Electric and Magnetic
Fields
All electrical equipment, from house wiring to cellular phones and
computers, emits electromagnetic radiation (EMR). There is growing
public concern about the health effects of EMR exposure and a wide
range of diseases. This list includes headaches, depression, neurological
damage, Alzheimer's and Cancer.
Every day we are unknowingly exposed, in the workplace and at home, to harmful
levels of EMR which
studies show increase the risk of Cancer. In spite of this, Health Canada has
not created regulations against citizens being exposed to dangerous levels
of EMR. To understand why we are not protected against this form of radiation,
one must comprehend the relative omnipotence of the global Electrical Industry
and it's supporting ideology of corporatism.
Robert Becker, MD, in his book Cross Currents writes, "At this
time, the scientific evidence is absolutely conclusive: 50-60-Hz magnetic
fields cause human cancer cells to permanently increase their rate
of growth by as much as 1,600 per cent and to develop more malignant
characteristics."
Electricity and electrical devices are every where; cellular phones,
refrigerators, automobiles, satellites, tools, toys, and the largest
most secretive EMR research and development sector, electromagnetic
military weapons. The list is endless.
Together the manufacturers of these products represent the largest and most
powerful industry / interest group in the world- the Electrical Industry. These
huge corporations dominate and control : research,
scientists, government bureaucrats, politicians, the media and ultimately public
opinion.
Electric and Magnetic
Fields at Extremely
Low Frequencies
The Issue

Every time we use electricity at home and in the workplace, we are exposed to
electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) at extremely low frequencies (ELF).
There are concerns that daily exposure to these EMFs may cause health
problems. These concerns are reflected in a number of media reports
that have attempted to link EMF exposure to a variety of health issues,
including childhood cancer.
Background
Electricity plays a central role in modern society. We use it to
light our homes, prepare our food, run computers, and operate other
household appliances such as TVs and radios. In Canada, appliances
that operate by plugging into a wall socket use electric power which
flows back and forth at a frequency of 60 cycles per second (60 hertz).
When we use electricity and electrical appliances, we are exposed
to electric
and magnetic fields (EMFs) at extremely low frequencies (ELF).
The term "extremely low" is used to describe any frequency
below 300 hertz. EMFs produced by the transmission and use of electricity
belong to this category.
In 1988, Dr. David
Savitz set out to disprove the results of the earlier Denver
study using a different group of children. Instead , his findings
were nearly identical with the first study; indicating elevated
risk for all cancers among children living in homes near power
lines with magnetic fields at or above 2
milligauss (mg). A milligauss is a unit of measurement
for EMR.
Irrefutable evidence
that EMR promotes cancer was found in the l993 Swedish Study
by Maria Feychting and Anders Ahlbom. This study clearly
established a dose/ response relationship. That is the more
EMR you are exposed to, the greater your risk in developing
cancer. This study was conducted on everyone in Sweden under
the age of 16 years who lived within 300 meters of a power
line between l960 and 1985.
--Those children who lived furthest away from the power line and were
outside its radiation showed no increased risk of leukemia.
--Those children who lived nearer the power line with an exposure of
2 milligauss were 2.7 times more likely to have leukemia.
--Those who lived closer still to the power line in a 3 milligauss
field were 3.8 times as likely to develop leukemia.
--Many other studies that show a relationship between EMR and cancer
are listed in 'THE EMF BOOK" by Mark Pinsky
|
These startling findings indicate
that children are especially vulnerable
to EMR's health destroying effects.

Electric
and Magnetic Fields (EMFs)
Electric and magnetic fields are invisible forces that surround electrical
equipment, power cords, and wires that carry electricity, including outdoor
power lines. You can't see or feel EMFs.
Electric Fields: Formed whenever a wire is plugged into an outlet
- even when the appliance is not turned on. The higher the voltage,
the stronger the electric field.
Magnetic Fields: Formed when electric current is flowing within a device or
wire. The greater the current, the stronger the magnetic field.
These fields can occur separately, or together. For example, when you plug
the power cord for a lamp into a wall socket, it creates an electric field
along the cord. When you turn the lamp on, the flow of current through the
cord creates a magnetic field. Meanwhile, the electric field is still present.
The Strength of EMFs
Electric and magnetic fields are strongest when
close to their source. As you move further away from the source, the strength
of the fields fade rapidly. This means you are exposed to stronger electric
and magnetic fields when standing right beside a source - such as a lamp or
power cord - and you are exposed to weaker EMFs as you move away from the source.
What are electromagnetic fields?
Electrical currents cause electromagnetic fields. Common household current
is alternating current (AC), which reverses its direction (its charge)
then switches back. One complete cycle per second is a hertz (Hz).
For example, if a hair dryer operates at 60 Hz, its current changes
direction 60 times per second. This cycle creates electric and magnetic
fields at the same frequency. The fields created by power lines that
distribute power throughout the country are power frequency fields.
| The US. Environmental Protection Agency
warns "there is reason for concern" and advises "prudent
avoidance". Martin Halper, the EPA's Director of Analysis
and Support goes even further. "I have never seen a set
of epidemiological studies that remotely approached the weight
of evidence that we're seeing with ELF [extremely low frequency]
electromagnetic fields. Clearly there is something here". |
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Electrical fields, magnetic fields, and power frequency fields can
be high or low in intensity, continuous or brief in duration. None
of them linger in the environment. The moment the power is turned off,
the fields and
induced currents disappear. At low frequencies, the electric and magnetic
fields are separable; at high and super high frequencies, the fields
are inseparable.
Electromagnetic fields are divided into several
categories:
appliances and power lines--extremely low frequencies (ELF)
AM radio transmission--high and low frequencies (HF and LF)
TVs and video display terminals--very low frequencies (VLF)
TV and FM radio transmissions--very high frequencies (VHF)
microwaves--super high frequencies (SHF)
The super high frequencies can affect molecules. When microwave energy passes
through something containing water, it causes the water molecules to vibrate
and produce heat. Infrared and the different frequencies of visible light (which
produce the different colors of the rainbow) occupy only a small portion of
the electromagnetic energy spectrum. EMFs at frequencies higher than the visual
light range are called ionizing radiation because they have enough energy to
strip electrons from atoms. X-rays, for example, have enough energy to break
apart molecules that contain genes. Excessive exposure to ionizing frequencies
can cause cancer.

In a corporatist society people rarely
have a chance to hear the truth, instead we are given a version
of the facts that is carefully tailored by those who control
the information.
Noam Chomsky called this "the manufacture of consent". John Ralston
Saul
claims that corporatism describes the organization of modern society better
than any other. He says: "Corporatism is the persistent rival school
of representative government. In place of the democratic idea of individual
citizens who vote, confer legitimacy and participate to the best of the
ability, individuals in the corporatist state are reduced to the role of
secondary participants". In short, groups have legitimacy, individuals
do not. The larger the group the more legitimacy. |
How are humans exposed?
Pinpointing
a single source of exposure is difficult because humans may be exposed
to a multitude of possible sources. Electromagnetic fields are found naturally
in the environment, such as in lightning and in the Earth's magnetic field,
which causes a compass needle to point north. The natural electromagnetic fields
in the human body allow messages to flow through the nervous system.
Electric and magnetic fields are produced by distribution or power
lines, the electrical wires inside the walls of homes, and a wide assortment
of electrical appliances. While electric fields do not pass through
building materials, magnetic field do. Magnetic
fields can also be found near buried electric lines.
Electromagnetic fields are commonly
found around:
high voltage power lines
neighborhood transmission lines
grounding systems that protect residents from lightning
grounding systems that protect residents from electric shock that can result
from faulty appliances the operation of common electrical appliances, including
microwave ovens
ovens, electric ranges, aquariums, table fans, electric space heaters
computer monitors, electric clocks, clock radios, heated waterbeds
electric blankets, hair dryers, cellular phones
Recently, video display terminals (VDTs) have been a source of concern because
many people are spending a significant amount of time close to them. Although
evidence suggests that continuous exposure to VDTs can aggravate some health
conditions, there is insufficient information linking EMFs directly to these
health conditions. As computers manufacturers build computers that use less
electricity more efficiently, lower EMFs are generated.
What can someone do?
In spite of the absence of valid evidence based on solid scientific research,
the effects of EMFs on the health of individuals and environments may still
be of concern to some people. Until research data suggests a need for more
extreme action, those who want to do something may wish to consider the
following suggestions:
Deceiving the public is nothing new
for Govt Health Orgs. They have a long history of ignoring
our health concerns.
In some countries Govt Health Orgs
refused for three decades to classify asbestos as carcinogenic,
they shirked their responsibilities by not insisting that
the Red Cross perform proper blood screening thus allowing
thousands to be infected by HIV; and Hepatitis C; contaminated
blood.
The nuclear weapons and power industry has lied about its safety for
years and Govt Health Orgs have done nothing. (One should not forget
that the electrical industry and the nuclear industry are almost one
and the same). It took decades of death and suffering before they implemented
regulations on tobacco use...
Govt Health Orgs in many countries
refuse to acknowledge the gulf war syndrome as a disease
even though 2,000 Canadians, 2,400 British, and 30,000 Americans
have been afflicted with the disease since the Gulf War.
Ironically, they may be the victims of electromagnetic biological weapons
used by the military.
Silicone breast implants, thalidomide, DDT, and dioxins all have caused
immeasurable suffering and the list keeps growing. The lack of regulations
to protect the public from these substances are not mistakes.
|
Stay away from the EMF sources. The strength of a magnetic field
drops quickly just a few feet from the source. Do not sleep or sit
for long periods of time near electrical
devices, especially those with motors.
Stay a minimum of 18 inches away from a video display terminal (VDT). Turn
it off when not in use. Don't sit close to the back or sides of the monitor
even when it is in another room or behind a partition.
Where feasible, turn off or unplug waterbed heaters and electric blankets before
going to bed. Unplugging and turning these appliances off removes the electric
field.
Stay several feet away from all sides of a television including TVs located
in another room against a wall.
Danger
Zones
EMF Levels
From Common Sources in Milligauss (mG)*
Recommended Safety Levels: .5 mG to 2.5
mG with 1.0mG as preferred standard.
Adverse biological effects have been found at 2.5mG
|
Source
|
Up
to 4 inches |
At
3 feet |
Blender
|
50
to 220 |
.3
to 3 |
Clothes
Washer
|
8
to 200 |
.1
to 4 |
Coffee
Maker
|
6
to 29 |
.1 |
Computer
|
4
to 20 |
2
to 5 |
Fluorescent
Lamp
|
400
to 4,000 |
.1
to 5 |
Hair
Dryer
|
60
to 20,000 |
.1
to 6 |
Microwave
Oven
|
100
to 500 |
1.0
to 25 |
Television
|
5
to 100 |
.1
to 6 |
Vacuum
Cleaner
|
230
to 1300 |
3
to 40 |
Airplane
|
50
mG average on 747 |
|
*Source:
USA Environmental Protection Agency |
|
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Other suggestions:
Don't place beds or cribs against wall with major appliances nearby or on the
other side of the wall.
Move electric clocks, clock radios, and telephone answering machines at least
4 feet away from the head of the bed.
Fluorescent bulbs generate stronger fields than incandescent lamps. Estimate
1 foot for incandescent bulbs and 3 feet for fluorescent lamps.
Avoid using electric blankets and hair blow dryers.
Check the background field in your home. You
can purchase an EM meter for $100 to $300
Sampling the Health
Risk Association Contingency
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 1997 health
concerns about EMF cost the U.S. economy approximately $1 billion yearly.
Just last year, a group assembled by the National Institute of Environmental
Health and Sciences (NIEHS) -- after examining hundreds of studies
-- indicated that there was sufficient evidence to consider EMFs a
potential carcinogen to humans (though they claimed the risk wasn't
high).
At the 1998 EMF Research Review Meeting sponsored by the Energy Department,
two scientists indicated that intermittent fields disturbed sleep quality.
They also pointed out that magnitude of a field is less important than
its intermittency nature or other characteristics (such as power surges).
Some studies still continue to demonstrate links between EMFs and
health effects on individuals exposed to frequent albeit low EMF radiation.
A particular Scandinavian study found a significant increase in neurovegetative
disorders in workers who spent eight-hour days over one to five years
in locations above high-end tension cables and transformers.
In 1996, the National Academy of Sciences said that "wire codes
are associated with childhood cancer" but that it was unknown
what caused it. They contended that EMFs seemed capable of modifying
biological tissues.
EMR CANCER STUDIES OF WORKERS: Compelling
Evidence
A 1988 study by Preston-Martin and Peters found that electric welders developed
leukemia 25 TIMES more often than non-welders. *
In a l991 study by PA Demers, published in the, American Journal of Epidemiology,
electrical workers were found to be 6 times as likely to develop breast
cancer as thegeneral population.*
A John Hopkins University study found that the incidence of leukemia among
telephone cable workers was 7 times greater than among other telephone
company employees.*
Many other studies of electrical workers with increased cancer rates are
listed in
THE EMF BOOK, by Mark Pinsky. |
EMF Exposure Plots of Worker
| Measurements in milligrams (mG) |
 |
 |
| The sewing machine operator worked all
day, took a 1-hour lunch break at 11:15 am, and took 10-minute
breaks at 8:55 am and 2:55 pm. |
The mechanic repaired a compressor at
9:45 am and 11:10 am |
 |
 |
| The electrician repaired a large air-conditioning
motor at 9:10 am and 11:45 am. |
The government worker was at the copy
machine at 8:00 am, at the computer from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and
also from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. |
Epidemiological information from occupational and residential exposure
studies have revealed a "moderate" risk of cancer in kids
and adults exposed to strong magnetic fields. Approximately 98 percent
of homes across the nation have magnetic fields averaging in strength
from 0.5 to 0.9 mG. The federally allowed limit in workplaces is 1,000-mG.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that electric
utility workers who experienced high exposure to EMFs were more than
two times likely to get brain cancer as compared to those with lower
exposure.
In 1997, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
in California discovered that EMFs muck with biological influences.
They can inhibit natural and synthetic drug functioning. Particularly,
they found that EMFs can curb the capability of melatonin (a hormone
created by the brain during darkness periods) and tamoxifen (a hormone-emulating
drug used to prevent breast cancer recurrence) to stop the growth of
cancer cells.
As for other biological influences also due to EMFs, an international
team reported that EMFs with a 60-hertz frequency and one gauss in
strength initiate a ripple of enzyme-driven cell-signaling events that
are fabricated by tumor-promoting genes.
In the last few years, some studies have focused on the potential
role of EMFS as promoters or catalysts of carcinogenicity rather than
a direct cause agent. And while some studies that looked at liver and
skin tumors were generally negative, others that investigated breast
tumors found a number of "suggestive" outcomes. Coincidentally,
researchers at Bristol University demonstrated that the electric element
of EMFs attracts and concentrates airborne pollutant aerosols, which
is indicative of the attraction and concentration of bacteria and viruses.
By being able to attract established and suspect carcinogen carriers,
they attributed EMFs with a causal link to cancer occurrences.
In spite of the electrical industry's
obvious bias , their scientists still have released study after
study linking EMR and cancer. However, the industry has a remarkable
ability to discredit their own research. Even though the best
scientific methodology available is used public relations people
have gone to work to cast doubt on the results.
Their job is to baffle and confuse the public by pointing out all the supposed
flaws in their own studies until the public does not know what to think.
They know that as long as the public does not have clear and accurate information
on the hazards of EMR, we will not be able to make knowledgeable decisions
as to what is safe.
There is another level of understanding
this strategy of publishing damning evidence and then discrediting
the study. It creates confusion and a quiet desperation in
the public, while maintaining the illusion that the electrical
industry is doing something, and they care about our health.
Meanwhile, they are injecting a key element into their information
control strategy; fear of the unknown and specifically fear
of cancer. Corporations spend
millions of dollars studying human behavior and they know that fear is
a powerful ingredient in controlling public behavior.
When people are fearful, they tend to feel powerless and give up responsibility
for their own health and safety to those in authority;
in this case to the very people who are harming them.
http://www.islandnet.com/~emf/health.html
|

Magnetic
fields can diminish drug action
by J. Raloff
The low-level electromagnetic fields present in some North American
homes
today can diminish or wipe out a widely prescribed drug's action, at least
in test tubes. Researchers have found that when exposed to such fields, the
drug tamoxifen lost its ability to halt the proliferation of cancer cells
grown in the laboratory. Tamoxifen is a synthetic hormone used to prevent
the recurrence of breast cancer. MORE
While our health authorities procrastinate on making meaningful regulations,
there
are many things we can do to protect ourselves . we can TEST our
homes and workplaces
for EM Radiation and have wiring errors repaired . We can practice Prudent
Avoidance
of EMR as advocated by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the
United
States Environmental Protection Agency. This basically involves identifying
the sources
of EMR around us and developing
strategies to eliminate or avoid them. We can contact
our Members of Parliament and demand that they put pressure on Health Canada
to implement
regulations. We can ensure that our children's schools purchase computer equipment
that
emit EMR below the level that has been shown to promote cancer. We can organize
our
communities to resist any efforts to place microwave cellular phone towers
near us and
our children. Above all, we have to educate ourselves to understand the health
threats of EMR.\
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|