|
Protecting/enhancing your Energy — Unique Environmental Energy Products for the 21st Century from The Energy Store |
All about EMFs 4 (cont’d) |
|
blankets. In one design the wires are laid out in pairs so that the magnetic fields are balanced. Another design uses DC electricity, which doesn't emit pulsed EMF. Although these models reduce or eliminate magnetic fields, the blanket may still produce electric fields, even when turned off. This is because current does not have to be flowing for an electric field to exist. If the on/off switch cuts the neutral wire instead of the hot wire, the user would then be subjected to the electric field coming from the hot wire in the blanket. That's why it is best to use an electric blanket only to warm your bed before you get in it. Once you're in bed, the blanket should be unplugged to be absolutely safe. This advice is especially valid for children and pregnant women.
Waterbeds should be warmed during the day, but unplugged before going to bed. However, an unheated water bed can get quite chilly, so you may need a thick mattress pad or quilt to stay warm. Use of heating pads for chronic problems should be discontinued and replaced with hot water bottles.
ELECTRIC CLOCKS A dial-face (analog) electric clock has a very high AC magnetic field, as much as 5 to 10 mG up to two feet away. If you are using a bedside plug-in dial-face alarm clock, it should not be placed near your head. Studies have linked high rates of brain tumors with chronic exposure to magnetic fields, so it is wise to place all plug-in clocks and other electric appliances at least 5 feet from your bed. Better yet, you may want to use a battery-powered alarm clock. Some travel clocks feature snooze, a digital display and even a radio alarm, yet they work on batteries so they have a negligible magnetic field.
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS Fluorescent lights have replaced incandescent lights in most offices and schools. Fluorescent lights are cooler, last longer and consume less electricity, so they are more economical to use. A fluorescent bulb has no filament. Instead, the bulb is coated on the inside with a fluorescent material called a phosphor. The bulb is also filled with argon gas and mercury vapor, and a transformer (called a ballast) is used to increase the voltage to the electrodes on each end of the bulb. The high voltage excites electrons in the gas, which give off ultraviolet light. When the ultraviolet light strikes the phosphor coating on the bulb, the phosphor emits visible light which passes through the glass.
Fluorescent lights produce much more EMF than incandescent bulbs. At a distance of two inches from an incandescent bulb, the ELF field is .3 mG, and at six inches it is barely measurable. On the other hand, a typical fluorescent lamp of the type commonly found in office ceilings can have a reading of 160 to 200 mG 1 inch away. At 6 inches the reading drops to 45 mG, at 12 inches the reading is 14 mG , at 24 inches the level is 1.7 mG, and at 30 inches the level is close to background. Thus rooms with low ceilings and fluorescent lights may have readings above 2 mG at head level. In multi-story schools with fluorescent lights, although young children may be far enough away from the ceiling fixtures, they may still be exposed to EMF from the lights on the floor below.
MICROWAVE OVENS Microwave ovens are interesting because they emit two types of radiation: microwave and ELF. The microwave radiation, which is very high in frequency (in the billion Hertz range), is produced by an element called a magnetron. Microwaves make water molecules vibrate. It is this vibration that creates the heating process, and stray microwaves can cause serious health problems by heating body tissue. Current regulations require that a microwave oven leak no more than 1 milliwatt per square centimeter when it leaves the factory. We have no idea if this level is safe, and one study has indicated that the level should be less than .5 milliwatt per square centimeter. Since microwave emissions can change with normal use, it is best to have a qualified repairman check your oven each year. Microwave ovens also create a 60 Hz EMF field because they have a strong power transformer. The 60 Hz component of a microwave oven usually travels five feet, so it is recommended that you stay at least five feet away from a microwave oven while it is in operation.
TELEPHONES Telephones can emit surprisingly strong EMF, especially from the handset. This is a problem because we hold the phone so close to our heads. Measuring different telephones before you buy is important because the field strength can vary a great deal in just a matter of inches. Place a Gauss meter right against the ear piece and the mouth piece. There are several telephone handsets in the market with no measurable fields, while others emit a relatively strong field that travels several inches. That's the same distance from your ear to your brain! As with most small appliances, the body of the telephone has a magnetic field that extends one or two feet. Because of this it is a good practice to position the phone as far as possible from the user.
ELECTRIC RAZORS AND HAIR DRYERS An electric razor which plugs into the wall produces an extremely high-strength AC magnetic field, as high as 200 to 400 mG one-half inch away from the cutting edge. This seems alarming, but we don't know if this is worse (or better) than exposure to a 2 to 3 mG field (the level linked to increased risk of cancer). If exposure to such high fields is a problem, the duration of the exposure (the dose-rate concept) might mitigate the effects. To understand the dose-rate concept, consider that we can zip a finger through the flame of a match without burning ourselves. This is evidence that short-term exposure to certain harmful influences can produce dramatically different results than longer exposure. If the dose-rate concept applies to EMF (and we don't know if it does), since an electric razor is used only a few minutes each day, it is probably safe. Keep in mind, however, that the data on short-term exposure to high-strength fields is incomplete, and that the use of non-electric razor blades will eliminate all EMF risks. There are now wind up mechanical razors available, which use a non electrical flywheel for power. A small epidemiological study found a link between electric razor use and higher skin cancer in men. Presumably the fields, being close to the brain, could influence production of melatonin, a cancer fighting hormone. Also, recent reports are pointing to the fact that cells go through the most disturbance at the beginning of field exposure, and later try to compensate. As such, non electrical razors are recommended.
Electric hair dryers are another source of extremely high AC magnetic fields because they require high currents to produce heat. A 1600-watt model will produce 100 to 200 mG near the handle and 10 to 50 mG at normal drying distances (6 to 18 inches). When it is operated on its "high heat" setting, it will draw more current and generate a higher magnetic field than when it is operated on its "low heat" setting. Again, in evaluating the health risks, the dose-rate concept may provide comfort, since a hair dryer is used only a few minutes each day. On the other hand, hairdressers who use a hand-held hair dryer repeatedly each workday may have something to worry about.
See here for an more articles on electrosensitivity, Cellphones, EMFs, prudent avoidance, etc.
|
