The visible impacts of invisible EMF radiation

If you are using a cell-phone and especially a smart-phone, it means you are exposed to electromagnetic (EMF) radiation. EMF has been found to be associated with a row of serious adverse health impacts, and existing regulations may not be adequate to protect you. While you cannot eliminate the exposure – nor is it desirable given the quality modern technologies have brought to our lives – there are simple #nontoxicsteps you can take to effectively reduce radiation impact!

What you need to know about radiation

All cell phones emit EMF radiation, which consists of extremely low frequency (ELF) radiation and radio frequency (RF) radiation

• ELF is emitted by every electronic device with a plug or battery
• RF is emitted when a mobile device connects to a cell tower, WiFi router, or bluetooth device

There are two impacts that a cell phone can have: 

• the thermal impact of microwave and radio wave energy. Today’s technologies emit a small amount of heat that can damage cells. The heat from laptops or tablets has been found to damage sperm and decrease sperm count 
• biological effects: EMF radiation can alter the biological makeup of cells, disturbing the natural systems within our bodies

Constant EMF exposure is unprecedented and not experienced by previous generations. In fact, cell phones have only been around for about 20 years, which means we are only starting to see the impact that EMF can have on us.

Constant EMF exposure is unprecedented and not experienced by previous generations

If it was harmful to use cellphones, they would be banned, right?

Biological effects can create many symptoms in our bodies, some which can be felt, and some of which we might not know about. We tend to assume that because cell phones are so widespread, they must be safe to use. Well, cigarettes are not banned either but are they safe to use? No. There are over 850 scientific studies with majority of them showing positive associations between EMF radiation and adverse biological effects and some showing direct causation. Unfortunately, regulators around the world have been notoriously slow to incorporate scientific findings to promote people’s health and safety – especially when large profits like those in the telecommunication industry are at stake. 

Cigarettes are not banned either but are they safe to use?

How does EMF radiation impact us?

When we use our mobile devices close to our bodies over long periods of time,we potentially become subject to harmful effects of EMF radiation. Many studies have revealed links between the use of  technological devices and various forms of illnesses due to abreakdown at the cellular level and interference in cell communication . Here are some of the conditions that have been associated with exposure to EMF:

• chronic diseases
• infertility
• ADHD
• Tinnitus
• insomnia
• autism
• cancer
• mental illnesses: depression, Alzheimer’s and Dementia
• problems related to focus, memory, and attentiveness
• headaches and skin rashes

You can find a comprehensive list of health concerns linked to electromagnetic radiation exposure including a synopsis of current research here.

Majority of over 850 scientific studies conducted show positive associations between EMF radiation and adverse biological effects

What is important to know is that it’s 3-5x more dangerous for children to use wireless devices than adults because their skull is much thinner allowing the signal to completely go through the head. A study by Swedish researchers have shown that children who began using mobile phones regularly before age 20 had more than 4x higher risk of developing a brain tumor. Also, high RF exposure during pregnancy has also been linked to 3x higher risk of having a miscarriage.

It is 3-5x more dangerous for children to use wireless devices than adults

There are simple #nontoxicsteps you can take to minimize the exposure:

1. Wire up! When you take away the cable, RFs are instead being used to connect devices sending EMF radiation through the air around you. Use a wired keyboard, mouse, headphones and a speakerphone instead
2. Never carry or hold devices directly against your body, especially near your soft-tissue organs (head, heart, chest, reproductive system) as they are more vulnerable to ELF radiation. Because of the nature of energy, radiation is exponentially stronger the closer you are to it. Don’t put your laptop on your lap or cellphone in your front-pocket: wireless energy can decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility and viability.
3. Turn-off. Minimize emissions from smart devices when you are not using them. Your cellphone actually has three transmitters: wi-fi, cellular and bluetooth. If you don’t need all of them at once, turn them off. 
4. Pre-charge and unplug your laptop when using it. Using your laptop on battery reduces exposure to both ELF and RF transmissions. Also, avoid using any mobile device that is charging. 
5. Reduce the number of devices that run on bluetooth (e.g. keyboard). If you cannot escape them, at least don’t put them close to your head for extended periods of time e.g. bluetooth airpods. You’re especially at risk if you’ve had a concussion.
6. Enable airplane mode whenever you can. Your wifi, bluetooth and cellular RF signals will be disabled. Your phone may still produce some EMF radiation as not all transmitters (like GPS) will be turned off. You can still manually turn on wifi if you require an internet connection but with cellular and bluetooth signals off – your exposure to RF emissions will still be lower. As a bonus, airplane mode helps to save battery life
7. Switch WiFi router off at night. I’ve put mine on a timer
8. Move your wi-fi router away from you. It transmits radiation throughout your house to carry your data. 
9. If possible, avoid living close to a cell tower
10. Use less devices and less often. Do you really need 6+ devices 24/7 including a smart fridge and smart meters powered by wifi? It doesn’t have to be a complete disconnect, just less frequent use!
11. Following companies offer various technologies that may help reduce EMF radiation : Defender Shield, Somavedic, Blushield Global USA

While it’s a challenge to navigate our EMF-ridden world without compromising either our health or comfortable lifestyle, by arming ourselves with knowledge, we can definitely mitigate the risks that the new technologies pose to us and our families.