, the aforementioned Yale study found an elevated thyroid cancer risk in people exposed to radiofrequency radiation, similar to the type of radiation emitted by cell phones. Moreover, research published in the International Journal of Oncology suggests that exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields can affect gene expression and may have implications for cancer development.

While the evidence is not yet definitive, it highlights the importance of adopting precautionary measures to minimize EMF radiation exposure.

Other Health Concerns

In addition to cancer risk, EMF radiation has been associated with other health concerns, although more research is needed to establish definitive causation. Some of the potential health issues linked to EMF radiation exposure include:

1. Neurological Effects: Studies have suggested that EMF exposure may influence the nervous system, potentially affecting cognitive functions, memory, and sleep patterns. However, further research is required to establish clear links.
2. Reproductive Health: Some research has indicated a possible association between EMF radiation and adverse effects on male fertility, such as reduced sperm count and motility. While more studies are needed, the findings are concerning and warrant further investigation.
3. Electrosensitivity: A small percentage of the population claims to experience electrosensitivity, a condition characterized by various symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating, which they attribute to EMF exposure. However, scientific evidence supporting the existence of electrosensitivity remains limited and inconclusive.
4. Childhood Leukemia: Some studies have reported a potential link between exposure to EMF radiation, particularly magnetic fields, and an increased risk of childhood leukemia. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified extremely low-frequency magnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” based on this research.

It is important to note that while these associations are noteworthy, more research is needed to establish conclusive evidence and better understand the mechanisms through which EMF radiation may affect human health.

The Importance of Safe EMF Exposure Levels

While it is challenging to entirely eliminate EMF radiation from our lives, it is essential to strive for safe exposure levels. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) sets guidelines for EMF radiation exposure to ensure public safety. However, these guidelines have faced criticism for potentially being inadequate to protect against long-term, low-level exposure.

Some experts argue that EMF exposure guidelines should be more conservative, given the possibility of cumulative effects over time. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of researching the potential health impacts of exposure to multiple sources of EMF radiation simultaneously.

As the global reliance on technology continues to grow, governments and regulatory bodies need to prioritize funding for independent research into EMF radiation’s health effects. It is crucial to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure that research findings guide the development of more robust safety standards.

Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones

While comprehensive research is ongoing, taking precautionary measures to limit EMF radiation exposure can contribute to overall well-being. Here are some practical steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones:

1. Minimize Cell Phone Use: Use hands-free options and keep your phone away from your body when not in use. Avoid sleeping with your phone near your head.

2. Maintain Distance: When using electronic devices, maintain a safe distance, especially during prolonged use. This includes laptops, tablets, and other devices emitting electromagnetic fields.

3. Create EMF-Free Spaces: Designate certain areas in your home as EMF-free zones where electronic devices are not allowed, such as bedrooms or relaxation areas.

4. Use Wired Connections: Whenever possible, opt for wired connections over wireless connections to reduce exposure.

5. Shielding and EMF Harmonizers: Consider using EMF shielding products or harmonizers, such as Airestech Lifetune devices, to minimize exposure to harmful EMF radiation.

6. Educate Yourself: Stay informed about the latest research and developments regarding EMF radiation and its potential impacts on health. Being well-informed can help you make better choices.

7. Advocate for Safety: Support initiatives that call for more research on EMF radiation and advocate for stronger safety regulations to protect public health.

Conclusion

As our lives become increasingly intertwined with technology, understanding the potential health risks associated with EMF radiation is paramount. EMF radiation from cars, cell phones, and various electronic devices may pose health concerns, and while the evidence is still evolving, taking precautionary measures to reduce exposure is advisable.

Remember that minimizing EMF radiation exposure not only benefits your health but also helps create a safer environment for everyone. Stay informed, take proactive steps to protect yourself and your loved ones, and advocate for research and safety standards that prioritize public health and well-being in the digital age.

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The inventor of the zapper was Hulda Clark. Hulda Clark created this small machine that you can carry around and was powered by a 9V battery.

People claimed all kinds of benefits from the zappers. I tried it approximately two years ago and I felt better. But the zapper was really limited.

It had only three frequencies that you can use to target your body.

I was researching further. I came across a term called rifing. The inventor or rifing was a guy called Royal Rife. 

He invented this amazing microscope with which he could observe all the viruses, bacteria, fungi etc. under extremely high magnification.

They claim that people destroyed his microscope and we were not able to create something stronger to observe all these small creatures today.

So that is the whole dilemma that his enemies destroyed his microscope so he was not able to develop his frequency healing further.

Apparently, pharmaceutical companies were afraid of a theory like that would be widely used all over the world. Maybe that was true or not, who knows.

By observing all the small creatures under the microscope he was able to find out which frequencies kill specific bacteria, viruses, fungi etc.

But without a microscope, his theory would just die.

At least that is what his enemies thought. He created this list of thousands of frequencies before he died where he noted which frequency kills which bacteria, virus etc.

That is how the rifing started. The rife machines today are pretty expensive.

We’re talking about the machines where you are able to target your body with a specific frequency. But like I said these rife machines are really expensive.

Spooky rife 2 experience

After buying zapper and reading about Royal Rife I found out about the spooky rife machine. It was affordable and I bought it.

So here is the video I just made where to show you how spooky rife 2 machine works and how I use it.

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I have to tell you that my eyesight suddenly worsened 15 years ago. That day, I just felt my vision is really worsened. And I know why. I was really sensitive to EMF radiation from old cathode monitors. You know the old bulky monitors there came out before LCD monitors.

Each time I watched something on that monitor, my throat hurt. I became angry. My eyes itched, burned, and I will not even mention other things. I am also EMF measuring expert, so I know how EMF can be dangerous. Especially old cathode monitors because they emitted a really different kind of EMF fields. However, I don’t want to get into that in this article.

I am just posting this result I got from doc, and I have been avoiding those monitors ever since. My eyesight basically did not worsen. I avoided those big monitors like a plague. I replaced it with LCD later, that saved me. Before that I could not work on a computer for more than 30 minutes. However, with LCD, I can be on my laptop all day long.

Basically, nobody uses those monitors anymore, only if your boss is a cheap bastard, or if you work in government, you might still have to use those prehistoric monitors. I suggest buying a LCD yourself. They are cheap as dirt these days.

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Be careful. I am posting 2 videos, part 1 and part 2. Enjoy. Coming soon more videos!!!!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovfviS6rZIQ&feature=player_embedded
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ7tbP6futE&feature=player_embedded

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4th November 2003

Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) and Bluetooth

We are very concerned about the use of WLANs in internet cafés, hotels, schools, colleges and other public and private places. These emit a constant stream of pulsing low-level microwaves that we believe will cause some people to experience adverse health effects.

Each computer that logs onto the WLAN network also emits pulsing microwaves so that in a classroom or an internet café the background electropollution level rises considerably. Here is a personal story from a UK medical doctor (we have full contact details): “Last July, out of the blue I developed a disruption to my heart rhythm. As a qualified Doctor I considered possible causes, such as caffeine intake, tiredness, high blood pressure, or the onset of menopausal symptoms. Being slight of frame, with normal to low blood pressure and excellent general health, I reasoned the ectopic beats and variable pulse rate would probably go away with a reduction in my tea and coffee, and a little rest. Over the next 6 weeks, the arrhythmia continued to the point where I was aware of it for the majority of the day. I also experienced disturbance to my sleep, waking in the early hours and then being unable to fall asleep again. From the tightness of my upper chest I knew I was not getting enough oxygen. I was very reluctant to consult my GP, aware of the investigations it would initiate, and also of the many drugs in the armoury for treating arrhythmias with their multitude of side effects. There was no precipitating factor I could identify that would afflict a fit 49 year old, with no pre-existing heart or respiratory problems, in this way. On the verge of making an appointment with my GP, I linked the onset of my symptoms to our acquisition of a laptop with a wireless modem (NET GEAR and is a Wireless ADSL Modem Gateway DG824M) situated in the hallway. This “base station” had been transmitting microwaves 24 hours/day at a frequency of 2.4GHz, extending to a radius of 150 feet. These (and similar) are being placed in the foyers of airports, and hotels, in GP’s surgeries, coffee shops and student halls of residence, so individuals can use their laptops with the minimum of fuss. We disconnected the wireless base station, replacing it with a fixed line. Within 3 weeks I was totally free of any abnormality as detected by pulse or symptoms, my sleep settled back to normal, as did my energy.

On consideration, during the summer others in my family of 5 have been abnormally fatigued with disturbed sleep patterns. My 18 year old daughter had an episode of extreme dizziness lasting a whole day after close contact with the transmitter. My 22 year old son similarly experienced vomiting and vertigo, disabling him for a day after spending 2 hours within feet of the apparatus.

If this is how it affects a healthy family of adults over a short period of time, what will be the consequences on a cross-section of the general population, let alone those with heart problems or pacemakers, the pregnant and the young? What is the real price of convenience?

F.F. MB ChB”

According to various European groups (e.g. FEB) for the electrically sensitive, some people are disturbed by pulsing microwave fields as low as 0.01 volts per metre. The recent Dutch Government funded TNO study into base station signals (see www.powerwatch.org.uk website for details) found that there were statistically significant cognitive and adverse well-being changes in ‘ordinary’ people subjected to just 20 minutes exposure of 1 volt/metre of 3G base station signal. A typical minimum ‘safety factor’ would be 10, so that means a precautionary maximum of 0.1 volts per metre or less. WLAN nodes typically emit either up to 100 mW or 500 mW. To keep to a maximum of 0.1 V/m would mean keeping at least (respectively) 17 or 40 metres away from the node. This is usually impractical.

WLAN cards in computers (including laptops with built in WLAN capability) typically emit 1 to 2.5 mW. This will exceed the suggested 0.1 V/m precautionary maximum of pulsing microwaves for over one metre around the computer and produce up to 1 V/m at 40 cm from the keyboard and screen where the person (e.g. school pupil) will be working. Any classroom with 10, or so, WLAN computers will be awash with a sea of pulsing microwave pollution. Sensitive people will be adversely affected.

The Swedish FEB website ( www.feb.se ) gives some details of the problems of electrosensitivity (ES). From the few formal scientific investigations that have been done into this it appears that people who are sensitive to other things (e.g. chemicals, pollen, noise, etc) are also more likely to sensitive to electromagnetic fields. They suggest that between 3% and 10% of people exhibit symptoms of electrosensitivity (undiagnosed as to their cause in most cases).

Typical problems include headaches, loss of concentration, attention deficit, hyperactivity, poorly functioning immune system, unusual levels of fatigue and general lack of well-being as defined by the World Health Organisation.

We do not have a problem with traditional wired LAN networks (e.g. Ethernet, etc), and that is what we strongly recommend is installed in schools and colleges. However, increasingly, organisations are installing WLANs as they see them as cheaper (because fixed wiring is not necessary) and more versatile as one fixed node can often cover several classrooms and pupils can carry their WLAN enabled laptops from class to class. If schools plan their internet and intranet (the schools local network) access sensibly it should not be necessary to have large numbers of networked computers in most classrooms.

It is often said that most teenagers have and use their own mobile phones. This is true, but it is also against current UK Government Department of Health advice for under 16 year olds. We also believe that mobile phone use is affecting the behaviour and attention span of young people, though there have not been formal scientific studies into this. Two scientific studies have shown cognitive changes in people using mobile phones – it has acted as a brain activity stimulant in the short term (one 20 minute exposure), but concerns were expressed than ongoing stimulation could well produce adverse effects in the longer term. However most youngsters mainly use their handsets for sending and receiving SMS text messages and so have only occasional exposure. Sitting for several periods a day in a room of WLAN enabled computers is a much more serious chronic exposure.

If schools insist on installing wireless networks, then we say that is essential that teaching and care staff are formally warned to look out for adverse changes among pupils and a formal reporting system implemented so that the school keeps records of any perceived adverse effects.

We also strongly recommend that there should be extra classrooms set aside where pupils who are sensitive to pulsing microwave electropollution may work free from the polluting WLAN connected laptops and wall or ceiling mounted WLAN nodes. It is NOT adequate just to place them in one corner of the classroom – they will still be irradiated to an unacceptable level.

The following table showing increasing levels of concern (similar to guidance for WLAN frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz). The “equivalent speed” is for easy comparison with the Salzburg 1998 Guidance.

1800 MHz (1.8 GHz) Public Exposure Guidelines Equivalent

c.f. speed

(abbreviated table) uW/m2 Volts/m m.p.h.

ICNIRP (1998), WHO 9 000 000 58 2847

Italy, Russia, PRChina, Switzerland, Lichtenstein 100 000 6 300

Belgium (Wallonia), Luxembourg 24 000 3 147

Italy (single frequency), Salzburg 1998 (sum GSM) 1 000 0.6 30

EU-Parl, GD Wissenschaft, STOA GSM (2001) 100 0.2 9

Salzburg GSM/3G etc outside houses (2002) 10 0.06 3

Salzburg GSM/3G etc inside houses (2002) 1 0.02 1

Buergerforum BRD proposal, waking areas (1999) 1 0.02 1

Written by Alasdair Philips, Director of Powerwatch.

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AC electric fields are produced by the presence of an AC voltage. For example the 120 volt power lines that run through the walls, floors and ceilings, of a building. AC (alternating current) electric fields are the energization of the space surrounding live electric wires. These fields are present even when electricity is not being used. AC electric fields are produced continuously by the electrical wires in your home or office. They affect the area directly surrounding any live wire electrical wire. They decrease in strength as the distance from the source increases and can be measured by low frequency electric field analyzers which measures in volts/meter. Electric fields are attracted to the human body and can be measured as an AC voltage on the body, “Human Body Voltage”. With the use of a hand probe and a “Body Voltage Meter Kit” the exposure levels can be determined. The fields can be controlled by detecting and eliminating the source and by shielding.

AC Magnetic Fields

AC Magnetic fields are caused by the imbalance of line current in electrical wiring or the presence of a magnetic field caused by an electrically induced electromagnetic field. AC (alternating current) magnetic fields are the energization of the space around electric current flow. These fields are caused by an AC electric current flow. They affect the immediate area around the source and decrease in strength as the distance from the source increases. They can be measured with low frequency magnetic field analyzers or Gauss Meters which measure in milli-gauss or nano-tessla. The fields can be controlled by detecting and eliminating the source. Shielding is difficult.

Radio Frequency Waves (RF)

RF Radiation travels easily through air and is emitted from all wireless communication devices. This includes cell phone/microwave transmission towers, cell phones, cordless phones, wireless internet connections and more. RF radiation is wide spread and continuously emitted from each local communication towers 24 hours a day. Exposure can be measured with High Frequency RF analyzers that measure in microwatts per square meter. Once exposure levels and the direction of the sources is determined, shielding can de implemented.

House Wiring EMF and Power Line EMF – Emission of Radiation

Adverse Health effects from House Wiring EMF

The use of electricity comes with a price, but we do not want to pay with our health. In today’s high-tech world, electricity is a necessity. It makes life convenient, fun and provides us with essential energy to survive in our environmental climate. However, there are some negative affects. With the mere presence of electricity, we unsuspectingly expose ourselves to invisible fields of varying intensities. Electric and Magnetic Fields are radiated from all electrical wiring in our walls and electronic equipment, even when the equipment is turned off. When the human body is exposed to these fields, changes begin to occur at cellular levels and biological changes will result. In the average home, exposure levels and length of exposure is quite high. Awareness and reduction of these fields are vital. Adverse health effects are caused from the presence of electricity.

Power Line EMF and the generation of electricity

Electricity is generated in a power plant (water, nuclear or coal fire), then transformed into high voltage electricity. Once transformed, it is distributed to a substation via high voltage distribution lines. From substation to substation the voltage is reduced in increments until it reaches your fuse box. In generating and distributing electricity, electric and magnetic fields are created. Under high voltage power lines both fields are extremely high but decrease with distance. Governments around the world have created laws and guidelines to limit the distance that high voltage power lines are from buildings. Most people admit they would not want to live under a high voltage power line, for obvious reasons. Something not so obvious is the fact that the same condition exists within all buildings. A structure can be located many miles from high voltage power lines but can still contain high electric and magnetic fields. This is because our walls, ceilings and floors contain dozens of live power lines that continually provide electricity to our appliances, lights and receptacles. Similar to the high voltage power lines, live electrical wires and equipment in our homes constantly emit high electric and magnetic fields.

The US and Ontario Government, as well as US, Canadian and European Universities have studied these fields for many years. The findings are alarming.

1979 ( Wertheimer ) USA
1992 ( Ahlbom and Feychting ) Sweden
1995 ( Reif ) Colorado State University
DR. Miller ( Hydro Ontario ) University of Toronto

How can you protect yourself from EMF?

Demand Switches

Many studies have proven that constant exposure to electrical and magnetic fields, emitted by all electrical wiring in the walls, can be detrimental to our health. In our rapidly growing high-tech world the number of sources of electric and magnetic fields is constantly increasing. We must be cautious. Just like allergies often develop from over exposure to seemingly harmless substances, more of us are finding that we are becoming sensitive to electric and magnetic fields.

Biologists and other specialists in the field agree that we must be cautious of where we sleep. Some of the highest level electric and magnetic fields are found in our bedrooms. Wiring for downstairs lighting, upstairs receptacles, lighting and fans commonly run through the ceilings, walls and floors of our bedrooms. This wiring constantly radiates electric fields, even when everything is switched off.

The typical bedroom has bedside lamps, clock radios, electric blankets, VCR’s, televisions etc… On average we spend approximately 1/3 of our life in this room. While we sleep our body grows and tries to repair itself. During this process thousands of electrical impulses are occurring in our bodies and it is crucial that we have an interference free environment for this to take place.

Currently, our beds are surrounded by a curtain of electric and magnetic fields caused by the mere presence of A/C (Alternating Current) in our wiring, even when everything is switched off. Sleep is the time when our body repairs itself. If the body is exposed to electric and magnetic radiation during this time, the immune system will be suppressed and prevent the natural repair process from occurring. EMF Safety is a concern.

Automatic Demand Switches work quite simply by shutting off the electricity at the fuse box. For example, if a switch is installed on a lighting circuit in the bedroom, the switch will automatically sense when the last light on that circuit is turned off at night. At this point the automatic switch has determined there is no demand for electricity and turns off the electricity at the fuse box. Therefore there is no voltage present in the wires beyond the fuse box, eliminating electric fields on this wiring circuit. This is a simple yet 100% effective method of protection from electric fields emitted by this lighting circuit. With the demand switch installed, our cells will be able to repair themselves naturally as we sleep.

In the morning, when you awake and switch on the lights, the Automatic Demand Switch senses a demand for electricity and automatically restores electricity to this circuit for normal operation. In most cases, the demand switch is the most effective way of eliminating unwanted electric fields in the bedroom.

The Remote Control Demand switches’ purpose is the same as the automatic switch except that it is a manual switch, not automatic. One physically needs to press a button on a remote control to turn off the circuit. The remote control unit is used to turn the electricity on and off at the fuse box. This can be done conveniently at bedtime without leaving the comfort of your bedroom. This is recommended primarily for use on circuits that have electronic devices that constantly require electricity to operate even, when switched off, for example, TV, stereo, clock radio etc. The automatic disconnection switch is not designed for these types of electronic devices. The remote control demand switch can be used in conjunction with relays to control multiple circuits if necessary.

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Kevin Byrne is a man in the prime of his life who feared he had an old man’s problems. Last summer, he was devastated by chronic back pain and thought his hips were about to give out.”I’m thinking, gee, I’m 47 years old and I’m going to need hip replacements already,” he said.
The hip pain was the beginning of a strange personal odyssey for Mr. Byrne, a technical writer who lives in Newcastle, a bedroom community east of Toronto. He is now convinced his ailment wasn’t a sign of premature aging, but an allergy to one of modern society’s ubiquitous substances: electricity.

No one knows how many people are sensitive to electricity. Scientific debate is intense over whether the condition exists or is a figment of people’s imagination. Some estimates place the number afflicted at a handful out of every million. Others view it as more common but still a tad unusual, perhaps a few individuals out of every thousand.

Mr. Byrne counts himself among those unlucky few. He began researching the topic when a neighbour expressed the belief that electricity was dangerous. In an act of desperation brought on by constant pain, he did something he initially thought was off-the-wall. He spent $1,000 on filters that, much like surge protectors on a computer, clean up fluctuations and surges in the electricity flowing in the wires around his home.

“When you’re in a lot of pain, you’ll do just about anything. So I was sort of grasping at non-medical straws,” he said. “I didn’t think they would work, to tell you the truth. I thought I was probably wasting my money.”

But within a couple of days, after months of pain for which his doctor could find no cause, he started feeling fine again. “I said to my wife, ‘This has got to be the placebo effect,’ ” he said, referring to the well-known medical phenomenon of patients reporting that they are cured of illnesses after being given a sugar pill doctors suggest will help them.

Mr. Byrne also noticed another odd health effect after he cleaned up his power, convincing him that electricity was at the root of his problems. Both he and his wife suddenly began to sleep more soundly and his dreams became “incredibly real and very vivid.”

Stories such as Mr. Byrne’s are not isolated tales. In fact, they’re becoming increasingly common, rising in lockstep with homes filled to the brim with electronic gadgets and the proliferation of wireless technologies.
Symptoms of electrical sensitivity include the joint pain Mr. Byrne experienced, but also a bewildering array of other common problems most everyone feels at one time or another, such as fatigue, headaches, poor sleep quality with frequent wakefulness, ringing in the ears, depression, difficulty remembering things, and skin rashes. The list of symptoms has created speculation that some cases of sick building syndrome, where people working in buildings complain of nausea and headaches, might be due to electrical sensitivities.

Madga Havas, an associate professor at the Environmental Studies Department of Trent University who is an expert on the health claims about electricity, says she receives “almost a call a day” from people who say electricity is making them ill and they can’t find help in the medical system. “It’s not just from Canada. It’s usually from the States as well,” she says.

She thinks the condition is more widespread than commonly thought, and speculates that for some people, exposure to electricity causes physiological stress, producing symptoms of tiredness, difficulty concentrating and poor sleep.

The possibility of such a widespread health impact from electricity is greeted with skepticism in the electricity industry, where such an effect would have wide-ranging consequences.

“We don’t have support to suggest that there is electro sensitivity in members of the population,” says Jack Sahl, a manager of safety and environmental issues at Southern California Edison, a large U.S. electricity provider.

The industry position has been bolstered by studies showing that most of those who say they have allergies to electricity are unable consistently to detect the presence of electric currents in laboratory experiments.
Medical authorities and scientific researchers have consequently been baffled over these wide-ranging claims of ill health, not only in Canada and the United States but in Britain and other European countries. In Sweden, the electrically sensitive are so numerous they have established their own self-help and lobby group.

Those with the condition bristle at suggestions their symptoms are imaginary. “This is not psychosomatic at all. . . . We’re not delusional,” says Susan Stankavich, who lives near Albany, N.Y., and says her problems developed after a large cell phone tower was erected near her home. She’s had debilitating headaches, among other symptoms, and can barely tolerate being under fluorescent lights.

Reacting to this rising tide of claims of a new illness, the World Health Organization issued a fact sheet in December on the allergies, which it dubbed “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” and likened it to multiple chemical sensitivities.

The WHO says the “symptoms are certainly real” and “can be a disabling problem for the affected individual.”

Reports about sensitivity to electricity began with the introduction of computers, predating the recent spread of Wi-Fi and cell phone towers, which release a related but more powerful type of electromagnetic energy than that produced around electric wires.

There have been long-running concerns about the possible health effects of electricity because it is a source of both electric and magnetic fields, invisible lines of force that surround all power lines and any power-consuming device, from the lowly kitchen toaster to a computer. Electric fields are always present near power wires and appliances, even when devices are turned off, but magnetic fields are generated only when devices are on.

The nerves in living things work on electrical impulses. So do other biological processes, such as the voltages in hearts detected using electrocardiographs. This has given rise to worries that man-made electricity fields, to which humans were never exposed before the modern era, might be biologically active, just like chemical pollutants.

The WHO has been looking at electrical sensitivity as one aspect of a larger investigation into the health effects of the *censored*tail of electromagnetic fields enveloping people in modern societies via everything from power lines to cell phones. It says that exposure to electromagnetic fields represents “one of the most common and fastest growing environmental influences, about which there is anxiety and speculation spreading.”

Until now, most of the medical researchers looking at electricity and health have searched for links to cancer, rather than the fatigue-related symptoms the electrically sensitive claim.

The cancer research has linked childhood leukemia to power-line magnetic fields. About 5 per cent of the U.S. population is regularly exposed to fields of the strength associated with leukemia in children, a percentage that is probably similar in Canada. For adult leukemia and brain tumours, some studies have found links to electricity, as they have with Lou Gehrig’s disease, but the research is less conclusive than that for childhood leukemia.

Richard Stevens, an epidemiologist at the University of Connecticut Health Center, has been studying electricity for nearly two decades, and first advanced the hypothesis that the use of electricity is a factor behind the rise in some cancer rates in developed countries. He says there is strong evidence linking the use of night lighting to cancer because exposure to light at night disrupts people’s production of the hormone melatonin.

But he’s unsure what impact the fields around electric wiring and devices might be having. Some studies have found that magnetic fields suppress melatonin in animals, something that might explain the allergy-like symptoms, but this effect hasn’t been observed in humans. “Whether or not magnetic fields have any effect at all, I do not know,” Dr. Stevens says.

The allergy-like symptoms are a far different medical condition than the cancers Dr. Stevens studies, and some researchers are speculating that a possible culprit is the recent deterioration in the quality of electricity flowing in power wires.

Power quality is a well-known problem in the utility business, caused by the proliferation of computers, lighting dimmer switches, energy efficient bulbs, and other modern electronic gadgets. These new devices cause a more complicated use pattern for electricity than old-fashioned items such as incandescent bulbs, producing negative feedback involving high-frequency peaks, harmonics and other noise on electric wiring.

The way to picture the quality effect is to imagine that electricity is like water flowing in a pipe. An incandescent bulb uses electricity steadily, just like an open tap allows a constant flow into the sink. Computers and other modern devices use power in variable amounts, similar to turning the tap on and off, or any setting in between, causing water pipes to clang.

This deterioration in power quality has been going on for years and would have likely escaped public notice, except that when home computers became popular in the 1990s they would frequently crash or malfunction because of it.

The change in power quality means more variable electromagnetic fields, and possibly more biologically active ones, are associated with electricity than there used to be. This is a possible explanation for the rise in electro sensitivity complaints in the view of Denis Henshaw, a professor at the University of Bristol in Britain, who is an international authority on the health effects of power transmission lines.

He says that if electricity were flowing in a constant way, most people’s bodies would likely adapt, but with all the interference from modern devices, the resulting fields are too variable for people to get used to. “We just don’t get to adapt to these because they don’t have any special pattern to them,” he said. “There is no proof of this, it’s just an opinion.”

In Canada, Dr. Havas has been investigating whether the deterioration in power quality has led to sensitivity. To this end, she’s been installing filters that clean up the interference on electrical wires to see if people notice.
In 2003, she installed filters in a Toronto private school where a student was electrically sensitive for a six-week test, three weeks with the devices and three weeks without them. Half of the teachers who responded to her questionnaire said they felt health improvements, such as being able to concentrate better and feeling less tired, when the filters were in place. Even more unusual, the teachers, who were not told what the research was about, reported that 60 per cent of their classes showed improvements in student behaviour when the filters were installed.

Based on this finding, Dr. Havas estimates that perhaps half of the population may have some sensitivity to electricity. In another test, she installed filters in the homes of people with multiple sclerosis, a disease that might be reactive to electricity because it is associated with poor sheathing on nerves. Brad Blumbergs, 29, says his MS improved so much last year that he could walk without shaking and could even run again. “It allows me to retire my cane,” he said. “It hasn’t cured me, but my symptoms are a percentage of what they used to be,” Mr. Blumbergs said.

Dr. Havas has presented some of these findings at scientific conferences on electro sensitivity, but the work hasn’t appeared in the gold standard of research, the peer-reviewed scientific journals that would confer more legitimacy on the results.

The utility industry’s Mr. Sahl is skeptical about efforts to improve power quality, which generally cost about $1,000 to handle one home, and calls them a “waste of money.”
He agrees that the action may make some people feel better, but only because they’re affected by the power of suggestion and not by the power of electricity. “I hate to be blunt about it, but there is this well-established effect in science and we’ve studied it over and over and it’s called the placebo effect.”

That doesn’t ring true to Mr. Byrne. He says his sensitivity might have been prompted by his decision last year to conserve energy by replacing much of his home’s simple incandescent lighting with high-efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs, some brands of which cause the power-quality problem.

He’s become so convinced that electricity can make people sick that he’s set up a website, offering tips to fellow sufferers on how to alleviate their symptoms, such as urging them to throw out their dimmer switches and limiting exposures to electronic gadgets. When it comes to electricity, Mr. Byrne says, “I think people should automatically begin changing their lifestyles.”

Source: Theglobeandmail

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A British government expert panel recently recommended that children should refrain from using mobile telephones. In December this year, there will be leaflets warning mobile phone buyers about the uncertainty over mobile phone’s potential health risks. This might prove a very sound measure. But why is it that the Swedish or the Finnish governments, usually progressive and eager to prohibit harmful substances, have said nothing about the possible dangers of microwaves and mobile phones? Why so quiet on the northern front?

The answer is simple. The British health warnings could simply not have been issued in Nokia and Ericsson country. Stockholm is becoming the wireless capital of the world and American companies are establishing a foothold there. The new generation mobile phones are here and three times as many antennas as there are today, are about to be built. It is therefore politically impossible to say anything that remotely threatens the mobile phone industry, the golden goose that brings so much prosperity to industry and government. But mobile phones might one day become a BSE crisis.

The Swedish Council for Work Life Research is a central government agency for the long-term planning and funding of research and development. In 1997 it was asked by the government to make an inventory of EMF -related health risks. The final report was presented November 30, 2000. Two of the three individuals who prepared this report(Lena Hillert and Ulf Bergqvist) have industry connections. They are ”scientific consultants” to Swedish Telecom mobile phone operator, Telia and therefore hardly unbiased.

The report presented on the website www.ralf.se gives mobile phones a clean bill of health. The report also incorrectly claims that the general public is not particularly worried about health risks from mobile phones. Some smaller groups however, the report states, are concerned about EMF health risks. The following wording is interesting ”…this concern can itself be a health problem and should be dealt with”. This sounds very ominous indeed and is reminiscent of Soviet style thought management. Do they mean that everyone concerned about EMF health problems, including the authors of the British government report recommending caution with the use of mobile phones, are themselves a health problem and should be ”dealt with”? That kind of wording one might find in industry lobby group memos, not in a report from a government agency. Compared to the British report, this is a farce.

The government has been told that individuals that are not so heavily biased should remake the report. The government has yet to react. If they do not use unbiased advice, mobile phones will one day become their BSE(mad cow) crisis.

We regard ourselves as very sophisticated individuals, but biologically we are as primitive as Stone Age man is. We have no built-in protection against environmental toxins or microwaves. One day when the party is over and we soberly look back at this period, we might wonder how entire populations allowed themselves to be continually exposed to low levels of microwaves. We might regret not having worried more about the ”microwave sickness” that Soviet scientists identified decades before. We might regret not having heeded warnings from the likes of Dr. John Holt of Australia when he pointed out that mobile phone frequencies double the amount of histamines and thus cause asthma and allergies. We might also regret having left research in the hands of the mobile phone industry. How likely were they to sponsor research that would threaten their existence?

Industry is powerful enough to influence the Finnish and Swedish governments and also the EU to tone down the dangers from mobile phones and base stations. This means that we will simply have to sit back and wait for very concrete and widespread illness caused by microwaves from mobile phones. Maybe somewhat cynical, but it is logical; most people are probably not willing to stop using their mobile phones without substantial physical proof regardless of government warnings. So the question is: is there any evidence of any illness so far? Can we identify any specific symptoms?

Holt’s theory that asthma is caused by microwaves is interesting. It is not in the heavily polluted, less developed countries that asthma is more frequent, but in the heavily developed countries of the West with most electrosmog, where almost every other child has some kind of allergy today.

Children are more sensitive to microwaves than adults and recently there has been an increase in children getting severe inflammation of the gut, Crohns disease. This disease shows the same pattern as do allergies and asthma. Both cause inflammation processes and both involve the immune defense (Svenska Dagbladet October 25, 1999.

In Scandinavia we suffer from en epidemic of ”burned out” individuals from all walks of life. People who become dysfunctional due to stress and have to leave work, in the best of cases for a few month, in some cases, never to return. A new vocabulary has been invented. Journalists love the subject.
Even children are affected. ”Teenagers are stressed to pieces” says the Danish psychiatrist Gideon Ziotnek in Expressen newspaper November 22, 1999. Ziotnek thinks that stress will cause the brain to atrophy. ”Young people can get emotional and intellectual disturbances”.

Another paper (GoteborgsPosten) wrote the previous day: ”A study among a thousand schoolchildren in Gothenburg show that 13 percent with normal hearing experience tinitus. This can be a sign of social stress”.
A question worth asking: Why is everyone suddenly so stressed? Have we changed our social behavior so much? We are working harder, but are we working that much harder? In the past people worked hard also, but what is new in our lives?

What has dramatically changed to cause this stress?
There is an important factor: the increased radiation from mobile phones, television and radio broadcasts.
During 1994- 1996, when Swedish teenagers started using mobile phones, prescriptions for sleeping pills to young women of the ages between 15-24 years have doubled.(Radio: Dagens Eko October 4 1999). At the same time, prescriptions of anti-depressants to the same group have increased by 40 percent.

But how exactly can we attribute the stress we experience to microwaves? Professor Henry Lai from USA during a visit to Gothenburg explained that microwaves have the same stress effect on the human body as loud sound has. The invisible microwaves that we cannot see, but that pass through our bodies, is a chronic stressor. Our bodies, whether we want to or not, experience the microwaves as stress, as though we were exposed to loud noise continuously. This might explain the epidemic of ”burned out” individuals. With an ongoing background stress from microwaves and other electrosmog, we cannot carry out ordinary hard work. We have become stress sensitive and brittle. A further worrying comment from Professor Lai was that this stress, like any other stress, has an accumulative effect.

Are people finally beginning to make associations between their environment and their symptoms? Yes, some are. When young people show an increase in oral cancer, there is certainly cause to pause. A professor in tumor surgery for nose and throat, Staffan Edström at the Sahlgrenska hospital in Gothenburg, explains (in the newspaper GP 13 December 1999) that we all live in an environment with intensified radiation from mobile phones, computers, and cars and that this gives cause to think that the environmental factor can explain this increase in oral cancer among the young.

Will our national health system be able to cope with the new illnesses caused by mobile phones? Brain tumors are comparatively easy to deal with if they occur. Either people die or they survive after surgery, but if a large part of the working population is becoming prematurely senile, (microwaves cause toxins to pass the blood brain barrier into the brain where they can cause Alzheimer’s disease) then we face a practical and ethical situation one hardly dare contemplate.

In Sweden, health care is locally funded and local politicians, show no compunction whatsoever in letting severely ill people wait for urgent operations (cataracts, hip replacements)for several years. Even urgent cancer operations are delayed. With this attitude, one might only guess what cost-efficient, non-sentimental and highly practical Swedes might come up with in dealing with a large senile population with no place to go and no one to care for them.

Mobile phones might mean a tidy profit today. But tomorrow we might have to pay. The golden goose might very well turn out to be the mad cow.
Leif Sodergren
International contacts
FEB Foreningen for El- och Bildskarmsskadade
THE SWEDISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ELECTROSENSITIVE

Copyright Leif Sodergren 2001
Göteborg 1 Dec 2000

The post Mobile Telephones: Will There Be Any Consequences In The Future? appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Fields and frequencies
Radiation is transmission of energy. Ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and radioactivity, is strong enough to break down atoms. Non-ionizing radiation, such as electrostatic, electric and magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves, emitted from all electric equipment, is now also accused of having adverse effects. Health risks have been related to microwaves (from satellite television, mobile telephones, radar and microwave ovens) and radiofrequent waves emitted from radio stations, but also as by-products in many other types of electric equipment, where high frequencies are used. High frequent fields are also emitted from battery-driven equipment, such as lap-top computers. In general, the exposure diminishes with the distance to the apparatus.
Electric and magnetic fields are abbreviated EMF*. Electrostatic fields do not penetrate the body and electric fields are relatively easy to shield. Magnetic fields, however, are capable of penetrating humans as well as buildings
In 1965, the Federal Radiation Control, USA, made a statement about ionizing radiation: “the level at which biological injury will occur is unknown”. Is there a safe level of EMF exposure?
* the flux density, magnetic induction is measured in Tesla – T, T or nanotesla, nT

Early warnings
In the 1930’s, operators of short-wave equipment, such as strong transmitters, reported symptoms6), such as headaches, dizzyness, nausea and lack of concentration (called radar- or microwave disease by the Russians), and so did hospital personnel where short-wave treatment was used. Radio amateurs working with non-shielded equipment experienced the same problems in the 1950’s. In Soviet studies of substation operators certain effects on health were reported in the 60’s3).

Cancer
In 1964, a Russian researcher, Kholodov, reported cell death in areas of the brain in rabbits exposed to EMF. A number of cancer alarms, involving children living in the vicinity of high currency power cables, came from USA and the Soviet Union in the 1970’s. A Danish study showed an increased risk of male breast cancer in male telecommunication engineers6) and an occupational EMF exposure female breast cancer link has been suggested3)6). Cancer has also been related to mobile (cellular) telephones and fluorescent light.(malign melanoma)6).

Many studies were performed on professions with high exposure to electromagnetic fields. In a not yet published study, the Swedish National Institute of Occupational Health (Floderus et al) investigated the general cancer statistics of 2,4 million employees in different professions and found an 80 % higher cancer risk in the most electrically exposed groups, such as electricians, technical engineers, kitchen personnel, machine and motor mechanics and seamstresses. Many different types of cancer were represented.
It has been shown in laboratory tests that magnetic fields around 1 T encourage cancer cells to divide10) , and work day average field strengths of 0,2-0,4 T appear to be the level above which there could be an increased risk3).

Birth defects
Beginning with the animal research of Prof. Delgado, Spain, more than 20 years of research have clearly demonstrated that the fetus can be affected by low EMF. Two recent Finnish studies show that low-frequency fields from high radiation computer screens increase the risk of miscarriage 2-3,5 times. A fivefold higher risk of EPL (early pregnancy loss) was found in women living in houses with stronger magnetic fields than 0,6 /tesla6). A number of companies such as United Airlines reported miscarriages in up to 50 % of their female office employees6)10).
Women worldwide demanded reassignment to non-VDT work during pregnancy, a requirement accepted in Sweden6).

Swedish research has recently demonstrated chromosome changes in the cells of amniotic fluid on exposure to magnetic fields, which if unhealed can lead to cancer, such as leukemia or spontaneous abortions3)6)5)).

The Visual Display Terminal (VDT)
As early as the 1880’s, Hollerith, the founder of IBM, constructed the first computer-like machine where a battery effect was achieved by combining a tray filled with mercury with pins of a dissimilar metal. When the liquid and the solid metals touched, the electric circuit was completed. The device was capable of picking and reprinting information from pre-registered cards11).
Based on the same principle, the first cathode ray tube (CRT) had selenium in one end and metals in the other. Selenium was later replaced by caesium. During the second World War, cataracts in operators of radarscopes with CRTs were reported11).

The CRT is used as a picture tube in all equipment with a visual display. Due to the radiation*,
including leakage of X-rays* (limit value USA 0,5 mR/h), TV watchers were recommended to stay at a respectable distance from the apparatus, which, however, is very difficult when using a personal computer (PC). The old slogan “power to the people” gets a new meaning here.
The first PC was introduced by IBM in 1978. Non-flickering computer screens, developed in the early 80’s, emit more high-frequency fields than previous screens.
The first complaints of adverse effects came at the end of the 70’s. Alarm reports on electrically injured subjects now come from more than 25 countries.
*near ultraviolet (UV), near infrared (IR), radio frequent, extremely low frequency (ELF) and ultrasonic radiation.

** a federal survey found that one in 12 computer monitors was leaking enough X-rays to expose the operator to the equivalent of one chest X-ray every day.

Many symptoms
At first, the symptoms are mainly localized to the skin, but later dizziness, headaches, exhaustion, lack of concentration, oblivion, muscle and skeletal pains, stomach aches, palpitations, weakening of hands and joints, cramps and fainting also develop. It has been suggested that the so-called Repetitive Strain Syndrome*** (RSI) is also connected to VDT exposure9).
A joint US-Finnish study team found a strong occupational link between EMF exposure and Alzheimer’s (VDT-News, Sept/Oct, ’94).

The long-term effects are emphasized and the problems are not limited to VDTs. Obliged to avoid all electrical equipment and sometimes daylight, some extremely sensitive patients hide from civilization.
In the 90’s, support groups for electro-smog victims were organized (see page 27). The Swedish group with 1800 members is probably the largest. The Swedish Union of Clerical and Technical Employees in Industry has (1995), as the first union in the world, decided officially to take sides with the electrically sensitive (ES) patients (see sep. address).
The NCRP (Nuclear Control and Radiation Protection) in the USA recommends new EMF limit values – 0,2 T for day nurseries, schools, etc.(1995)

Cross-scientific controversy
To be able to determine whether relatively weak fields could affect biological systems knowledge of physics, electrical laws, biology, medicine as well as clinical experience was required. At the end of the 80’s, the problem of electro-smog developed into a political and economic controversy5).

According to one side, there could be no such damaging influence on human systems from weak EMF. Instead other factors such as chemicals, stress, and personality were investigated, involving disciplines such as chemistry, psychology and sociology.
The other side claimed that even if it was, at present state of knowledge, impossible to explain this complicated phenomenon, it was scientifically evident that there was some kind of a connection between electrical equipment and health problems.
The debate intensified. New projects were initiated and international congresses arranged. Although the right to life and bodily safety should apply to this group of patients in a constitutional state, the victims seldom received any recognition for their complaints and most law suits failed. Politically and economically uncomfortable, many ES patients end up in mental hospitals.
Concerned about their personnel, however, the Social Health and Welfare Board, Sweden, however, reconstructed their own electrical system for health preventive reasons. Other companies, have done the same; Ellemtel, Volvo, Bofors, SKF and SAS to mention a few. The computer operators of the JAS-plane (defence airplane) project have been guaranteed an EMF-free house6).

So-called low-radiation screens also provoke reactions in many patients. Nokia Monitor has their aim set on a zero-radiation screen.
Since it cannot be excluded that the increasing fields could be potentially dangerous to living organisms, many researchers from both camps now regard the problem as “multifactorial”5).

Biologically possible
The genetic code is the same for all life, except for mitochondria*. The behavioral pattern of honey bees is seriously disturbed on exposure of low EMF (Smith 1989, Harm 1982). After extensive barn electrification, some American cows developed “anorexia”11).

Structural and functional changes in nerve cells in the brains of rabbits exposed to electric fields have been documented. The number of mitochondria were reduced and 500-1200 lamellar bodies/cell were found. This normally only happens under exceptional pathological conditions. The animals became very slow7).
Extremely weak currents (1 microA) caused a 30 % reduction in the uptake of the amino acid proline, a central component in connective tissue (MacLeod et al 1987). Effects of magnetic radiation of the nucleic acids of the cells have been reported (see Liboff et al 1984).

The electrochemical cell
According to the German researcher, Dr. U.Warnke Ph.D at the University of Saarlandes, the formation of the fuel of the cell (ATP) is affected by EMF, causing energy deficiency (can also be caused by other exposures or deficiencies)10).

Our cellular information exchange system is based on weak electrical impulses. The effect of the cell is maximally 70-80 mV. In this microcosm, each molecule and electron has its own place and energy field (Warnke 1993). Radiation travels. It is emitted from objects with high potential and is absorbed by those of low energy (here the human). The cell’s internal and external system of information exchange is disturbed, causing a biological chain reaction, including increased cell division (Adey 1986).

Calcium
Many of the functions of the cell are controlled by calcium and other minerals crossing the cell membranes7). Exposed to a magnetic field, the cell’s calcium level is increased within two minutes10). The liberation of calcium from nerve tissue has been shown to increase under EMF exposure. Frequency-dependent, the effect is maximized at 16 Hz (Bawin & Adey 1976),
but nothing happens at 5 Hz.

The secretion of cellular products such as neuropeptides (see page ) and hormones is dependent on calcium, which is also essential for a number of intracellular reactions7).
Resent research in Umeå, Sweden, has mapped the mechanism behind the calcium liberation. A cellular protein, CD45, is “responsible” for the cellular reactivity to EMF.

Melatonin
Sensitive to radiation and light, the hormone melatonin, is formed in the pineal gland. Some frequencies (> 0,4 T) contribute to diminished melatonin production**). Due to the delayed effect it takes 2,5 weeks of low EMF (light, UHF) exposure for the production to diminish to under the limit value10).

Melatonin regulates hormones, important for our well-being, such as serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, prolactin (stress hormone), and the sleep-hormone somatotropin. Deficiencies can cause insomnia as well as depression (Ferrier et al, 1982, Lewy 1983). Melatonin also controls our immune system (Maestroni et al. 1986) and it can inhibit the growth of breast cancer (Cohen et al. 1988), prostate cancer (Philo/Berkowitz 1988), ovary cancer (Leone et al. 1988) and melanome (Narita/Kudo 1985)
Long-term deficiencies can lead to an increased incidence of cancer (Blask 1984; Reiter 1988),
fertility changes (Reiter 1980) and prolonged feeling of jet lag (Arendt 1988).
It takes about 3-14 days for the pineal gland to recuperate after ceased exposure to EMF10).

*: minor organelle, incorporated in the cytoplasm of the cell, in humans as well as animals and plants. It has its own DNA. At an early stage in evolution, the mitochondria used to be separate organisms. They are the energy providers of the cell.
** 0,01W/cm2 is enough for this to happen and a 100 % reduction is achieved at 0,5 W/cm2 (Brainard et al. 1983).

Chemicals
Electro-sensitive patients in Australia report having developed their EMF-symptoms after exposure to pesticides1).
There is a basic duality between chemical structure and frequencies4). British researchers found that atomic radiation and chemicals induce similar effects. In some types of medical treatment, chemicals are used to increase the effects of radiation. Prof. Adey from USA studied the effects of EMF for 30 years. He emphasizes the combination effects. Some chemicals can be activated from EMF with the same frequency as in power cables.

When the metal housing in computers was replaced by plastic components, the previous shielding was not regarded as necessary. The result was more radiation and increased emission of chemicals, 6)11).
50,000 new chemicals are introduced every year. The limit values are usually set for one substance at a time, without consideration of combination effects. Electrical devices such as TV screens contain chemicals such as fire retardant, emitted when the apparatus is in use (=warm). In 1990 IBM measured an emission of up to 50 chemicals from their screens, all of them, of course, under the limit value for each chemical6).
In the semi-conductor industry in Silicon Valley, many odd chemicals and metals such as arsenic, iridium and gallium are used. Gases, silanes, boran and chlorine, are formed. Working in “clean”, dust-free, sterile rooms, the employees suffered from inexplicable symptoms of disease6).
The increased use of the toxic metal Beryllium in computers and other electric equipment is another health hazard3).

Oxidative stress and metals
Metals conduct electricity. Copper, for example, is used in electrical wires. Metal exposure is not necessary for electromagnetic fields to have biological effects, but it can increase the process. Some life-essential metals and trace elements are always present in our bodies in small quantities. (The presence of ferromagnetic materials support the idea that we have a basic ability to sense weak magnetic fields4)). Lately the exposure to and absorption of larger “unwanted” quantities of sometimes toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, lead and cadmium has increased.
The keyboard in older metallic computers was earthed to the chassis of the visual display and electricity was drained into wall sockets and on to the building’s ground. With the new plastic housing all-in-one VDTs, the electricity is instead earthed through the “metallic” human, overloading the central nervous system, causing backaches, swelling and sore skin around the ankles and feet11).
Due to its unpaired electron, electro-sensitivity is a basic property of a free radical. It is known that some metals enhance biological effects by producing more reactive radicals. Iron overload produces photosensitivity and enhances radiation and free radical effects3).
Other metals, which enhance radiation (ionizing) effects include mercury, copper, platinum, chromium, ruthenium, cobalt, cadmium, vanadium, silver and arsenic. It cannot be excluded that these metals can also enhance EMF effects3).
Some English patients claim that they are able to listen to the radio through their fillings. Dental amalgam consists of 50 % mercury combined with silver, tin and copper. Metals are released from dental amalgam by mechanical corrosion, heat and/or electric currents between dissimilar metals, facilitated by an electrolyte, here saliva.

Commissioned to find out why divers working with under-water welding constantly lost their amalgam fillings, T. Örtendahl and P. Högstedt, at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, found that EMF-exposure more than doubled the mercury release from amalgam (2,6 average value)2).
New dental amalgam blocks of 3 different types (DAB Fine Alloy, high-copper ANA 2000 and Dispersalloy) were exposed to 4 different computer screens (Ericsson DMU 3715-002, Ericsson DMU 3715-005, IBM 8503-002, IBM 8513 type 5157 and Macintosh Plus. The IBM screens, however, did not show any increased liberation of mercury. The reason for this is unknown, and it made no difference whether the screen was of a so-called “low-radiation” type, compensated to diminish the magnetic fields. The alternation of the magnetic fields probably determines how much mercury is liberated. Amalgam has a complex structure and it can not be excluded that it reacts to certain combinations of field strength and frequencies. More knowledge about the factors involved is required to know exactly why and what is happening.
In an attempt to calm the readers, Örtendahl and Högstedt, in their documentation, finally emphasize that more mercury is dissolved from amalgam fillings during chewing than in front of the VDT. However, it’s not that we do one thing or the other – we usually do both, sometimes even simultaneously. In the investigation, amalgam blocks – not fillings -.were investigated, which means there was no saliva or any biologically active component, that could increase the effects, present.
It is possible that other equipment, such as mobile telephones, where some of the radio waves go through the head, has the same effect on the dissolution of mercury from amalgam. According to Dr. Scheingraber (biologist, mineralist and dentist), Germany10), there are indications that simultaneous exposure to heavy metals and EMF could increase the effects with a synergetic factor of 5-10.
With electron run micrographs, the Norwegian scientist, Wedberg, showed that sulphur is excreted from the bodies of VDT users. If the protective enzyme PSH (phosphate, sulphur and hydrogen) is destroyed, the cell cannot repair itself or combat radiation11). Since sulphur binds with mercury, it cannot be excluded that this could also diminish the body’s defense to mercury from dental amalgam.
.

Selective and/or positive sensitivities
Some patients exclusively react to particular equipment and certain frequencies. Sensitivities may also suddenly change frequency and/or be intensified during certain periods of time, sometimes in connection with other exposures. Some women feel that the level of sensitivity is affected by the menstruation cycle.
According to Dr. Rea, Texas, USA, who has treated 500 ES patients, American patients feel better in Europe and vice versa. This, he thinks, is because Europe uses 50 Hz and America 60 Hz in the public networks.
Fractures can be treated with frequencies of 20 Hz. Limited EMF exposure can also have an anti-inflammatory effect. The efficiency of time-regulated low EMF treatment (20-80 Hz, 1-2mv/cm, 10 min/times/days) of patients previously exposed to radioactive irradiation was demonstrated by Prof. Markarov, Russia3).
Exposure to pulsed fields of about 24 Hz for 1 hour/day can stimulate growth in plants10). (Maybe that caused the rumor in the USA that basket-ball players could be “grown” with similar techniques).
Dr. Monroe, England, found that electrosensitive patients usually have an individual “zero-frequency” where all the symptoms disappear. It can be found by testing the patient with an oscilloscope, an instrument used to generate electromagnetic fields of different frequencies. This frequency can be used to treat the patient3)4).

The chicken and the egg
Emphasizing the nature of the damage, the way they see it, some of the support groups (for chemicals, amalgam as well as electro-smog) call themselves “injured”. Due to this “cumulative overload”, further exposure of patients to EMF during provocation tests, etc., is regarded as unethical, and so is exposure of children to EMF.
Terms like sensitivity or allergy*) are also used. “Hypersensitivity” clearly indicates that, reacting to a basically harmless exposure, the patient is to “blame” for the condition (Compare “radioactive irradiation” where you never hear of hypersensitivity or allergy!)
The scientists Brown (1982) and Alexander (1957), said that “the effects of radiation show up in human population as a large number of similar illnesses”.
Referring to the simultaneous appearance of the two syndromes, Ergotec, USA, suggests that amalgam-poisoning is caused by VDT radiation9). However, many amalgam patients never used a VDT, and the patients of today are usually the second or third generation of victims

The amalgam density is high in Sweden. 10-25 % of the 16,000 organized amalgam-patients are also electrically sensitive. Depending on the way of amalgam removal and/or previous EMF-exposure, some patients develop ES in connection with amalgam replacement, others get rid of it. ES is usually regarded as one of the many symptoms triggered by amalgam-poisoning, and the most difficult to “cure”3). (why if it is just one of the symptoms?)
Dr. Marija M. Hughes, American scientist and a “survivor” of severe ES is one of the few American patients who won a legal battle3) against her employer. She feels that her one and only (now removed) amalgam filling had nothing at all to do with her ES.
Dr. M. Hanson, science director of the Swedish Association of Dental Mercury Patients, puts it this way: “a number of syndromes such as neurasthenia, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, chemical sensitivity, amalgam poisoning and electro-sensitivity are interrelated, identical or overlapping. Many of the symptoms of these disorders (with individual variations) are the same. This, together with known effects of EMF, heavy metals and chemicals and the result of therapies indicates that very basic biochemical and biophysical processes are disturbed, such as the calcium balance, etc.” 3)
*) From a strictly immunological point of view, it has not been scientifically established that ‘electro-sensitivity’ is an ‘allergy’, however, according to many scientists, it is possible …

Medical treatment

Patients who have been exposed for a long time to strong EMFs are the most difficult to rehabilitate, whilst those who suddenly develop ES in connection with other exposures without previous heavy VDT exposure are the easiest to “cure”.
With varying results and sometimes side-effects, anti-depressive medicines such as Anafranil and Cipramil (earlier relatives of Prozac) have been used to treat ES patients. Working from a different angle, the amino acid tryptophane has the same effect on the neurotransmitter serotonin. Not always effective, it is definitely a milder form of treatment. There are plans to test melatonin on this patient group, although the long-term effects of such supplementation have not been documented.

Anti-oxidants and a number of alternative therapies can be helpful (see page 18), but as Dr. Olle Johansson, Sweden, put it: “If I “cure” this patient and put her in front of a VDT again, who will take the blame if she develops cancer within 10-30 years?”

Minimizing the exposure
Some of the measures involve long-term planning (new architecture) in the public, work-related and private sector. Tranquil areas, rooms with little exposure and few electric walls can be installed. The electric cabling can be shielded and/or an automatic close-down system can be installed (demand switch). It has been suggested that we should go back to the use of direct current (12 V) in households etc. Stick to your gas stove – if you still have one!
Dr. Palm, German physician, recommended (1970) that you unplug the fuse for the bedroom when you sleep (when the light is off, EMF increases). Sleeping with your head close to electric wiring, heating or water pipes (vagabonding currents) should be avoided as well as fluorescent light, electric blankets, non-medical X-ray examinations and other medical treatment involving electricity (some patients developed their ES after MRI scanning).
Monica Kauppi

P.S. The above article is intended as a brief introduction to a huge subject, and for the continued debate, your comments, experience or expertise would be most welcome! Read about high frequencies in general and mobile telephones in particular in the next issue!
Some sources:
1) Chemical Crisis, one woman’s story. Scribe Publications Australia. ISBN 0-908011-25-3. Can be ordered from ACTA, see page 4.
2) Effekter på dental amalgam orsakade av magnetfält genererade av bildskärmar och elektrisk svetsutrustning. Chalmers Technical Highschool, Avd. för Ortodonti, Odontologiska kliniken, S-413 90 Göteborg

3) Electrical and magnetic hypersensitivity, 2nd Copenhagen Conference, 1995, Jyrki Katajainen, Bengt Knave, ISBN 87-981270-2-0.
4) Electromagnetic Man. Health & Hazard in the electrical environment. Cyril Smith & Simon Best, UK. 1989. ISBN =-460-04698-5.
5) Epidemisk masspsykos eller reell risk? (A sociological study of the controversy surrounding electro-sensitivity). T. Brante, H. Norman. Symposion, Sweden, 1995. ISBN :91-7139-252-1.

6) Fältslaget om de elöverkänsliga, Gunni Nordström, Carl von Schéele, Sweden, 1995. ISBN 91-550-4083-7.
7) Några tankar kring elöverkänslighet och bildskärmsskada, Karolinska Institute. O. Johansson, 1994. ISSN 1400-1611.
8) Occupational exposure to 60-Hz magnetic fields and risk of breast cancer in women (abstract). American Journal of Epidemiology 1995 June 1:141(11):S31
9) Pollution Alert, Ergotec Association, Inc. Bert Dumpè, September 1993-13. lSBN: 0-9622907-2-6.

10) Strom des Lebens Strom des Todes, Electro- und Magnetosmog im Kreuzfeuer. P.C. Mayer-Tasch, B.M. Malunat. ISBN 3-596-12483-2, Germany, Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH. 1995.
11) X-rayed without consent,, Ergotec Association B. Dumpé. ISBN: 0-9622907-0-X.

The post Electro-smog – The Hidden Danger Around Us appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Gunni Nordstrom has done us all a service in writing an important chapter in the history of Occupational Injury.

FEB:
When did you first start writing about people who became ill after using computer monitors?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
I was the first to write about this affliction (in the TCO Newspaper in Stockholm, Sweden) in October 1985. But the problem did not start then. It had existed for at least 5 years, without anyone having investigated it in depth.

The reason that I started my investigation was that a bank employee had received work injury compensation for skin changes after working in front of a computer monitor. She (it was mostly women in those days who worked with computers) had a doctor’s certificate from the histopathologist Bjorn Lagerholm. He described in great detail her skin changes, which were of a kind that he had previously seen only in connection with ultraviolet light and X-ray damage. It is to be noted that Bjorn Lagerholm had unusually large experience in examining skin biopsies under a microscope. He was not only head skin doctor at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, and at the same time, a histopathologist – an unusual combination – he also had a private practice. He had examined at least 10,000 biopsies when he wrote this important affidavit for this woman. He obviously knew what he was talking about when he explained that this woman and a series of other individuals (also computer users) he had examined, had the same skin changes.
A debate followed, and Bjorn Lagerholm wrote an article in the Swedish Medical Journal to explain his observations. The observations covered young individuals (of both sexes) that had been working in front of computer monitors. He had found remarkable changes in their skin considering their age; elastosis solaris at a very young age, after only a few years of working in front of a computer monitor, was not normal. Such changes he usually would find in farm workers or sailors who had been exposed to sun all their lives.

FEB:
How was your first article received?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:

My article about the bank employee was like letting the cork out of a ketchup bottle. The phone would not stop ringing. People called from all over the country. They said that they felt like they had been lying in the sun too long (and they had only been working with computers). Their skin was taut and burning. Now they had to wear sunglasses and wide hats or caps for protection against the sun. They had become light sensitive. This is an important observation that must not be overlooked. Skin doctors and others have overlooked this phenomenon. In my meaning, the light sensitivity is the most important clue to explaining the cause of electric sensitivity.

FEB:
Is sensitivity to light still ignored?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
I will give a very recent example: The Swedish Work Environment Fund had been requested by the Swedish government to deliver a report on electromagnetic sensitivity. Only one line in this report mentioned light sensitivity. The experts had asked for input from the electrically sensitive. They received 400 letters that spoke clearly: Light sensitivity was one of the most prominent symptoms. What did the experts do with the letters? They threw them into a card box and delivered them to the government and claimed that nothing could be learned from them. But the truth will out sooner or later. The letters are presently being compiled into a book by private means.

FEB:
The unions and the TCO Newspaper were evidently quite influential in bringing forth the symptoms their members got after using computer monitors. Any negative reactions?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
The union ombudsmen were at that time a great source of irritation to the many “experts” of the establishment. Ms. Kajsa Vedin from Gothenburg wrote a brilliant report “In the shadow of a Microchip” which predated my first article and was an excellent and intelligent analysis of the risks involved with computers. Before that, the unions had embraced this new technique without any thoughts of possible health risks.
What we wrote in the TCO Newspaper was carefully monitored and the “experts” tried to attribute the phenomenon to unions who, they said, had “taught” their members what symptoms to report in order to get work injury compensation benefits. We journalists and the union ombudsmen were considered troublemakers.

FEB:
How did you deal with the suggestions that the press caused the problem?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
I did not accept that explanation. Early on I realised that something important was buried and this had to be dug up and brought out into the open. That is why I have stubbornly continued to write about this question. I simply was not convinced that the reason for the computer monitor illness was imagined or press-influenced. One does not become light sensitive for psychological reasons. And how could people all over the world, independently from one another, get the same symptoms from computer monitors?

FEB:
We recently heard from an Irish woman who, when seeking help for her electric sensitivity, had to submit to treatment at a mental hospital. Has this happened in Sweden?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
Yes, it certainly has. And it happens in Finland all the time. In my second book, (Faltslaget om de eloverkansliga) I describe a man who got ill in 1979. There was no debate about computer monitors in Sweden at that time, but he was convinced that it was his work as a computer teacher that had made him ill. Every time he turned the computer on, he got his symptoms – very typical symptoms. He was taken to a psychiatric ward for an evaluation. He was locked up until the examination was over. He really should demand compensation. He got so fed up with Sweden that he moved to Spain.
Doctors at that time declared that one could not get sick from computer monitors. They could not even entertain the thought that a computer monitor contained something that could give people negative symptoms. I often think of these so called experts now, when the many pieces are falling into place.

FEB:
Talking about things falling into place. A computer monitor emits electromagnetic fields. This is well known to most people. But what is less well known is the fact that it also contains harmful chemicals (used as flame-retardants) that are released, to the greatest extent, when the monitor is new, and later, during usage, in small doses. Many people work in crammed offices with poor ventilation, surrounded by electronic equipment giving off chemicals. What is the significance of these chemicals that we breathe in from the computer and other electronic equipment?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
We are talking of chemicals that are hormone affecting and are being accumulated in the body. This is the work environment problem of today and tomorrow. There are so many people affected that our authorities are trying to obfuscate the truth. That is why I called my latest book “Cover Up”.

The most important effect is perhaps the fact that certain chemicals can cause chronic light sensitivity. I put forward this hypothesis in “Cover Up”. The hypothesis was originally presented by Mr. Per Hedemalm, an environmental consultant in Gothenburg who probably could have resolved the question in 1990 had he been given proper funding.

FEB:
Could you mention the name some of the chemicals that are to be found in computers?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
The brominated flame-retardants have been discussed a lot the last few years. We know that until a few years ago it was very common with PBDE (polybrominated diphenolethers) in the plastic casings of computer monitors and computers. The debate contributed to the removal of PBDE in the plastic casings.

But this does not solve the problem with flame-retardants in computers. In almost all computer chips we still have TBBPA (tetrabromobisphenol A). This is often ”forgotten”. Not even TCO has demanded the removal of TBBPA. They have been cowardly in this instance. There is simply no economical substitute today.
The computer chips are built on plates or cards that contain epoxy. In my book I describe the epoxy components, where bisphenol A, in particular, in combination with light, is suspected of creating chronic light sensitivity.
But there are many more chemicals in electronics. IBM revealed in 1990 that hundreds of chemicals were released from their computer monitors. There is often the talk of ”safe” levels, but as regards chemicals stored in the human body; one cannot talk about safe levels. We know nothing of how chemicals and electromagnetic radiation work in unison.

FEB:
You mention that these chemicals besides being toxic affect our hormones.

Considering the fact that breast cancer still is on the increase and there appears to be no explanation for this, could the explanation be found in these hormone-affecting chemicals we are exposed to in front of our computers?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
You will have to speak to the cancer researcher Lennart Hardell at the university of Orebro, Sweden. He has studied the effect of cancer and chemicals, particularly flame-retardants.

FEB:
Helmut Kohls wife recently committed suicide due to a severe and lengthy light sensitivity condition. She had to remain in total darkness and could never go out. Many electrically sensitive have experienced precisely the same light sensitivity after their work with computers. You have interviewed a great number of electrically sensitive individuals, how common is this severe light sensitivity?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
Light sensitivity as such is very common among the electrically sensitive, one of the very earliest symptoms actually. The severe case of light sensitivity that Hannelore Kohl suffered is rare, but such cases do exist. I read about a German dermatology professor who said that such severe light sensitivity ”does not exist” except in cases with inherited light sensitivity (xeroderma pigmentosum). Yet I have come across or heard of many similar cases in Sweden and Finland. In my book I write about Swedish professor Olle Johansson’s description in a scientific publication of a woman who became so sensitive after working with a computer that she had to live in total darkness. He took skin biopsies and could show that while her light sensitivity lasted, the cells in her skin that normally protect the skin against radiation were completely gone! The German dermatology professor appears not to be very well updated.
I describe in my book about a woman, who after computerwork, was forced to live in total darkness in her parents home in Finland. The doctors ridiculed her and said she suffered from the ”Swedish disease”. If Mrs. Kohl was treated with the same lack of understanding, I can understand her desperation.

FEB:
You lead us through complicated, but luckily easily understood chemical discussions. Do you have any background in chemistry?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
I am unfortunately not a chemist. In the Swedish school in Finland that I went to, I never gave chemistry much attention unaware that I one day bitterly would regret this. The ideal constellation of experts to solve this problem would be a chemist, a toxicologist, an expert in electromagnetic radiation, a neurobiologist and a journalist. I do not have their expert knowledge but they, on the other hand, do not have as detailed knowledge of the patients as I do.

FEB:
What lead you to studying chemicals?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
I believe that chemicals are the missing link.
I had come to believe that there must be some enhancing factor (to the electromagnetic fields from the computer monitor) that could explain why people became hypersensitive from using computers. The missing link is chemicals that react with light and can cause light sensitivity. I believe the chemicals are toxic and photo toxic.
In my latest book I write about Per Hedemalm’s hypothesis that certain chemicals in a computer monitor can cause photo-allergy or photo-toxic reactions. In other words, light dermatosis. Light is a kind of electromagnetic radiation so this observation is most relevant. As Per Hedemalm, points out, from sensitivity to light to sensitivity to other electromagnetic radiation, the line is very thin.

FEB:

If some of the users of computers have got ill from using them, what about the people, who manufacture them, have they also got ill?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
Joseph LaDou, a work environment expert from California visited Stockholm in the 1980’s and told how people in the computer manufacturing industry in Silicon valley suffered from a mysterious illness which appeared to be a total exhaustion of the immune system. My coworker Carl von Scheele interviewed him and when I read the article, I understood that this was something important but I could not quite put my finger on it just then.
I saved the article and later I learned of the Silicon Valley syndrome, which was exported to southeast Asia, when the manufacturing was moved there. People got ill in perfectly sterile rooms where computer chips were made. Joseph LaDou did not hesitate in pointing at the specific chemicals used in computer chips manufacturing.
We know that in the manufacturing of semiconductors in Silicone Valley, people have in some cases got chronic conditions such as total allergy, and we also know that those who sort and scrap electronic products have high levels in their blood of flame-retardants. Yet when the users of these products in the middle phase get symptoms similar to those in Silicone Valley, then there is an absolute tabu to speak of what chemicals our electronic products contain. That is what my book is about. I point to clear relationships that may exist.

FEB:
Why do you think IBM in Sweden made a study of the chemicals (they found 50 different chemicals) in their computer monitors when so many people got sick from working with their monitors?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
IBM had had problems with their employees in their manufacturing. They knew there was something wrong and they were decent enough to find out, but it was probably not their intention that the report would leak to the press.

FEB:
Why does a journalist explain all this to us? Why do we not get this from our “experts”?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
This is precisely why I write. I think things should be described in a correct and accurate time-frame. I also write to expose the money-making fraud in this business. These so called experts have enriched themselves on taxpayers money and have even written doctoral theses based on sheer nonsense.

FEB:

Could you give us an example of “expert” mismanagement and other attempts at cover-up?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
A very recent example: Sweden has three prominent experts at the university of Lund who have shown that microwaves open the blood brain barrier on rats. Their findings have been world news, but the experts (The Swedish Work Environment Fund had been requested by the Swedish government to deliver a report on present research in electromagnetic fields) chose to virtually leave out these most alarming findings, they were only mentioned perfunctorily.
No one from the government has contacted the scientists either.
The government has similarly been mislead regarding the findings of professor Olle Johansson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. His findings regarding skin changes concerning mast cells and electromagnetic fields are extremely important

The government seems to listen to those who have the right message, the message they wish to hear. Sometimes one wonders if the authorities have these reports custom-made or if someone in the background is masterminding all important positions and is handing out investigations to those with the correct beliefs or to the untalented. The independent thinkers get their heads chopped off as soon as possible at any rate.

FEB:
One of the experts you mentioned is Dr. Lena Hillert. You devote an entire chapter to her in your latest book. She is generally known for trivialising electric sensitivity and her language, when discussing mobile phones, very much resembles that of industry representatives. You have both listened to many electrically sensitive individuals, yet you have come to vastly different conclusions. Why?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
It appears that Lena Hillert does not have an inquisitive mind. She does not combine the patients descriptions in a logical manner. I can agree that the patients sometimes can draw the wrong conclusions as regards certain details, but essentially, they do not make things up. They are ill and they are correct that their problem has something to do with their work environment.

On the other hand, not many of the electrically sensitive seem to understand the link to the chemicals in their computer monitors. Lena Hillert, who is an expert should have understood this, and should have initiated research in this area. But then she would not have received funding for her psychological studies; also she would not have been quite so popular with mobile phone operator Telia Mobile, who probably pays her and others handsomely for being on their “scientific expert panel”.

FEB:
You worked for a union newspaper. Yet you have often criticized the unions for not taking their responsibility. Have you made yourself unpopular in your own back yard?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
Probably. I do not care. If they are so ignorant that they do not understand this issue, or so lazy that they do not have the energy to get engaged, then it is their problem. But unfortunately the real sufferers are their members. But I must say that the Swedish unions have been fantastic in comparison to the Finnish unions who are afraid to appear foolish in front of the researchers and experts who try to put a psychological label on those suffering from the effects of computers and other electronic devices. They have left their members in the lurch in a truly scandalous way.

FEB:
Is this due to the NOKIA presence in Finland?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
Undoubtedly yes!

FEB:
Another lead that you refuse to let us forget is what happened at the factory SVENSKA FLAKT in Sweden. The factory has since long closed and the injured workers live peacefully with government pensions. Why should we not forget this incident?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
The Svenska Flakt incident occurred shortly before the epidemic of injured office workers who had been working with computers. And both groups had been exposed to decomposed components from epoxy and they showed similar symptoms. The Svenska Flakt case concerned men and they quickly were awarded work injury compensation.
When the same thing happened to office workers (mostly women) who also were exposed to decomposed components of epoxy (which in their case came from the computer monitors), then the realisation soon emerged that all these people could not possibly be awarded work injury compensation. There were simply too many. I have been told by a skin doctor to stay away from the Svenska Flakt case for fear of jeopardising the work injury compensation already awarded.

FEB:
The Swedish scientists Salford, Braun and Persson, have discovered that very low levels of microwaves can cause the brain blood barrier to let in toxins that definitely do not belong there. How does this finding fit in with your theory about electric sensitivity?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
There are frequencies up to the microwave range in computers also. We know that very low level microwaves open the blood-brain barrier. The combined action between chemicals and electromagnetic fields is a highly interesting area. However there are no studies performed on those who got ill in front of computers with this aspect in mind.
If we have a modern office environment with a lot of electronic products giving off toxic chemicals, and simultaneously, wireless equipment, giving off microwaves, it is evident that this combination is not healthy. How dangerous this situation is, remains to be seen. We must not forget that there are far too many people who have got ill for us to ignore this problem.

FEB:
Your memory and ability to see important things in matters that pass most people by, is impressive. So are the many case studies you present. There is one particular case, a 33 year old man, Anders Lindstrom, who worked for Ericsson Radio System in Gavle, Sweden. His work with mobile phone base stations exposed him to microwaves and chemicals. Today he is almost totally blind and severely handicapped. Yet he has not received any compensation from anyone. It appears that the establishment, doctors included, unanimously declared that the injuries he had suffered “could not possibly have come from his work place”. This despite the fact that he was exposed to microwaves close to his eyes.
The subtitle to your third book COVER UP is “The victims of electronics – without recourse to justice”. Would this man not have had a better chance of obtaining justice with the American judicial system? Has any other country undermined their work injury compensation insurance to the extent as they have in Sweden where you, these days, must have a very obvious physical accident to get a chance of being compensated?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
A private lawyer with the good sense of procuring the best experts could have done wonders for this man in the U.S.A. The unions in Sweden have been timorous in dealing with Ericsson.

The Swedish Work Injury law was a good idea at one time. Now it has been diluted. The unions should consider this. Soon they will have a flood of people injured at the workplace and they will revolt against the unions when they discover that they are not able to get any work injury compensation.

FEB:
Before we end, please tell us what happened to the bank employee whose fate got you interested in this matter in October 1985. Did she get to keep her work injury compensation for the injury she had suffered in front a computer monitor, or was there an appeal? Since she was the first to be awarded work injury compensation, and there were many similar cases, her case would be a precedent if it was upheld. What sort of help did she get from her union?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:
She got help from her union, but this help was lacking. Without her own efforts, the case would not have been as interesting. She was much better updated than her counsel. The insurance courts had to get the best experts in the land to counter the doctor certificates and all the material she had collected herself.

The remarkable thing in this case is that Doctor Bjorn Lagerholms certificate was not questioned in any way. No one dared to question such a skilled histopathologist. On the other hand, it was stated that computer monitors could not have caused the injuries he had seen. The experts did not deny that there was a direct relationship in time between the injuries to the woman’s skin and her work with the computer. But the sacred computer could not be the culprit.
This battle took ten years. During this time, there was an accumulation of other cases in the lower courts. When this verdict came in the highest insurance court, it was a political decision. What would society do with a lot of people claiming to be ill from their work with computers? The chemical industry had nothing to fear. The cover-up had worked.

FEB:
What are your plans for the future?

GUNNI NORDSTROM:

I am presently reworking my book for the English translation. I am very interested in the reactions from those suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity and chronic fatigue in various countries. But foremost I hope that there will be readers with a better knowledge of chemistry who can continue my work. I am an investigating journalist, not an expert in chemistry. It is time for toxicologists and others to take over.
Those who wish to write to me with their observations or comments are welcome to do so to the address below:

Gunni Nordstrom
Granskogsvagen 2C No 9
FIN 64100 Kristinestad

Finland

Books by Gunni Nordstrom
SJUK AV BILDSKARM
(Ill from Computer Monitors).
Cowriter Carl Von Scheele
Publisher Tiden /TCO-tidningen 1989

ISBN: 91-550-3484-5
FALTSLAGET OM DE ELOVERKANSLIGA
(The battlefield of the electrically sensitive)
Cowriter Carl Von Scheele
Publisher: Tiden. Stockholm Sweden 1995
ISBN 91-550-4083-7

MORKLAGGNING. Elektronikens rattslosa offer.
(Cover Up. The victims of electronics – without recourse to justice)
Publisher: Hjalmarsson & Hogberg, Stockholm Sweden 2000
ISBN: 91-89080-41-6

Copyright FEB August 2001

The post Occupational Injury In The Office – Computer Radiation Danger appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Mesmerized by magical gadgets, we have yet to count the costs of miniature radio transmitters that are transforming Marconi’s invention into new possibilities for portable personal pollution. As entire nations reach for pocket communicators, the explosively emergent $40 billion a year cell phone industry is poised to deliver a “Wireless Revolution” that over the next five years is expected to double the one-billion people connected by telephone lines over the past century.

Silicon sensors are already calling to each other. Soon, countless communicating microchips embedded in everything from bumpers to brooms will be sending streams of encoded electrical energy through glass, steel, concrete, bone and flesh. Exquisitely sensitive to subtle electromagnetic harmonies, human brains and bodies as intricate as galaxies depend on tiny electrical impulses to conduct complex life-processes including the ability to read, recall and respond to these words. Acting as antennas, our anatomies just as easily tune into spurious signals from radio and microwave transmissions. Blake Levitt, author of Electromagnetic Fields, says that when it comes to cellphones, “a worse frequency could not have been chosen for the human anatomy.”

As cell phones conquer consumer minds and markets, researcher Carolanne Patton notes that “the brain reaches peak absorption in the UHF bands, right where cellular telecommunications operate.” British military scientists have discovered that cellphone transmissions disrupt the brain sites for memory and learning, causing forgetfulness and sudden confusion.

Other studies show that electromagnetic signals from cellular phones reduce the ability to concentrate, calculate and coordinate complicated activities such as driving a car. Startled by $4 billion a year in extra claims among cellphone-wielding drivers, North American insurers did a double-take that found simply juggling `cell phones is not causing a 600% increase in accidents over other drivers busy shaving, applying makeup, tuning radios, taming pets, making out, pouring coffee, retrieving dropped cigarettes, talking and gesturing to passengers, or actually steering the vehicle.

Instead of just another dangerous distraction, tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy found that using a cell phone severely impairs memory and reaction times. “Hands-free” mobile speaker-phones cause even more crashes because they typically emit 10-times more brainwave interference than handheld units.

For all drivers dialing out on their cell phones, University of Toronto investigators report that the heightened probability of cracking up your car persists for up to 15-minutes after completing a call. That’s comparable to the risk of crashing while driving dead drunk exclaims Dr. Chris Runball, chairman of the B.C. Medical Association’s emergency medical services committee. Reeling from “dial-a-collision” costs, the government of British Columbia may join England, Spain, Israel, Switzerland and Brazil in restricting or banning the use of cell phones by drivers.

In New Zealand, cellphone towers are prohibited on school property because of possible health effects. But Health Canada regulations ignore the hidden hazards of cell-wrenching cellphones, which send pulsed signals through the skull in a process one expert likens to “jackhammers on the brain.” “Safety Code 6” looks only at microwaves burning skin. “Basically, Health Canada claims if it can’t cook you, it can’t hurt you,” says Walter McGinnis. “It’s like saying cigarettes aren’t dangerous unless they burn you.”

One of a handful of licensed electricians who understand electromagnetic fields well enough to eliminate them from household wiring, McGinnis has been testing EMFs and collaborating with fellow testers and researchers for nearly a decade. In Victoria, where he has helped residents defeat six cellphone towers, there was dancing in the streets after Microcell Connexions withdrew its application to erect a microwave transmission tower against the Wishart Elementary School fence in the spring of 1998. Microcell spokesman Colin McCrae points out that emissions from the company’s towers carry about the same energy as a 50-watt lightbulb well within federal guidelines.

This is hardly reassuring, retorts the former president of the Wisehart parents advisory council. Tania Berenuik observes that Health Canada “also told us thalidomide, asbestos and the blood supply were safe.” Carrying similar risks of long-term lethality, and strangely just as legal, cellphone addiction mirrors the prestigious early allure of smoking as well as an immensely profitable industry’s steadfast denial of risk and responsibility. As poisonous as cigarette smoke and even harder to corral, the cellphone’s “second-hand” microwave and to bystanders particularly children riding in cars that transmit amplified cellphone signals through their steel structure. Reporting the conclusions of a 12-person British study team, scientist Sir William Stewart told London’s Financial Times that “children may be more vulnerable because of their developing nervous system, the greater absorption of energy in the tissues of the head and a longer lifetime of exposure.”

Roger Coghill became a long-standing advocate for health warnings to be affixed to cell phones after this biologist found that cellphone transmissions damage the ability of white blood cells to ward off infectious disease by disrupting the immune system’s electromagnetic communications. Dr. Neil Cherry has measured accelerated aging, increased cell death and cancers caused by radio frequency microwaves from cellphones and their relay towers. With the brain’s electro-chemical communications repeatedly zapped by lightning-like cellphone pulses, this Ph.D. biophysicist warns that headaches, fatigue, lethargy, nausea, dizziness, depression, arteriosclerosis and even Alzheimer’s can result from frequent or prolonged calls on cell phones.

“There is also a higher incidence of cardiac problems,” Cherry comments, “in terms of the timing function in hearts. You get more heart attacks and more heart disease – it has now been shown in many studies.” The biophysicist from Lincoln University in Christ Church, New Zealand has also found that cell phones can murderously modify moods. In brains and bodies seriously derailed by tiny imbalances in trace minerals and hormones, depression, suicide, anger, rage and violence can result when calcium and serotonin levels are disrupted by cellphone transmissions.

In 1995, Cell phone sales in North America exceeded the birth rate.
Hired by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association to condone cellphones, public health scientist George Carlo found that rare tumors on the outside of the brain are more than doubled among cell phone callers particularly on the right side of the head where `phones are usually held. Carlo told ABC’s “20/20” that cell phone causes genetic damage that leads to cancer. Warning of “the potential for a global health disaster,” ABC recommended “prudent avoidance” of cellphones after finding that every cellphone they lab-tested exceeded the Federal Communication Commission’s standards for EMF absorption rates. EMF researcher Dave Ashton cautioned 20/20 viewers that because cellphones constantly search for the nearest repeating tower, “long-term damage comes from cell phones in the stand-by mode.” Cell phone “shields” and headsets “cannot adequately address these problems,” Ashton added.

Dr. Carlo later told London’s Express newspaper that cellphones cause genetic damage following a dose-response curve. That is, the more a person uses a cell phone, the more cellular destruction and health risks they incur. Cell phone-confused cells can go crazy, Carlo cautioned. Experiments on captive animals show that this cumulative DNA damage is passed on to succeeding generations.

Addicted as we are to a culture of convenience, we forget how inconvenient it is to contract cancer. An Adelaide Hospital study confirmed Carlo’s conclusions after finding B-cell lymphomas doubled in mice within 18 months of one-hour daily exposure to power densities experienced by a cellphone user. B-cell lymphomas are implicated in 85% of all cancers.

READY OR NOT
As magazine-size “cellular” relay antennas hidden in church steeples and rooflines keep popping up just about everywhere, more and more communities are declaring their airspace a “No Fry Zone”. But in Canada, where cell phone towers come under federal jurisdiction, municipalities are only “advisers’ to a process in which no permits are required to erect transmitter towers deemed necessary for “national security.” Cellphones do save a lot of lives. FCC Chairman William Kennard reports that every day more than 98,000 people make 911 calls from wireless cell phones.

Many more lives are involuntarily imperiled by non-emergency calls. Pat Irwin was working in a Colwood health food store when she noticed a truck unloading metal framework. The next morning, a new cellphone tower was ready to add its emissions to another BC Tel tower already operating down the street. There had been no announcement, no public hearings just a quiet notification to the municipality that a tower was going up, literally overnight.

The intruder radiated for a month when Irwin felt her immunity dropping. She wondered if other changes in her energy and menstrual cycle were “not from the moon or something that I ate.”

Irwin also seemed more irritable after her central nervous switchboard began receiving round-the-clock cellphone calls. With cellular relay towers in Kansas and Oklahoma being shut down because they interfered with passing aircraft, Irwin sensed how the same transmissions plucked her own electrical circuitry, inflicting a “chronic edginess” that “twangs human nerves.” Sleep disorders, she learned, are common among people exposed to high levels of electromagnetic pollution.

After several other women in the same business centre reported similar symptoms, Irwin quit her job. “I saw it as something that was there to stay and I’d be daily exposed to it over a long period of time,” she told Alive. “All this stuff is what we’re playing with on a daily basis, and we don’t know the long-term health effects.”

Implying recognized hazard, cell phone companies such as B.C.’s FIDO insist that the new digital phones operating at 1/50 the power of older analog models are safer. But there is nothing “safe” about the new 1.9 gigahertz broadcasting frequency. Much like a boxer taking repeated blows to the head, rapidly pulsing cellphones signal permanent brain damage. A study by Dr. Peter Franch found unequivocally that “cells are permanently damaged by cellular phone frequencies.” This cellular damage, Franch noted, is maximized at low dosage – and “inherited unchanged, from generation to generation.”

Attempting to explain a 25% increase in asthma and a 5% increase in asthma-related death rates throughout rapidly “mobilizing” metropolitan Sydney, Franch found that the production of histamine, which triggers bronchial spasms, is nearly doubled after exposure to mobile phone transmissions. Cellphones also reduce the effectiveness of anti-asthmatic drugs, and retard recovery from illness.

Katharina Gustavss, a certified Building Biology consultant with 25 years experience, explains that CDMA’s 217 Hz spikes are very close to the frequencies of human cell membranes. Gustavss accompanied a Microcell technician to the Colwood microwave relay tower Irwin and others had complained about. When he waved a spectrum analyzer, Gustavss checked the display and saw “pretty scary” energy spikes. “What’s that?” she asked the tech. “I’ve never seen that before,” he told her. It turned out that this cellphone tower tester only set his meter to an averaging mode. Switching to “real time” froze the readings at “scary” maximum output levels.

How dangerous are cell phones? “The risk is extremely high,” declares Dr. Cherry. “There are 66 epidemiological studies showing that electromagnetic radiation across the spectrum increase brain tumors in human populations. Two of those studies are for particular brain tumors from cell phones.”

Cherry says that because cancer takes decades to develop, it will be another 10 or 20 years before “mobiles” manifest a big bonanza in brain tumors. But he adds, we’re already seeing “acute effects that are noticed within minutes of using a cell phone.”

After two minutes’ conversation, a cell phone’s digitized impulses disable the safety barrier that isolates the brain from destructive proteins and poisons in the blood. Professor Leif Salford, the neurologist who carried out the research for this finding, informed the Daily Mail: “It seems that molecules such as proteins and toxins can pass out of the blood, while the phone is switched on, and enter the brain. We need to bear in mind diseases such as MS and Alzheimer’s which are linked to proteins being found in the brain.”

DANCING WITH THE TELECOMONSTER
If you must pack a cell phone, treat it like a loaded pistol. Keep it turned off. Don’t carry it near ovaries, testicles, or the heart. For partial protection, buy an antenna shield. Limit calls to one-minute, six to 10 minutes a month. Never fire off a cellphone with children anywhere in sight.

A better bet is to facilitate the growth of organic telephone networks with lots of fibre. Instead of more microwave towers, “We should be wiring up our cities with fibre-optic cables to provide Internet, fax, telephone, radio and television at very high quality,” Cherry urges, “rather than saturating our cities with the microwave, radiowave and low frequency signals all the time.”

When it comes to cells, consciousness and cell phones, every call is collect. How can convenience count more than cancer? What is gained by being in constant contact with disembodied voices, while being “out of touch” with the friends and neighbours around us? Are we comfortable having our location traced by monitoring authorities?

Unless we start voting with our wallets, consumer complacency could prove as species-limiting as corporate cynicism. “Microwave frequencies are the same as those used in radar and your microwave oven,” says Florida cellphone tower opponent Joe Chwick. “You wouldn’t think of sticking your head in the oven, but there is no hesitation to putting the cell phone to your ear.”

Having somehow survived three-million years of evolution without them, many contemporary hominids claim they cannot live without them. But can exquisitely sensitive electromagnetic beings live with cell phones – and the cell phone towers their signals ride in on? Like polyethylene food and water containers, plastic cookers and coffeemakers, microwave ovens and petroleum-powered brilliantly beguiling inventions we have to let go. Would hanging up on such an intrusive and hazardous addiction be so terrible?

Article by Will Thomas

The post Cell Phone Grave Dangers appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

A summary of what has worked for many people follows below. The safety of vitamins and minerals is extraordinary, and the expense of trying them is much less than the cost of hazardous pharmaceutical drugs. These nutrients can be purchased in a discount or heath store.

Taking 1,000 mg of vitamin B-3 three times a day often cures mild to moderate depression. Dramatic results are often achieved within one week of beginning this nutritional program, especially in alcoholics. (1)

Sometimes a simple deficiency of vitamin D causes depression. 3,000 I.U./day from all sources can alleviate the problem. (2)

3,000 mg/day or more of niacin (vitamin B-3), along with the same quantity of vitamin C, taken in divided doses throughout the day can successfully treat both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. (3)

Vitamins B-3, B-6, C and the minerals magnesium and zinc frequently produce a good response in ADHD and autistic children. (4)

Vitamins B-6, folate, and B-12 taken together lower elevated homocysteine levels in the elderly while improving mental function. (5)

As pointed out by chemistry professor and vitamin discoverer Roger J. Williams, PhD (6), each individual has different nutritional needs and responds differently to nutrients. Are you tired of being depressed, suffering from anxiety, paying huge prescription drug bills for unsafe prescriptions that don’t solve the problem or produce undesirable side effects? Are you tired of the piece-meal trial and error approach to finding a solution to your mental or emotional problems? If so, adults should consider the following nutritional protocol, which will bathe your brain and nerves in natural nutrients and may well produce dramatic results. The cost of trying the program below is less than the cost of a typical doctor’s office visit. It is safe and convenient. All of these nutrients can be purchased at large discount stores.

After the morning meal take: A multivitamin tablet 1,000 mg of vitamin B-3 (as niacinamide or inositol hexanicotinate) One B-complex tablet 100 mg of vitamin B-6 1,200 mcg of vitamin B-9 (folate or folic acid) 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D (the lower number if you get sunshine, the higher number if you don’t) 1,000 mg of vitamin C 200 mg of magnesium 50 mg of zinc 200 micrograms (mcg) of selenium 30 grams of soy protein powder and one tablespoon of lecithin granules mixed into a small glass of juice or milk A supplement of omega-3 fatty acids [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)]

After the midday meal:
1,000 mg of vitamin B-3
1,200 mg of vitamin folate
100 mg of vitamin B-6

One B-complex tablet
1,000 mg of vitamin C
200 mg of magnesium

After the evening meal:
A multivitamin tablet
1,000 mg of vitamin B-3

1,000 mg of vitamin C
One B-complex tablet
100 mg of vitamin B-6

All of the above supplements are safe in the recommended amounts, as well as inexpensive and convenient. There is not even one death per year from vitamins. Pharmaceutical drugs, properly prescribed and taken as directed, kill over 100,000 Americans annually. Hospital errors kill still more.

Restoring health must be done nutritionally, not pharmacologically. All cells in all persons are made exclusively from what we drink and eat. Not one cell is made out of drugs.

The most common mistake made by people who take vitamins is they fail to take enough vitamins.

The reason one nutrient can cure so many different illnesses is because a deficiency of one nutrient can cause many different illnesses.

What is Orthomolecular Medicine?

Linus Pauling defined orthomolecular medicine as the treatment of disease by the provision of the optimum molecular environment, especially the optimum concentrations of substances normally present in the human body. Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy to fight illness. For more information:
http://www.orthomolecular.org

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit and non-commercial informational resource.

Editorial Review Board:

Abram Hoffer, M.D.
Harold D. Foster, Ph.D.
Bradford Weeks, M.D.

Carolyn Dean, M.D.
Erik Paterson, M.D.
Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D.

Andrew W. Saul, contact person. email: omns@orthomolecular.org.

To subscribe at no charge: http://orthomolecular.org/subscribe.html

References for further reading:

1. Hoffer A. Vitamin B-3: Niacin and its amide. Also: Cheraskin E, Ringsdorf WM and Brecher A. Psychodietetics. Bantam Books, 1974.

2. Vieth R, Kimball S, Hu A, Walfish PG. Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D3 adequate intake versus 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day on biochemical responses and the wellbeing of patients. Nutr J. 2004 Jul 19;3:8.

3. Hoffer A. Healing schizophrenia: Complementary vitamin & drug treatments. Toronto: CCNM Press, 2004. Also: Hawkins D and Pauling L. Orthomolecular psychiatry, San Francisco: Freeman, 1973. Also: Hoffer A. Niacin therapy in psychiatry, Charles C. Thomas, 1962.

4. Hoffer A. Healing children’s attention and behavior disorders: Complementary nutritional & psychological treatments. Toronto: CCNM Press, 2004. Also: Hoffer A. Dr. Hoffer’s ABC of natural nutrition for children. Kingston, Ontario: Quarry Press, 1999.

5. Selhub J, Jacques PF, Wilson PWF, Rush D, Rosenberg IH. Vitamin status and intake as primary determinants of homocysteinemia in an elderly population. JAMA 1993. 270:2693-2698. Also: Verhoef P, Meleady R, Daly LE, Graham IM, Robinson K, Boers GHJ, et al. Homocysteine, vitamin status and risk of vascular disease. European Heart Journal 1999. 20:1234-1244.

(6) http://neon.cm.utexas.edu/williams/

The post Mental Health Treatment That Works appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

• Exam is done at an accredited mammography facility.
• Mean glandular xray dose per view = 0.1 rad (0.1 centi-gray, cGy).
• There are two views of each breast per exam.
• Combined mean glandular dose to each breast = 0.2 rad (0.2 cGy).
• Unrepaired damage to genes from xrays accumulates. Therefore, the risk from multiple mammograms is the sum of the risk from each individual exam.
• Risks below refer to incidence; risk of mortality is 4x lower.

From pp.172-181 of the 1996 book Preventing Breast Cancer, by John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph.D. Adapted for this table by Dr. Gofman, June 9, 1998.

Resource: http://www.ratical.org

The post Mammography: Examination Itself Will Cause Radiation – Induced Breast Cancer appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

For those of us who dabble in electronics, or earn our livelihood in electronics or a related field, the concern becomes more prominent. That being the case you should be aware of what research has taken place and what’s been reported thus far.

Why Worry Now? You might be wondering if ELF radiation is such a health hazard, why has it taken so long for anyone to mention its dangers? To answer that question, we must look at how scientists first sized up the potential harm of low-frequency magnetic fields.

To begin with, it was originally believed that weak low-frequency fields could not have a significant impact on living systems. This belief was based on the amount of thermal energy the ELF fields could produce in biological tissue. The energy produced by ELF radiation is much smaller than the normal thermal energy internally generated by a cell’s metabolic process. In addition, the quantum energy of the fields is far too low to break any chemical or nuclear bonds in the tissue. Therefore, scientists felt DNA would be safe from mutating. Finally the electric field of the body is much greater than the induced field from ELF radiation. Looking at all these factors, it’s easy to understand why the scientific community quickly dismissed epidemological studies that indicated a statistically significant hazard associated with ELF radiation.

As a result, the scientific community has of late been portrayed in the press as a bunch of hacks or bureaucratic puppets genuflecting for grants from government agencies and power companies. However, the reason for the quick dismissal was one of genuine disbelief, not a mass cover up. Although in truth, a few scientists have stepped over the line and maligned good researchers based upon the profit and loss statements of their employers. These scientists are few in number and the entire scientific community should be condemned based upon their isolated unethical endeavors.

The Real Deal. Although the mechanism by which ELF fields affect biological tissue is still not exactly known, it has been unequivocally shown that cells are affected. The best research to date shows that a cell’s membrane, or receptor molecules in the membrane, are sensitive to extremely weak low-frequency magnetic fields.

Some of the effects reported so far include changes in the flow of ionic compounds through cellular membranes. Also noted are changes in DNA synthesis, RNA transcription, and the response of cells to signaling molecules such as hormones and neurotransmitters. In addition, changes have been noted in the kinetics of some cellular biochemical reactions.

Not all ELF radiation produces all of those effects, it’s more complex than that. Some effects are only noted at discrete frequencies and amplitudes of the magnetic field. Others depend on the strength and orientation of an ambient constant magnetic field. Still others require a threshold of exposure time rather that field strength.

The inherent danger or increased likelihood of various forms of cancer due to ELF radiation has been emphasized in the press. As stated previously, the quantum energy of these fields isn’t sufficient to produce any type of chromosomal damage. Simply, that means that ELF radiation doesn’t initiate cancer. The increased incidence of cancers is due to the fact that ELF radiation can promote the disease after the cancer has been triggered by another agent. The cancer is promoted because ELF radiation can suppress the body’s immune system. In addition, it has been determined that at the cellular level the ELF fields increase the production of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, which has been cited to support the promotion of cancer in the body.

The Evidence. As studies progress, more information will be forthcoming. Here is a short list of reported events that indicates the potential hazards of ELF fields:

Computer Monitors. Concern over the radiation from televisions and computer monitors (which are closely related in operation and technology) is nothing new. A number of years ago there was concern as to whether radiation given off by color televisions could have a negative impact on health. This concern was based primarily on ionizing radiation, (low-level X-rays) whose intensity fell off dramatically a few inches away from the TV screen, and turned out to be incidental. But more insidious than this overt threat is one that has passed unnoticed until quite recently: the low frequency magnetic fields generated by the coils on the TV’s CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube).

Computer monitors (or VDT’s, which stands for video-display terminals) generate these low-frequency magnetic fields, which emanate in all directions, too. They present a greater hazard than TV’s because a user must sit closer to them during use. In fact, there have been numerous reports from female computer operators of cluster miscarriages. The word cluster refers to a greater-than-average incident of miscarriages among a group of women.

The latest study on cluster miscarriages was performed in 1988 by doctors Marilyn Goldhaber, Michael Polen, and Robert Hiat of the Kaiser Permanente Health Group in Oakland, California. The study involved 1,583 pregnant women. The results of the study showed that female workers who used computers more than 20 hours a week had double the miscarriage rate as female workers who did similar work without computers.

What the study didn’t take into account, but which I’m sure will be studied in the near future, is the incidence of malformations and cancers in the children born to women who use computers as compared to the children of women who don’t. If we extrapolate the information from David Savitz’s 1990 study, we may see another side to the problem.

Excessive ELF fields emitted by computer monitors is an industry-wide problem, virtually all CRT computer monitors emit excessive ELF radiation unless specifically stated otherwise. Recently, MacWorld Magazine (in the July, 1990 issue) did ELF studies on 10 popular monitors. All of the monitors tested emitted excessive ELF radiation at a close range. The only recommendation that they or I can offer you at this time is to increase the distance between you and the monitor. A working distance of two feet is recommended.

The ELF field propagates from all points around the monitor, not just from the front screen. That fact becomes important in offices where computer terminals are in close proximity to one another, because workers can be exposed not only from their own monitor, but also from a neighbor’s monitor.

It’s important to realize that the ELF field given off will vary somewhat from monitor to monitor. Table 1 summarizes some measurements I took of the 60-Hz ELF field from my 1084 Amiga monitor. As you can see, the ELF field strength drops off dramatically with distance from the monitor. (I could not check the ELF radiating from the bottom of the monitor because of the way it is situated in my work space).

Shielding. It would be nice if we could purchase a radiation shield for our monitors, similar to the antiglare shield on the market. Unfortunately none exist. Be very careful, there are some antiglare screens on the market that make a claim of blocking the electric and magnetic fields given off from the monitor. First, electric fields as far as I know have not been reported to have any negative impact upon health. Second, the magnetic field the screens claim to block are in fact the visible-light frequency fields generated by the CRT. Those high-frequency magnetic fields have not been shown to have a negative impact on health. These antiglare screens have no impact on the low-frequency (60-Hz) magnetic fields that I am talking about. There is no easy way to shield that monitor to reduce the propagating ELF fields. I have tried a number of different methods, none had any appreciable impact on the ELF radiation. The best recommendation is to keep the monitor 18-24 inches away from yourself.

Another possibility is to use an alternative type computer monitor. Liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma display monitors do not emit ELF fields. However, their drawbacks are higher cost and lower resolution.

Precautions Around the Home. There are sources of ELF around the typical home. Before I discuss them, I would first like to explain a little bit about dose-rate. An appliance in the home may generate a very strong ELF field, but if the appliance is only used a short time, its risk factor is probably low. (Note the word “probably” in the last sentence: currently, exact data on short-duration high-strength fields hasn’t been gathered).

Electric razors fall into this category. Line-operated (plugged into a wall socket rather than battery-powered) razors do produce extremely strong ELF fields, and are held in very close proximity to the body, but because they are only used for a short time, the total exposure or dose is small and they are probably safe. In contrast to the electric razor is the electric blanket. It emits a much lower ELF field strength, but for a much longer exposure time.

Dr. Nancy Wertheimer, who first published the epidemiological study showing a correlation between 60-Hz power lines and the increased incidence of childhood cancer in this country, has also performed similar research on users of electric blankets. She has found that there is a higher incidence of miscarriages among pregnant women who use electric blankets as compared to pregnant women who do not.

For users of electric blankets, the following recommendations can be made. One, switch to ordinary blankets. If you like electric blankets, use one to heat your bed before going to sleep, but unplug the blanket before you actually get into bed. It is not sufficient to just turn off the blanket because many blankets still produce an ELF field as long as they’re plugged into a socket.

Fluorescent light are much more efficient (more light per electrical watt) than ordinary incandescent bulbs. Because of that, they have become the standard lighting system used in most offices, industry, and now around the home. However, fluorescent lights require a ballast transformer that generates an ELF field. If you’re using a small fluorescent lamp as a desk light, you may want to consider switching to an incandescent lamp, which generates virtually no ELF.

That also applies to the new energy-saver fluorescent lamps that replace standard incandescent bulbs. They are okay for overhead lighting, but you may want to reconsider using them for close-up work or desk lighting.

Television sets fall into the same category as our computer monitors. Like our monitors, they produce a field that propagates from around the entire set. The ELF field will propagate through standard building materials such as wood and plaster. So if a TV set is placed against a wall, the ELF will propagate through the wall into the adjoining room. So it becomes important not to place a bed against a wall with a TV set on the other side.

The small motors in AC-powered clocks also produce ELF fields. If the clock is an alarm clock that lies close to the sleeper’s head, it could be giving that person a significant dose of ELF radiation during the night. The recommendation would be to move the clock a significant distance away. Or purchase either a battery-powered clock or a digital clock that produces a negligible field.

Hair dryers fall in the same category as electric shavers since using them means short-term, high field-strength exposure. They are probably safe for most people. Notable exceptions are people who use them in their occupation, such as hair stylists and hair dressers.

Electric baseboard heaters are another potential problem appliance. A minimum of 4 feet of distance is recommended from such heaters.

It’s impossible for me to state what a safe, long-term dose rate is because it hasn’t been established. Effects have been reported at dose rates as low as 1.2 to 3 milligauss. So I would venture to say try to limit long-term exposure to 1 milligauss or less.

Bottom Line. A controversy still rages as to the impact and extent of ELF fields on human health. I would try to limit long-term exposure to one milligauss or less.

A personal note from Guy Cramer, Ion Scientist; These ELF fields trigger serotonin a brain hormone now associated with cancer (see Project AIR). A negative ion generator can convert the excess serotonin (the antagonist for most of the problems) into a harmless chemical called 5HA ( 5-HIAA ).. I have my negative ion generator blowing at me while I work on my computer.; Negative ion generators are not a cure all.

Do not put the negative ion generator into your bedroom at night. Negative ions we keep your brain at an alert yet calm state of 10 Hz (10 cycles per second). Sleep occurs between 2 Hz. – 6 Hz.

By John Iovine, From “Popular Electronics” March 1993

The post Electromagnetic Fields – EMF And Your Health appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Health concerns Unease about the health effects of electromagnetic fields can be traced back to a 1979 study conducted by epidemiologist Nancy Wertheimer and physicist Ed Leeper. The Wertheimer-Leeper study found that children living close to high-current power lines were two to three times more likely to develop cancer than children who did not. In the 23 years since, dozens of studies have corroborated the Wertheimer-Leeper findings, and hundreds of other studies have associated exposure to EMFs with increased incidence of childhood and adult cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, brain cancer and male breast cancer, as well as increased risk of miscarriage, depression and suicide. And while some studies have found either no risk or very low risk of electromagnetic fields for cancer, a preponderance of the evidence suggests that EMFs are a serious threat to human health.

In his 1985 book The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life, Robert O. Becker, M.D., noted, “The human species has changed its electromagnetic background more than any other aspect of the environment.” According to Becker, “The greatest polluting element in the Earth’s environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields.” Everyone recognizes the health hazards of chemical pollutants in our air, land and water. But ask someone about the dangers of EMFs and you’ll most likely get a blank stare. Putting the spin on science In July 1997, addressing the First World Conference on Breast Cancer, environmental consultant and policy researcher Cindy Sage declared that decision-making on public health issues is hampered “when there is a large industry presence [that] may suffer Þnancial consequences with the admission of liability for a carcinogenic product.” Such a situation, she added, “creates a difficult climate for funding, evaluating and acting on new scientific information. The state of the science becomes a battleground, where scientific uncertainty is argued as reason to defer action or take trivial or meaningless action.” This is exactly what has happened with EMF research. Due to strong industry pressure to ignore possible health risks, studies showing positive EMF-cancer associations have been discredited, while other studies have disguised or buried the association altogether.

We are being kept in a state of ignorance about the dangers posed by electrical pollution at a time when the devices contributing to that pollution from power tools to cell phones to electric cars are proliferating wildly, with no EMF safety-testing whatsoever and almost no non-industry-sponsored funding for research. Studies and missed opportunities In their 1979 study “Electrical Wiring Configurations and Childhood Cancer,” Wertheimer and Leeper observed, “Electrical power came into use many years before environmental impact studies were common, and today our domestic power lines are taken for granted and generally assumed to be harmless. However, this assumption has never been adequately tested. É In 1976-77, we did a field study in the greater Denver area which suggested that, in fact, the homes of children who developed cancer were found unduly often near electric lines carrying high currents.” The groundbreaking study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, was summarily dismissed by utility companies and government agencies, which refused to fund a single study that would refute or confirm the findings. Three years later, Swedish physician Lennart Tomenius reported significantly higher-than-expected levels of cancer among Stockholm residents exposed to EMF levels similar to those reported in the Denver study. His findings, too, were ignored. Many occupational studies have demonstrated an EMF-cancer link.

In July 1982, research epidemiologist Sam Milham of the Washington State Department of Health published the results of a study indicating that workers with high EMF exposure such as electricians and power station operators had a greater-than-expected rate of leukemia. Dozens of other studies corroborated these findings. And in 1989, Johns Hopkins University reported that, in addition to having a higher-than-average risk of leukemia and lymphoma, male telephone-cable splicers also had a higher-than-average risk of lung, prostate, colon and breast cancer. Most of this research went unreported by the popular press. Then, in 1989 and 1990, a series of articles by Paul Brodeur in the New Yorker, entitled “Annals of Radiation: The Hazards of Electromagnetic Fields,” shocked the nation into an awareness of the possible health dangers associated with these unseen energy fields. A flurry of print and TV news stories on the subject followed. Then silence. The myth of low risk ratios Critics who scoff at the idea that EMFs pose any health risk often point to studies in which exposure to EMFs could not be shown to cause a significant increase in cancer or other diseases in other words, EMFs seemed to have relatively low “risk ratios.” What these studies did not take into account was that, because EMFs are everywhere in modern industrial society, it is virtually impossible to find control groups for clinical EMF studies.

In his 1998 study of carcinogenic risk, “Carcinogenicity of Electromagnetic Fields,” Milham illustrates this point by presenting the basic data of a 1956 study of smoking and lung cancer conducted by British physicians Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill. In that study, Milham notes, “a high relative risk [was] achieved only when heavy smokers [were] compared to nonsmokers.” He then points out that “the EMF equivalent of nonsmokers does not exist in the industrialized world.” The relatively small risk ratios camouflage an already elevated incidence of EMF-related disease in the general population.

A second factor compromising EMF risk calculations is that researchers may actually have used the wrong magnetic field meters to conduct their exposure assessments. The Positron, Emdex and Amex meters that still are used in many residential and occupational studies have one fatal flaw: They do not detect EMFs below 35 or 40 Hz, the very low frequency (VLF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields that are known to have negative effects on human health. (Nor do they detect the higher frequencies used by cell phones, televisions, radios and microwaves.) The fudge factor Let’s examine a study that is still widely cited as evidence that EMFs are harmless: The National Cancer Institute-Linet Study. According to a 1997 NCI press release, “A comprehensive study by researchers from the National Cancer Institute and the Children’s Cancer Group found no evidence that magnetic fields in the house increase the risk for the most common form of childhood cancer.” Yet, the researchers acknowledge in no less than four places in the report that a statistically significant increase in acute lymphoblastic leukemia exists in children exposed to power line magnetic fields in excess of 3 milligauss (mG).

The report confirms previous studies showing a similar level of association between childhood leukemia and magnetic fields from electricity. So how did the NCI come to the conclusion that there was no risk? Very simple. It set a cutoff limit of 2 mG. (The worldwide safety standard is 2.5 mG.) By establishing that limit, the NCI effectively removed any statistically significant connection with the associated dangers. Standards? What standards? There are no health-based standards for long-term or short-term exposure to extremely low-frequency EMFs in the home or in the workplace. The federally permitted 1,000 mG limit for U.S. workplaces, established in 1986, addresses only thermal safety standards those necessary to avoid shocking, boiling or frying the human body.

The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, in its 1995 “Draft Recommendations on EMF Exposure Guidelines,” generally endorsed an ambient EMF exposure limit of 2 mG. A final report has yet to be released. In 1990, Paul Brodeur ended his New Yorker series with this conclusion: “The de-facto policy that power lines, electric blankets and video-display terminals be considered innocent until proved guilty should be rejected out of hand by sensible people everywhere. To do otherwise is to accept a situation in which millions of human beings continue to be test animals in a long-term biological experiment whose consequences remain unknown.” That is the situation we find ourselves in today. A 1998 Microwave News industry report, “Unfinished Business: EMF Research Must Continue,” makes several important points that remain true today: “First, it is striking that we still know so little about who is exposed to what. [For instance,] only recently did we recognize that sewing-machine operators have higher EMF exposures than do electric utility workers. “[Second,] sources of EMFs turn up in surprising places. For example, Swedish researchers report É that steel-belted radial tires can expose automobile passengers to EMFs as high as 50 mG. Thus, an office worker with a long commute might have more exposure than a utility worker, [and] a suburban kid who gets shuttled around in his parents’ car might have more exposure than a child living within sight of a power line.”

Contemporary EMF research Last year was a banner year for EMF research. In January, a study by Milham connected many disputed pieces of the EMF puzzle. Building on the accumulating evidence that leukemia and certain other cancers are linked with exposure to electromagnetic fields, Milham wrote that “until poles and wires were first extended into our communities, humans had never been exposed to alternating power-frequency fields. Similarly, radio, television, radar, microwaves, cell phones and other indispensable devices of our modern world all expose humans to EMFs, which are completely new to human evolutionary experience.” Milham uncovered conclusive proof that the appearance of a new childhood leukemia peak in children ages 2 to 4 is the direct result of residential electrification as it took place, country by country and state by state, throughout the world. The peak was highest in states with the greatest levels of electrification and, even today, places without electrification do not show this childhood leukemia peak. As a result of this finding, Milham and his researchers conclude that 75% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 60% of all childhood leukemia may actually be preventable. They also note that “weak alternating magnetic fields have been shown to affect reaction time, slow the heart and affect the electroencephalogram in humans.” In other words, the negative health effects from exposure to EMFs are not limited to children; they can and do affect all of us. As environmental physicist Neil Cherry, M.D., Ph.D., and others have pointed out, the historical rise in childhood leukemia is paralleled by the same rise in adult leukemia in all developed countries.

Then, on July 16, 2001, under pressure from a First Amendment Coalition lawsuit, the California Department of Health Services released a major report on the health effects of power frequency electric and magnetic fields. The report summarized a decade of research costing more than $7 million. It stated, “Some of the health risks associated with exposure to electric and magnetic fields such as those that radiate from power lines are added risk of miscarriage, childhood leukemia, brain cancer and greater incidence of suicide.” Two other EMF studies rounded out the year. In November, researchers from Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies presented a study showing that exposure to electromagnetic fields can interfere with melatonin, a sleep-regulating hormone that also inhibits cancerous tumor growth.

When the researchers exposed breast cancer cells to a level of electromagnetism that people are exposed to on a daily basis, they found that it decreased melatonin’s ability to suppress the cancer cells’ growth. And in December, scientists at the Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute in Marbella, Spain, discovered that a mobile phone call lasting a mere two minutes can produce abnormal brain-wave patterns in children that last up to an hour. But what about all those studies purporting to show that cell phones are harmless? Milham and other scientists say it’s impossible to know for sure. Since cancer has a latency period of at least 10 to 20 years, it’s too soon to tell. There is mounting evidence, however, of increased incidence of brain cancer among heavy cell phone users.

Who is looking out for public health? With our ever-expanding use of electricity and recent developments in and burgeoning use of wireless technologies, the health risks for all life forms are growing at an alarming rate. Since cell phone technology first came into use, levels of man-made EMF radiation have increased by as much as 100,000 times for the whole planet. The third-generation cellular systems now being built require four times the number of transmitter masts used by the current mobile phone system. The installation of millions of wireless computer networks in offices, homes and schools will add another layer to the amount of microwave and radio frequency radiation to which people are exposed every day.

There is near-total agreement among researchers that the developing brains of children are most vulnerable to EMFs. Environmental consultant Sage is worried that installing wireless computer networks in schools could increase children’s exposure to harmful radiation one hundredfold. It is time to clear the air of disinformation about EMFs. The need to understand electromagnetic fields, identify their potential health hazards and implement measures to mitigate the risks they pose to human health has become urgent. Milham and other scientists are increasingly concerned that it may take an epidemic of brain and other cancers to catalyze the independent research, government oversight and avoidance measures that are necessary to protect human health and the health of the entire planet. Let’s hope they’re wrong. AM Heidi Gitterman is a speaker, author and contributing editor to Alternative Medicine.

idebar EMF Safety Tips: Remember that EMFs go through doors and walls. In general, to reduce your exposure to EMFs, increase the distance between you and the source. A surprising rule of thumb: The smaller and cheaper the motor, the higher its electromagnetic field. In kitchens, the appliance with the highest EMF reading is often the electric can opener. EMF levels can be very different between makes and models of the same appliance. In general, those with a higher EER (energy efficiency ratio) produce lower EMF levels and are therefore safer. Look for EnergyStar appliances. You can also test electrical appliances in the store using a handheld Gauss meter. Stay at least an arm’s length away from the front, back and sides of a computer monitor, even if there is a wall between you. And keep your distance from the computer itself; the chassis also produces an electromagnetic Þeld. If you must use an electric blanket or heated waterbed, use one that has been wired to neutralize its powerful magnetic Þeld. Move away from appliances (dishwashers, toasters, microwave ovens) while they are operating. Avoid using cellular phones as much as possible.

Prudent avoidance The United States has no federal health-based standards for exposure to electromagnetic fields. However, after more than 25 years of intensive study, the Swedish government established a safety limit for exposure to ELF (extremely low frequency) magnetic fields at 2.5 mG. Since EMFs are not visible, have no odor and make no sound discernable by the human ear, some scientists believe that EMF detectors are essential to prudent avoidance of hazardous EMFs. Gauss meters can be used to check for EMFs in your home, office and car. You can hire an environmental consultant to do the job, or you can purchase an inexpensive meter and do the checking yourself.

Sometimes moving a bed, a chair or an appliance as little as 6 to 12 inches can mean the difference between resting in a safe place or a potentially dangerous one. The California EMF Program suggests you stay 3 to 4 feet from appliances, 60 to 200 feet from distribution lines and 300 to 1,000 feet from transmission lines. It’s a good idea to check the electrical wiring throughout your home. Noncode wiring is often the cause of high EMF readings. Finally, because of the amount of time we spend sleeping and the negative health effects that high levels of EMFs can have on the body’s ability to produce cancer-fighting melatonin, keeping EMFs under 1 mG in the bedroom is especially important.

By Heidi Gitterman

Resources

The California EMF Program offers free, downloadable information on measuring EMFs in the home: www.dhs.ca.gov/ehib/emf/general.html Power Line Health Facts:

www.powerlinefacts.com/index.htm?b1=return+to+main+page Swedish Association for the ElectroSensitive:
www.feb.se/index_int.htm Microwave News:
www.microwavenews.com The EMF Safety Superstore (information, Gauss meters and other safety products):
www.lessemf.com/ Books:
Warning: The Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health, by Ellen Sugarman (2nd ed., Miriam Press, 1998) Cross Currents: The Promise of Electromedicine, the Perils of Electropollution, by Dr. Robert O. Becker (J. P. Tarcher, 1991) Political Action:
Join local, national and international efforts to fund independent EMF research and to push for standards: Websites:

EMR Network:
www.emrnetwork.org/
EMF Guru:
www.emfguru.org/
International EMF Project:
www.who.int/peh-emf/

The post Danger of EMF – Electromagnetic Field – Powerlines, VDU, Home Appliances….. appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.

Of course, if microwave ovens were really harmful, our government would never allow them on the market, would they? Would they? Regardless of what has been “officially” released concerning microwave ovens, we have personally stopped using ours based on the research facts outlined in this article.

The purpose of this report is to show proof – evidence – that microwave cooking is not natural, nor healthy, and is far more dangerous to the human body than anyone could imagine.

However, the microwave oven manufacturers, Washington City politics, and plain old human nature are suppressing the facts and evidence. Because of this, people are continuing to microwave their food – in blissful ignorance – without knowing the effects and danger of doing so.

Microwaves unsafe for baby’s milk

A number of warnings have been made public, but have been barely noticed. For example, Young Families, the Minnesota Extension Service of the University of Minnesota , published the following in 1989:

“Although microwaves heat food quickly, they are not recommended for heating a baby’s bottle. The bottle may seem cool to the touch, but the liquid inside may become extremely hot and could burn the baby’s mouth and throat.

Also, the buildup of steam in a closed container, such as a baby bottle, could cause it to explode. Heating the bottle in a microwave can cause slight changes in the milk. In infant formulas, there may be a loss of some vitamins.

In expressed breast milk, some protective properties may be destroyed. Warming a bottle by holding it under tap water, or by setting it in a bowl of warm water, then testing it on your wrist before feeding may take a few minutes longer, but it is much safer.”

Dr. Lita Lee of Hawaii reported in the December 9, 1989 Lancet:

“Microwaving baby formulas converted certain trans-amino acids into their synthetic cis-isomers. Synthetic isomers, whether cis-amino acids or trans-fatty acids, are not biologically active.

Further, one of the amino acids, L-proline, was converted to its d-isomer, which is known to be neurotoxic (poisonous to the nervous system) and nephrotoxic (poisonous to the kidneys). It’s bad enough that many babies are not nursed, but now they are given fake milk (baby formula) made even more toxic via microwaving.”

Microwaved blood kills patient

In 1991, there was a lawsuit in Oklahoma concerning the hospital use of a microwave oven to warm blood needed in a transfusion. The case involved a hip surgery patient, Norma Levitt, who died from a simple blood transfusion.

It seems the nurse had warmed the blood in a microwave oven. This tragedy makes it very apparent that there’s much more to “heating” with microwaves than we’ve been led to believe. Blood for transfusions is routinely warmed, but not in microwave ovens. In the case of Mrs. Levitt, the microwaving altered the blood and it killed her.

It’s very obvious that this form of microwave radiation “heating” does something to the substances it heats. It’s also becoming quite apparent that people who process food in a microwave oven are also ingesting these “unknowns”.

Because the body is electrochemical in nature, any force that disrupts or changes human electrochemical events will affect the physiology of the body. This is further described in Robert O. Becker’s book, The Body Electric, and in Ellen Sugarman’s book, Warning, the Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health.

Scientific evidence and facts

In Comparative Study of Food Prepared Conventionally and in the Microwave Oven, published by Raum & Zelt in 1992, at 3(2): 43, it states

“A basic hypothesis of natural medicine states that the introduction into the human body of molecules and energies, to which it is not accustomed, is much more likely to cause harm than good.

Microwaved food contains both molecules and energies not present in food cooked in the way humans have been cooking food since the discovery of fire. Microwave energy from the sun and other stars is direct current based.

Artificially produced microwaves, including those in ovens, are produced from alternating current and force a billion or more polarity reversals per second in every food molecule they hit.

Production of unnatural molecules is inevitable. Naturally occurring amino acids have been observed to undergo isomeric changes (changes in shape morphing) as well as transformation into toxic forms, under the impact of microwaves produced in ovens.

One short-term study found significant and disturbing changes in the blood of individuals consuming microwaved milk and vegetables. Eight volunteers ate various combinations of the same foods cooked different ways.

All foods that were processed through the microwave ovens caused changes in the blood of the volunteers. Hemoglobin levels decreased and over all white cell levels and cholesterol levels increased. Lymphocytes decreased.

Luminescent (light-emitting) bacteria were employed to detect energetic changes in the blood. Significant increases were found in the luminescence of these bacteria when exposed to blood serum obtained after the consumption of microwaved food.”

The Swiss clinical study

Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel, who is now retired, worked as a food scientist for many years with one of the major Swiss food companies that do business on a global scale. A few years ago, he was fired from his job for questioning certain processing procedures that denatured the food.

In 1991, he and a Lausanne University professor published a research paper indicating that food cooked in microwave ovens could pose a greater risk to health than food cooked by conventional means.

An article also appeared in issue 19 of the Journal Franz Weber in which it was stated that the consumption of food cooked in microwave ovens had cancerous effects on the blood. The research paper itself followed the article. On the cover of the magazine there was a picture of the Grim Reaper holding a microwave oven in one of his hands.

Dr. Hertel was the first scientist to conceive and carry out a quality clinical study on the effects microwaved nutrients have on the blood and physiology of the human body.

His small but well controlled study showed the degenerative force produced in microwave ovens and the food processed in them. The scientific conclusion showed that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food; and, changes took place in the participants’ blood that could cause deterioration in the human system.

Hertel’s scientific study was done along with Dr. Bernard H. Blanc of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and the University Institute for Biochemistry.

In intervals of two to five days, the volunteers in the study received one of the following food variants on an empty stomach: (1) raw milk; (2) the same milk conventionally cooked; (3) pasteurized milk; (4) the same raw milks cooked in a microwave oven; (5) raw vegetables from an organic farm; (6) the same vegetables cooked conventionally; (7) the same vegetables frozen and defrosted in a microwave oven; and (8) the same vegetables cooked in the microwave oven.

Once the volunteers were isolated, blood samples were taken from every volunteer immediately before eating. Then, blood samples were taken at defined intervals after eating from the above milk or vegetable preparations.

Significant changes were discovered in the blood samples from the intervals following the foods cooked in the microwave oven. These changes included a decrease in all hemoglobin and cholesterol values, especially the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol) values.

Lymphocytes (white blood cells) showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants. Each of these indicators pointed to degeneration.

Additionally, there was a highly significant association between the amount of microwave energy in the test foods and the luminous power of luminescent bacteria exposed to serum from test persons who ate that food.

This led Dr. Hertel to the conclusion that such technically derived energies may, indeed, be passed along to man inductively via eating microwaved food.

According to Dr. Hertel,

“Leukocytosis, which cannot be accounted for by normal daily deviations, is taken very seriously by hemotologists. Leukocytes are often signs of pathogenic effects on the living system, such as poisoning and cell damage.

The increase of leukocytes with the microwaved foods were more pronounced than with all the other variants. It appears that these marked increases were caused entirely by ingesting the microwaved substances.

This process is based on physical principles and has already been confirmed in the literature. The apparent additional energy exhibited by the luminescent bacteria was merely an extra confirmation.

There is extensive scientific literature concerning the hazardous effects of direct microwave radiation on living systems. It is astonishing, therefore, to realize how little effort has been taken to replace this detrimental technique of microwaves with technology more in accordance with nature.

Technically produced microwaves are based on the principle of alternating current. Atoms, molecules, and cells hit by this hard electromagnetic radiation are forced to reverse polarity 1-100 billion times a second.

There are no atoms, molecules or cells of any organic system able to withstand such a violent, destructive power for any extended period of time, not even in the low energy range of milliwatts.

Of all the natural substances – which are polar – the oxygen of water molecules reacts most sensitively. This is how microwave cooking heat is generated – friction from this violence in water molecules.

Structures of molecules are torn apart, molecules are forcefully deformed, called structural isomerism, and thus become impaired in quality. This is contrary to conventional heating of food where heat transfers conventionally from without to within.

Cooking by microwaves begins within the cells and molecules where water is present and where the energy is transformed into frictional heat.

In addition to the violent frictional heat effects, called thermic effects, there are also athermic effects which have hardly ever been taken into account. These athermic effects are not presently measurable, but they can also deform the structures of molecules and have qualitative consequences.

For example the weakening of cell membranes by microwaves is used in the field of gene altering technology. Because of the force involved, the cells are actually broken, thereby neutralizing the electrical potentials, the very life of the cells, between the outer and inner side of the cell membranes.

Impaired cells become easy prey for viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. The natural repair mechanisms are suppressed and cells are forced to adapt to a state of energy emergency – they switch from aerobic to anaerobic respiration. Instead of water and carbon dioxide, the cell poisons hydrogen peroxide and carbon monoxide are produced.”

The same violent deformations that occur in our bodies, when we are directly exposed to radar or microwaves, also occur in the molecules of foods cooked in a microwave oven.

This radiation results in the destruction and deformation of food molecules. Microwaving also creates new compounds, called radiolytic compounds, which are unknown fusions not found in nature. Radiolytic compounds are created by molecular decomposition – decay – as a direct result of radiation.

Microwave oven manufacturers insist that microwaved and irradiated foods do not have any significantly higher radiolytic compounds than do broiled, baked or other conventionally cooked foods.

The scientific clinical evidence presented here has shown that this is simply a lie. In America , neither universities nor the federal government have conducted any tests concerning the effects on our bodies from eating microwaved foods. Isn’t that a bit odd?

They’re more concerned with studies on what happens if the door on a microwave oven doesn’t close properly. Once again, common sense tells us that their attention should be centered on what happens to food cooked inside a microwave oven.

Since people ingest this altered food, shouldn’t there be concern for how the same decayed molecules will affect our own human biological cell structure?

Industry’s action to hide the truth

As soon as Doctors Hertel and Blanc published their results, the authorities reacted. A powerful trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro-apparatuses for Households and Industry, known as FEA, struck swiftly in 1992.

They forced the President of the Court of Seftigen, Canton of Bern, to issue a “gag order” against Drs. Hertel and Blanc. In March 1993, Dr. Hertel was convicted for “interfering with commerce” and prohibited from further publishing his results. However, Dr. Hertel stood his ground and fought this decision over the years.

Not long ago, this decision was reversed in a judgment delivered in Strasbourg , Austria , on August 25, 1998. The European Court of Human Rights held that there had been a violation of Hertel’s rights in the 1993 decision.

The European Court of Human Rights also ruled that the “gag order” issued by the Swiss court in 1992 against Dr. Hertel, prohibiting him from declaring that microwave ovens are dangerous to human health, was contrary to the right to freedom of expression. In addition, Switzerland was ordered to pay Dr. Hertel compensation.

Carcinogens in microwaved food

In Dr. Lita Lee’s book, Health Effects of Microwave Radiation – Microwave Ovens, and in the March and September 1991 issues of Earthletter, she stated that every microwave oven leaks electro-magnetic radiation, harms food, and converts substances cooked in it to dangerous organ-toxic and carcinogenic products.

Further research summarized in this article reveal that microwave ovens are far more harmful than previously imagined.

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Raising Educational Center in Portland , Oregon . Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested.

No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to insure sanitary ingestion. Here’s a summary of some of the results:

Microwave sickness is discovered

The Russians did research on thousands of workers who had been exposed to microwaves during the development of radar in the 1950’s. Their research showed health problems so serious that the Russians set strict limits of 10 microwatts exposure for workers and one microwatt for civilians.

In Robert O. Becker’s book, The Body Electric, he described Russian research on the health effects of microwave radiation, which they called “microwave sickness.” On page 314, Becker states:

“Microwave sickness first signs are low blood pressure and slow pulse. The later and most common manifestations are chronic excitation of the sympathetic nervous system [stress syndrome] and high blood pressure.

This phase also often includes headache, dizziness, eye pain, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, stomach pain, nervous tension, inability to concentrate, hair loss, plus an increased incidence of appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive problems, and cancer.

The chronic symptoms are eventually succeeded by crisis of adrenal exhaustion and ischemic heart disease [the blockage of coronary arteries and heart attacks].”

According to Dr. Lee, changes are observed in the blood chemistries and the rates of certain diseases among consumers of microwaved foods. The symptoms above can easily be caused by the observations shown below. The following is a sample of these changes:

Lymphatic disorders were observed, leading to decreased ability to prevent certain types of cancers.

An increased rate of cancer cell formation was observed in the blood.
Increased rates of stomach and intestinal cancers were observed.
Higher rates of digestive disorders and a gradual breakdown of the systems of elimination were observed.

Microwave research conclusions

The following were the most significant German and Russian research operations facilities concerning the biological effects of microwaves:

The initial research conducted by the Germans during the Barbarossa military campaign, at the Humbolt-Universitat zu Berlin (1942-1943); and,

From 1957 and up to the present [until the end of the cold war], the Russian research operations were conducted at: the Institute of Radio Technology at Kinsk, Byelorussian Autonomous Region; and, at the Institute of Radio Technology at Rajasthan in the Rossiskaja Autonomous Region, both in the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics.

In most cases, the foods used for research analysis were exposed to microwave propagation at an energy potential of 100 kilowatts/cm3/second, to the point considered acceptable for sanitary, normal ingestion. The effects noted by both German and Russian researchers is presented in three categories:

CATEGORY I

CANCER-CAUSING EFFECTS

[The first two points of Category I are not readable from our report copy. The remainder of the report is intact.]

3. Creation of a “binding effect” to radioactivity in the atmosphere, thus causing a marked increase in the amount of alpha and beta particle saturation in foods;

4. Creation of cancer causing agents within protein hydrolysate compounds* in milk and cereal grains [*these are natural proteins that are split into unnatural fragments by the addition of water];

5. Alteration of elemental food-substances, causing disorders in the digestive system by unstable catabolism* of foods subjected to microwaves [*the metabolic breakdown process];

6. Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions were observed within the lymphatic systems [absorbent vessels], causing a degeneration of the immune potentials of the body to protect against certain forms of neoplastics [abnormal growths of tissue];

7. Ingestion of microwaved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells within the blood serum [cytomas – cell tumors such as sarcoma];

8. Microwave emissions caused alteration in the catabolic [metabolic breakdown] behavior of glucoside [hydrolyzed dextrose] and galactoside [oxidized alcohol] elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this manner;

9. Microwave emission caused alteration of the catabolic [metabolic breakdown] behavior of plant alkaloids [organic nitrogen based elements] when raw, cooked, or frozen vegetables were exposed for even extremely short durations;

10. Cancer causing free radicals [highly reactive incomplete molecules] were formed within certain trace mineral molecular formations in plant substances, and in particular, raw root-vegetables; and,

11. In a statistically high percentage of persons, microwaved foods caused stomach and intestinal cancerous growths, as well as a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues, with a gradual breakdown of the function of the digestive and excretive systems.

CATEGORY II

DECREASE IN FOOD VALUE

Microwave exposure caused significant decreases in the nutritive value of all foods researched. The following are the most important findings:

1. A decrease in the bioavailability [capability of the body to utilize the nutriment] of B-complex vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotropics in all foods;

2. A loss of 60-90% of the vital energy field content of all tested foods;

3. A reduction in the metabolic behavior and integration process capability of alkaloids [organic nitrogen based elements], glucosides and galactosides, and nitrilosides;

4. A destruction of the nutritive value of nucleoproteins in meats;

5. A marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

CATEGORY III

BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE

Exposure to microwave emissions also had an unpredictably negative effect upon the general biological welfare of humans.

This was not discovered until the Russians experimented with highly sophisticated equipment and discovered that a human did not even need to ingest the material substance of the microwaved food substances: that even exposure to the energy-field itself was sufficient to cause such adverse side effects that the use of any such microwave apparatus was forbidden in 1976 by Soviet state law.

The following are the enumerated effects:

1. A breakdown of the human “life-energy field” in those who were exposed to microwave ovens while in operation, with side-effects to the human energy field of increasingly longer duration;

2. A degeneration of the cellular voltage parallels during the process of using the apparatus, especially in the blood and lymphatic areas;

3. A degeneration and destabilization of the external energy activated potentials of food utilization within the processes of human metabolism;

4. A degeneration and destabilization of internal cellular membrane potentials while transferring catabolic [metabolic breakdown] processes into the blood serum from the digestive process;

5. Degeneration and circuit breakdowns of electrical nerve impulses within the junction potentials of the cerebrum [the front portion of the brain where thought and higher functions reside];

6. A degeneration and breakdown of nerve electrical circuits and loss of energy field symmetry in the neuroplexuses [nerve centers] both in the front and the rear of the central and autonomic nervous systems;

7. Loss of balance and circuiting of the bioelectric strengths within the ascending reticular activating system [the system which controls the function of consciousness];

8. A long term cumulative loss of vital energies within humans, animals and plants that were located within a 500-meter radius of the operational equipment;

9. Long lasting residual effects of magnetic “deposits” were located throughout the nervous system and lymphatic system;

10. A destabilization and interruption in the production of hormones and maintenance of hormonal balance in males and females;

11. Markedly higher levels of brainwave disturbance in the alpha, theta, and delta wave signal patterns of persons exposed to microwave emission fields, and;

12. Because of this brainwave disturbance, negative psychological effects were noted, including loss of memory, loss of ability to concentrate, suppressed emotional threshold, deceleration of intellective processes, and interruptive sleep episodes in a statistically higher percentage of individuals subjected to continual range emissive field effects of microwave apparatus, either in cooking apparatus or in transmission stations.

Forensic Research Conclusions

From the twenty-eight above enumerated indications, the use of microwave apparatus is definitely not advisable; and, with the decision of the Soviet government in 1976, present scientific opinion in many countries concerning the use of such apparatus is clearly in evidence.

Due to the problem of random magnetic residulation and binding within the biological systems of the body (Category III:9), which can ultimately effect the neurological systems, primarily the brain and neuroplexuses (nerve centers), long term depolarization of tissue neuroelectric circuits can result.

Because these effects can cause virtually irreversible damage to the neuroelectrical integrity of the various components of the nervous system (I. R. Luria, Novosibirsk 1975a), ingestion of microwaved foods is clearly contraindicated in all respects.

Their magnetic residual effect can render the pyschoneural receptor components of the brain more subject to influence psychologically by artificially induced microwave radio frequency fields from transmission stations and TV relay-networks.

The theoretical possibility of psycho telemetric influence (the capability of affecting human behavior by transmitted radio signals at controlled frequencies) has been suggested by Soviet neuropsychological investigations at Uralyera and Novosibirsk (Luria and Perov, 1974a, 1975c, 1976a), which can cause involuntary subliminal psychological energy field compliance to operative microwave apparatus.

FORENSIC RESEARCH DOCUMENT
Prepared By: William P. Kopp
A. R. E. C. Research Operations
TO61-7R10/10-77F05
RELEASE PRIORITY: CLASS I ROO1a

Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:

1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term – permanent – brain damage by “shorting out” electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].

2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.

3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.

4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.

5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.

6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.

7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America .

8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.

9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.

10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

Have you tossed out your microwave oven yet?

After you throw out your microwave you can use a toaster oven as a replacement. It works well for most and is nearly as quick.

The use of artificial microwave transmissions for subliminal psychological control, a.k.a. “brainwashing”, has also been proven. We’re attempting to obtain copies of the 1970’s Russian research documents and results written by Drs. Luria and Perov specifying their clinical experiments in this area.

by Anthony Wayne and Lawrence Newell

The post The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Ovens appeared first on Alternative Complementary Medicine.