KBW | What is an EMF - And Should You Even Care?

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐈𝐒 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐌𝐅? 

You may have heard the term, and maybe you’ve heard they’re bad, but what are they, and what should you do about them? 

𝐄𝐌𝐅 stands for electromagnetic frequency. This refers to the invisible energy waves given off by power lines, cellphones, microwaves, Wi-Fi routers, computers, and other electronic appliances, as well as natural sources such as the sun. Some devices give off more than others. A CT scan, for example, gives off an awful lot more EMFs than a baby monitor. 

Image: Moon, J. (2020). Clin Exp Pediatr. 2020 Nov; 63(11): 422–428.

Published online 2020 May 26. doi: 10.3345/cep.2019.01494

Are EMFs Harmful? 

The research on EMFs is controversial, but in 2011 the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), which operates under the WHO (World Health Organization) classified non-ionizing EMFs (such as cell phones and iPads) as group 2B, 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘯. 

Researchers have also found a potential link between RF radiation and gliomas and found that gliomas were found more frequently on the side of the head that cell phone users placed their phones (Yang et al, 2017).  

A European study found a link between EMFs and leukemia in children, and a 2020 article published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics expressed concern over the effects of EMFs on the developing nervous systems of children, who are more vulnerable to the effects of electromagnetic waves than those of adults (Moon, 2020). 

A 2020 study in Nordic countries found a correlation between a rise in thyroid cancer and cell phone usage. (Carlberg et al. 2020). 

It’s important to note that correlation doesn’t equal causation, and there is still much research to be done on the topic of EMFs, especially when it comes to the types (ionizing vs. non-ionizing), different frequencies, exposure levels, proximity to devices, and more! But the current research on EMF is quite concerning. 

While various governmental bodies and researchers argue over the safety of EMFs & researchers argue over the evidence, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼?

My family and I practice the "𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞" which means we practice safety and caution even though the evidence is limited because the risks of not doing so are far greater than the risks of doing so. 

For example, what harm could come from using a cell phone every day next to your head if the risk of cancer is, in fact, real? If the study on the correlation between cell phone usage and gliomas and thyroid cancer is any indication, a lot of harm could come if this risk is real. 

Yet what harm could come from only using your phone in speaker mode and holding it away from your head? None. 

And what harm could come from using a laptop directly on your lap every day, infertility? Cancer? According to several more studies, maybe.

But what harm can come from using a lap shield between yourself and the laptop? No harm at all. 

So for me and my family, it makes sense to follow the precautionary principle & reduce our EMF exposure whenever possible.

Mitigation Strategies

First of all, let’s talk about the different types of mitigation strategies. Some devices will actually block EMF. An example of this is EMF-blocking clothing, blankets, and other materials. This is more easily measured for efficacy because you can use an EMF meter and test it. You could measure the EMFS coming off your phone, for example, and then cover your phone with the EMF blocking blanket and then measure again. If the blanket is doing its job, you will see a decrease on the meter. 

The second type of device will change the radiation from harmful to non-harmful. This is much harder to measure and has resulted in a plethora of potentially sketchy products on the market that claim to harmonize the EMFs but do not offer proof. The harmonizing products that I personally use and recommend HAVE actually been tested extensively, however. You can read more about the tests here: https://www.airestech.com/verify-effect/ I’ll warn you, it gets pretty nerdy and science-y over there, but that is exactly why this is company that I not only recommend but personally use. The short version on the science shows that the Aires devices restructure the EMFs, and you can see the effects on the brain with EEG monitoring. 

Let’s take a look at some of the images from a study done by Aires Tech. 

In image A, you’ll see images of the brain before using a phone….looks pretty calm in there….

In Image B we see the impact of cell phone usage. This is where we can start to understand researchers' concerns over cell phone usage. In the area of the mobile phone, the asymmetry of delta activity increased by 37%. 

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In Image C, we see the brain while using a cell phone….AND the Aires Tech device. Looks a lot better, right? 

Now on to how to mitigate various forms of EMFs you likely use every day: 

P̳h̳o̳n̳e̳s̳: NEVER talk with the phone next to your head, and do not sleep with the phone in your room (and especially not near your head!). Keep your phone in airplane mode if it is close to your body, and consider adding the AiresTech device to your cell phone for further mitigation. 

Go here to try Aires Tech for yourself: https://www.airestech.com/?ref=kristenblake"  

W̳i̳f̳i̳:̳ Do not sit close to a router or extender. If possible, do not use wifi at all and use ethernet instead! If you must use Wifi, turn it off at night when you sleep to allow the body to have a break while it repairs and rests at night. This is easier than you think if you buy a timer to plug the router into! 

Buy this timer on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ENKvUF 

D̳i̳r̳t̳y̳ ̳E̳l̳e̳c̳t̳r̳i̳c̳i̳t̳y̳:̳ Hire an electrician trained in using an EMF meter to walk through your house and see if there are any areas of dirty electricity that can be improved upon. Dirty electricity is far too common in homes and is caused by poor wiring practices. If this is too difficult or expensive, you can get an AiresTech whole-room device to mitigate EMFs in any particular room. 

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Go here to try Aires Tech for yourself: https://www.airestech.com/?ref=kristenblake

S̳m̳a̳r̳t̳ ̳m̳e̳t̳e̳r̳:̳ Ideally, you would petition to have this removed from your home, but if that is not possible, you can purchase a smart meter shielding device to keep the harmful EMFs given off by your smart meter out of your home. 

You can buy this Smart Meter Farraday Cage Here: https://amzn.to/3ATUuVK 

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L̳a̳p̳t̳o̳p̳:̳ Do not place it directly on your lap and use a shielding device like the EMF blocking blanket my kids use when they’re on their devices and add the small button size AiresTech device pictures above for the cell phone  to your iPads and laptops as well! A study done using the Aires Tech on a computer showed that the device resulted in less errors on a test designed to measure activation and inhibition of the central nervous system during the activity. 

Grab the blanket my kids use when they’re on devices on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3F29l3h 

References: 

Carlberg, M., Koppel, T., Hedendahl, L. K., & Hardell, L. (2020). Is the Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in the Nordic Countries Caused by Use of Mobile Phones?. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(23), 9129. https://doi-org.bigbrother.logan.edu:2443/10.3390/ijerph17239129

Moon J. H. (2020). Health effects of electromagnetic fields on children. Clinical and experimental pediatrics, 63(11), 422–428. https://doi-org.bigbrother.logan.edu:2443/10.3345/cep.2019.01494

Yang, M., Guo, W., Yang, C., Tang, J., Huang, Q., Feng, S., Jiang, A., Xu, X., & Jiang, G. (2017). Mobile phone use and glioma risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 12(5), e0175136. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175136