EMR Emissions Exposure
Understanding how living creatures are affected by man made electromagnetic frequencies requires an understanding of biological processes that is yet foreign to some scientists who still believe that biological processes are just chemical processes, when in fact our biochemical processes all involve electromagnetism.
EMR and EMF Facts
The biggest environmental change by the human species is the change in the electromagnetic environment on earth. For billions of years the earth’s electromagnetic environment was virtually “silent” in the range of the electromagnetic spectrum below visible light, and light itself was the most abundant source of electromagnetic energy.
Now, in just a few years, with the dominance of wireless signals of radio and TV broadcasts, radar, military applications, microwave towers and cell phones, and constant density of radio waves and microwaves in our environment, is many millions of times higher than the natural levels with which all life on earth evolved.
What is an Electromagnetic Field (EMF)?
An electromagnetic field is an area made up of two types of fields, an electrical field and a magnetic field. Both fields are produced when electricity (specifically alternating current) passes through a wire. So, when you plug your iPhone into the wall outlet for charging, a rush of electricity charges the battery creating an electrical field. Continuous movement of electrons generates a magnetic field. You combine the two fields, and you end up with an electromagnetic field or EMF for short.
An electrical field is weakened by physical barriers like concrete walls. On the other hand, a magnetic field can traverse walls, our bodies and other materials. It’s because of this fact that authorities focus more on magnetic fields in relation to our health. EMFs can influence your body and impair your health and that of your children as well. Biological effects are measurable responses to a change in the environment and are not necessarily bad, but if these changes cause long term stress to your system, they may be hazardous to your health and become an adverse effect.
Most of the effects of EMFs are biological effects. Microscopically speaking, EMFs can have effects on our bodies at the cellular level. They heat up our cells and tissues and the amount our tissues are heated is roughly equivalent to the level of EMF we’re exposed to.
Cell Phone (EMR) Exposure
Cell phones and cancer are in the news all the time now. Almost everyone uses cell phones and there’s concern regarding this subject. All over the world, tens of millions of people are pressing them against their heads for hours every day. Worldwide, the number of cell phone users is estimated to be approximately 6.9 billion in 2014 and that number has continued to climb.
Is cancer caused by cell phones a serious concern?
A cell phone, and a household cordless phone, use a low-level form of microwave radiation, called non-ionizing radiation to send and receive their signals. Microwaves, as you know, are used to cook food. As the radiation penetrates tissue it causes it to heat, most of the energy is absorbed by the skin and other superficial tissues, resulting in negligible temperature rise in the brain or any other organs of the body.
Many studies have investigated the effects of radiofrequency fields on brain electrical activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure in volunteers. To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating. Further, research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic hypersensitivity.”
Electromagnetic fields and public health: mobile phones
From the World Health Organization
Mobile or cellular phones are now an integral part of modern telecommunications. In many countries, over half the population use mobile phones and the market is growing rapidly. In 2014, there is an estimated 6.9 billion subscriptions globally. In some parts of the world, mobile phones are the most reliable or the only phones available.
Given the large number of mobile phone users, it is important to investigate, understand and monitor any potential public health impact.
Mobile phones communicate by transmitting radio waves through a network of fixed antennas called base stations. Radiofrequency waves are electromagnetic fields, and unlike ionizing radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays, can neither break chemical bonds nor cause ionization in the human body.
The Hidden Dangers of Cell Phone Radiation
The cellular phone industry was born in the early 1980s, when communications technology that had been developed for the Department of Defense was put into commerce by companies focusing on profits. This group, with big ideas but limited resources, pressured government regulatory agencies—particularly the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—to allow cell phones to be sold without pre-market testing. The rationale, known as the “low power exclusion,” distinguished cell phones from dangerous microwave ovens based on the amount of power used to push the microwaves. At that time, the only health effect seen from microwaves involved high power strong enough to heat human tissue. The pressure worked, and cell phones were exempted from any type of regulatory oversight, an exemption that continues today. An eager public grabbed up the cell phones, but according to Dr. George Carlo, “Those phones were slowly prompting a host of health problems.”
Today there are more than two billion cell phone users being exposed every day to the dangers of electromagnetic radiation (EMR)—dangers government regulators and the cell phone industry refuse to admit exist. Included are: genetic damage, brain dysfunction, brain tumors, and other conditions such as sleep disorders and headaches. The amount of time spent on the phone is irrelevant, according to Dr. Carlo, as the danger mechanism is triggered within seconds. Researchers say if there is a safe level of exposure to EMR, it’s so low that we can’t detect it.
The cell phone industry is fully aware of the dangers. In fact, enough scientific evidence exists that some companies’ service contracts prohibit suing the cell phone manufacturer or service provider, or joining a class action lawsuit. Still, the public is largely ignorant of the dangers, while the media regularly trumpets new studies showing cell phones are completely safe to use. Yet, Dr. Carlo points out, “None of those studies can prove safety, no matter how well they’re conducted or who’s conducting them.” What’s going on here? While the answer is simplistic, how we got to this point is complex.