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74 Electromagnetic Field (EMF)

Electromagnetic Field

(EMF) &

Electromagnetic Radiation

(EMR)

Continued from Page 73

The study was a small one and assessed
exposure by self-administered questionnaires.
On the other hand, a large Danish study
(420,000 mobile phone users) found neither
long nor short-term mobile phone use to be
associated with an increased risk of cancer
(2006). The Danish study did not use the
memories of the subjects to assess exposure;
they analyzed data from mobile phone company
records. Another small Swedish study found no
Another school banned Wi-Fi after a evidence that RF fields from mobile phones may
increased risk of acoustic neuroma related to
classics teacher complained that it was making cause head pain or discomfort or influence
short-term mobile phone use (2004). The
him physically ill. The teacher said that after Wi- physiological variables. The most likely reason
researchers thought that their data suggest an
Fi was in place: for the symptoms is a nocebo effect.")
increased risk of acoustic neuroma associated I felt a steadily widening range of In 1997, The New England Journal of
with mobile phone use of at least 10 years
unpleasant effects whenever I was in the Medicine published the results of the largest,
duration. They don't say how they measured
classroom. First came a thick headache, then most detailed study of the relationship between
exposure, but they note that "detailed
pains throughout the body, sudden flushes, EMFs and cancer ever done. Dr. Martha S.
information about mobile phone use and other
pressure behind the eyes, sudden skin pains and Linet, director of the study, said: "We found no
environmental exposures was collected." Other
burning sensations, along with bouts of nausea. evidence that magnetic field levels in the home
studies on laboratory animals have found effects
Over the weekend, away from the classroom, I increased the risk for childhood leukemia." The
from microwave exposure (2003; 2006; 2007).
felt completely normal. study took eight years and involved measuring
Some studies have collected data suggestive of
That the teacher's symptoms were the exposure to magnetic fields generated by
possible harmful effects from cell phone caused by Wi-Fi is, however, pure speculation nearby power lines. A group of 638 children
microwave exposure, but they are too small to
and unlikely. Wi-Fi goes through ordinary walls under age 15 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
have ruled out chance or other causal agents
up to about 300 m, so the teacher should have were compared to a group of 620 healthy
(2006) or they have not been tested on in vivo
felt symptoms long before entering and long children. "The researchers measured magnetic
cells (2004; 2006a; 2006b).
after leaving the classroom. There is no fields in all the houses where the children had
Recently, the alarm has been raised by
compelling scientific evidence that these kinds lived for five years before the discovery of their
some who fear that damage might be done to our
of symptoms are caused by exposure to Wi-Fi. cancer, as well as in the homes where their
brains from being exposed to Wi-Fi. Despite the
There have been a number of studies that have mothers lived while pregnant." The study was
fact that modulated frequencies bringing radio
tried to establish that some people are criticized because it is impossible to know
and television transmissions into our homes are
hypersensitive to EMFs. Ben Goldacre of Bad exactly what the EMFs were at the times the
stronger and more pervasive than the radio
Science writes: mothers or their children were exposed. All
waves used by wireless networks, there has been
There have been 31 studies looking at measurements must be done after the exposure
little call to reduce radio or TV transmission.
whether people who report being hypersensitive has taken place and assumptions must be made
(The power levels for Wi-Fi are lower than that
to electromagnetic fields can detect their that the level of EMFs was not substantially
for cell phones, by the way. Photons of visible
presence, or whether their symptoms are different during exposure. It is unlikely,
light carry more energy than microwaves and
worsened by them. A typical experiment would however, anyone except the intellectual
bombard us much more frequently than
involve a mobile phone hidden in a bag, for descendants of Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele will
microwaves from such things as cell phones or
example, with each subject reporting their ever do a control study on humans which
wireless networks. Microwave ovens are "tuned
symptoms, not knowing if the phone was on or systematically controls exposure to EMFs from
for optimal water absorption, which happens to
off. the moment of conception through early
be about 2.45 gigahertz."* Despite numerous
Thirty-one is a good number of studies, childhood.
scare stories about the effects of microwaved
and 24 found that electromagnetic fields have no A report published in the Journal of the
water and food on people, animals, and plants,
effect on the subjects. But seven did find a American Medical Association on a study of 891
you can't do anything to food or water with a
measurable effect...in two of those studies with adults who used their cell phones between 1994
microwave oven that you couldn't also do in a
positive findings, even the original authors have and 1998 found that there was no increased risk
conventional oven with infrared waves,*
been unable to replicate the results; for the next of brain cancer associated with cell phone use
assuming you use the ovens as intended.
three, the results seem to be statistical artifacts; (Muscat 2000).Yet, many people believe that
Microwaved food is safe and poses no health
and for the final two, the positive results are living near power lines or using cellular phones
hazard.)
mutually inconsistent (one shows improved causes cancer. Why? Some lawyers, the mass
One university president has banned Wi-
mood with provocation, and the other shows media and a scientifically illiterate public can
Fi on his campus, claiming:
worsened mood). take the credit here.
microwave radiation in the frequency
At this time, it looks as if Robert Pool claims popular opinion has
range of Wi-Fi has been shown to increase
hypersensitivity to EMFs is a psychosomatic been aroused against EMFs by unscientific
permeability of the blood-brain barrier, cause
disorder. (For example, a research team in sources such as The New Yorker magazine (Pool
behavioural changes, alter cognitive functions,
Norway (2007) conducted tests using sixty-five 1990).Paul Brodeur, called "a scientifically-
activate a stress response, interfere with brain
pairs of sham and mobile phone radio frequency ignorant writer" by physicist Bob Park, wrote
waves, cell growth, cell communication, calcium
(RF) exposures. "The increase in pain or three fearmongering and scientifically inept
ion balance, etc., and cause single and double
discomfort in RF sessions was 10.1 and in sham articles for The New Yorker in the early 1990s
strand DNA breaks.
sessions 12.6 (P = 0.30). Changes in heart rate or and published them as a book in 1993.
What compelling scientific evidence he
blood pressure were not related to the type of
has for making such claims is not known.
exposure (P: 0.30–0.88). The study gave no (Continued on Page 75)