Part of building a healthy environment is keeping track of the environmental stressors. A stressor is something that alters the body in some way. It could be heat, humidity, sound, or electromagnetic fields. Stressors are not necessarily bad. We need heat and a correct level of humidity for example.
How Much Damage Electromagnetic Radiation
Other stressors are a trade off. Most people want Wi-Fi in their home so they can surf on their laptop while lounging on the couch. And they are willing to forego any possible dangers that the Wi-Fi signals may cause. In fact most people don’t give it any thought.
But as a builder it does need to be considered (so home dwellers don’t need to worry about it).
The truth is that electromagnetic radiation is still up in the air as to how much damage it can cause. We are seeped in it, from electricity lines in the wall or next to the house, nearby cell phone towers, Wireless devices like our phones, laptops, and countless other appliances.
The Earth Electromagnetic Radiation Field
This field of energy existed before electronics. The earth creates its own electromagnetic field. That is how a compass works. But today that field is greatly amplified. If you could “hear” electromagnetic radiation it would be a deafening roar compared to what it sounded like a century ago.
This energy stimulates our body. Again, that might not be bad. But it might be…
One of the most cited study is the elevated rates of cancer among people who live near high voltage electric lines. From a common sense point of view this is no mystery. If you rattle the body with huge amounts of energy it might break down.
As a builder I prefer to be safe and seriously consider how electromagnetic energy is placed in the home.
Electric Lines in the Walls
The easiest way to do this is through the electric lines in the walls, which are needed for the many plugs and switches in a house. I pay close attention to how they are laid out. You want to make special care that there are no lines along certain key places.
The most important one is where people will sleep. You need to make sure no lines run near any place where a person might possibly place their bed. At the very least you need to avoid putting lines about two feet above the floor, which is about where their head would be when sleeping.
Another possible place is in an office, where somebody might be sitting in one place for long periods of time. This one is tricky because an office also needs a lot of electric supply.
The main consideration is where to run the main lines. These lines supply each floor with juice and tend to be bigger than say a line to a single switch. The best place is to run the main line along an area where people spend little time, like under the stairs or in a corner.
This consideration is what makes a normal house a great house. It is what gives a house that unmeasurable “feel good” quality. When your body is not bombarded by unwanted stressors it can relax and heal. This is when the home truly becomes your sanctuary.
Here is something from Bau-Biologie that is interesting:
Microwave Radiation – Cell phones, Wi-Fi
Are they safe?
As fast as possible, our society is becoming more and more technologically oriented. Homes, schools, offices, entire communities are making decisions to go wireless. Cell phones are proliferating at an alarming rate. These devices were never pre-market tested for your safety. There is an incorrect assumption that the government has “approved” these and that the research shows these are safe.
What are the hazardous levels of microwave radiation? It all depends on with whom you speak. From the perspective of Building Biology, it is when the cell structure or bio-communication of an organism starts to exhibit variations from a natural baseline. For example, if blood cells start to clump together at specific electromagnetic field strength, then this would be characterized as a variation of normal cellular activity, a deviation from the natural baseline, and therefore hazardous. Whether or not a person would exhibit a symptomatic response is NOT the determining factor, but that is the basis for most industrial standards – radiation is safe unless the skin actually burns.
Independent, medical science continues to provide mounting evidence that radiation from wireless communication devices, including cell phones, cordless, and the WiFi now deployed across schools, hospitals and offices, produces dangerous health effects. It is important for you to take protective steps as a consumer. We are concerned with eliminating as much as possible, the man-made artificial stimuli that can bring about this change. Thus, we hope to prevent the chronic low-level exposures that are very significant concerning health issues.
What can I do about it?
There are, however, some initial steps you can take today to protect you from EMR exposure.
1. Minimize all exposure and usage of wireless communication: cell phones, cordless phones, and WiFi devices.
2. Turn cell phone off when not in use and definitely when sleeping. Never keep it near your head or use it to play games, movies, etc.
3. Keep cell phone at least 6-7 inches away from your body and others while on, talking, texting and downloading.
4. Never keep cell phone in pocket or on hip all day. The hip produces 80% of the body’s red blood cells and is especially vulnerable to EMR damage. The close proximity may also affect fertility.
5. Do not talk on cell or cordless phone when pregnant, with a baby/small child in arms, under age 16, or while in a vehicle (car, train, plane, subway) – the radiation gets trapped and is higher in these closed metal zones!
6. Replace all cordless and WiFi items with wired, corded lines (phones, Internet, games, appliances, devices, etc.). The cordless phone base emits high levels of EMR – even when no one is making a call. (900MHz Analog cordless phones are okay)
7. Minimize/space out computer use, sit back from the screen; flat screens are preferable. Use wired Internet connections, not WiFi – especially for laptops. Keep laptops off of the body and preferably on wooden surfaces.
8. Keep a low-EMR sleep, home, and personal zone. Move alarm clock radio at least 3 feet from head or use battery power; 6 feet is the recommended distance from all electronic devices during sleep.
9. Avoid waterbeds, electric and metal frames. Futons/wood frames are better than metal-coiled mattresses and box-springs. Metals attract EMR: keep them away from and off of the body.
10. Ensure that there are no electrical appliances, power meters, or circuit panels on the exterior or interior wall of bedrooms.