What's that buzz?

I first became aware of electro-magnetic fields (ELF) when Ken and I ran a dairy farm in Minnesota. At that time, there was very little information outside of the dairy industry about this topic, but a number of dairy farmers were complaining that ELFs in their barns (caused by stray voltage traveling through the ground from transformer stations) were responsible for herd health problems and reduced milk production. Not surprisingly, they were initially told by the electric utilities that they were crackpots. But over a decade or so, a strong body of evidence came along to suggest that they weren't crackpots, and now indications are mounting that ELFs are a concern not only for cows, but also for people. A new report, A Rationale for a Biologically-based Public Exposure Standard for Electromagnetic Fields, discusses the evidence and suggests public-health policies that should be implemented.

According to the report's introduction, "You cannot see it, taste it or smell it, but it is one of the most pervasive environmental exposures in industrialized countries today."

The report's authors — respected scientists and physicians — say, "In today’s world, everyone is exposed to two types of ELFs: (1) extremely low frequency ELFs from electrical and electronic appliances and power lines and (2) radiofrequency radiation (RF) from wireless devices such as cell phones and cordless phones, cellular antennas and towers, and broadcast transmission towers.

Here are just a handful of their findings:

• There is little doubt that exposure to ELF causes childhood leukemia.


• There is some evidence that other childhood cancers may be related to ELF
  exposure but not enough studies have been done.


• People who have used a cell phone for ten years or more have higher rates of malignant brain tumor and acoustic neuromas. It is worse if the cell phone has been used primarily on one side of the head.


• People who have used a cordless phone for ten years or more have higher rates of malignant brain tumor and acoustic neuromas.


• The current standard for exposure to the emissions of cell phones and cordless phones is not safe considering studies reporting long-term brain tumor and acoustic neuroma risks.


• Studies of human breast cancer cells and some animal studies show that ELF is likely to be a risk factor for breast cancer.


• Alzheimer’s disease is a disease of the nervous system. There is strong evidence that long-term exposure to ELF is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.


• There is little doubt that electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones and cell phone use affect electrical activity of the brain.


• The consequence of prolonged exposures to children, whose nervous systems continue to develop until late adolescence, is unknown at this time. This could have serious implications to adult health and functioning in society if years of exposure of the young to both ELF and RF result in diminished capacity for thinking, judgment, memory, learning, and control over behavior.


• The effects of long-term exposure to wireless technologies including emissions from cell phones and other personal devices, and from whole-body exposure to RF transmissions from cell towers and antennas is simply not known yet with certainty. However, the body of evidence at hand suggests that bioeffects and health impacts can and do occur at exquisitely low exposure levels: levels that can be thousands of times below public safety limits.


• There is substantial evidence that ELF and RF can cause inflammatory reactions, allergy reactions and change normal immune function at levels allowed by current public safety standards.


• Medical conditions are successfully treated using EMFs at levels below current public safety standards, proving another way that the body recognizes and responds to low-intensity EMF signals. Otherwise, these medical treatments could not work. The FDA has approved EMFs medical treatment devices, so is clearly aware of this paradox. No one would recommend that drugs used in medical treatments and prevention of disease be randomly given to the public, especially to children. Yet, random and involuntary exposures to EMFs occur all the time in daily life.


• There are many credible anecdotal reports of unwellness and illness in the vicinity of wireless transmitters (wireless voice and data communication antennas) at lower levels. Effects include sleep disruption, impairment of memory and concentration, fatigue, headache, skin disorders, visual symptoms (floaters), nausea, loss of appetite, tinnitus, and cardiac problems (racing heartbeat), There are some credible articles from researchers reporting that cell tower -level RF
  exposures (estimated to be between 0.01 and 0.5 μW/cm2) produce ill-effects in populations living up to several hundred meters from wireless antenna sites.

What steps can you take to protect yourself? First, go back to an old-fashioned corded phone for regular use, and use a corded earplug for your cell phone. Disconnect in-home wireless transmitters for routine use (hook your computer to the internet via a wire), and if you have kids in school, encourage your school board to use wired alternatives also.