Cell Phones – are they hurting us? Measurement, Analysis & Answers

“Allowing wireless devices to be used around or by children at home or in schools is dangerous, stupid, and the people who authorize this should be locked away.”
– Barrie Trower, microwave weapons expert and physicist, who retired from the U.K.’s military special forces

Before you get worried that what I’m proposing you retreat into a cave. I’m not suggesting that you reject technology.  However, we need to know how technology is harming us and how to safely use it until the biologically safe versions of our technology is brought to market.

I will briefly touch on wireless devices and their frequencies, but before we can really dive into this, I will put wireless devices and their frequencies in the larger context of the entire electromagnetic spectrum.  It is not just wireless devices that have electromagnetic fields!

All wireless devices you use probably operate within the micro wave range.  The picture below shows the full spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies (that we currently know of!)  You can find the microwave range to the right of center.  The microwave range actually encompasses part of TV frequencies, all cell phone frequencies, as well as WiFi and microwave ovens — 300mHz to 300 GHz.

Cell phones and other devices that transmit data, are unique in that instead of having a rolling sine wave, which is the case in radio waves, the sine waves have a buddy – a square wave that carries the data in what is called ‘digital data packets.’  These sharp pulsing waves are part of what is so harmful to our biology.

 

Now, to put it in the larger context….

Did you know that virtually everything on Earth, and many things in space, has/emits an electromagnetic field? electrical frequency?  The Earth itself even has its own electromagnetic field, called the Schumann Resonance (named after physicist Winfried Otto Schumann who predicted and calculated the field in 1952).  It resonates with distinct peaks at 7.8, 14, 20, 26, 33 and 39 Hertz (Hz) (www.HeartMath.org – Live Data).  “The earth’s magnetic field causes a compass needle to orient in a North-South direction and is used by birds and fish for navigation.”  – WHO

For most of Earth’s history, the only electromagnetic fields around were the electromagnetic fields of the Earth,  electric fields caused by electric charges in the clouds, electric and magnetic fields caused by lightning, and the electromagnetic fields radiating from the animals, plants, and rocks, and then humans.  Yes, we too are radiating electromagnetic frequencies!  You’ve seen the electromagnetic field of your heart measured in the hospital, by measuring one of the field’s aspects — frequency.  Our heart, and brains are essentially oscillators!

It wasn’t until Thomas Eddison and Nikola Tesla came along with their inventions in the mid to late 1800s, that we introduced man-made electromagnetic fields!   Madam Curie and her colleague discovered the X-ray part of the electromagnetic spectrum in 1895, and she used this discovery to create an x-ray machine, which she used on the war front to diagnose wounded soldier’s injuries.  In the same year, the first radio signals were sent across the English channel.

Why does this matter?  Electromagnetic fields affect every cell in our bodies, and the bodies of animals and plants, etc.

People write about what electromagnetic fields ARE, and what electricity is, but the explanations will always fall short.  In my first day of class in electrician school, my teacher let us in on a secret – which is, that no one actually understands electricity!  Not electrical engineers, not physicist — no one.  He explained that although we don’t truly understand it, we’ve explored, studied and documented electrical energy’s many aspects and characteristics, and we know how to harness it to create energy.  Kind of mind-blowing…  If you think about it, we can theorize all day long about electricity, but at the end of the day, we all stand in awe of electrical energy, or lightning.

The electromagnetic spectrum we’ve discovered (theorized by Maxwell, and proved by Hertz in the late 1880s), contains all of the things that are most important to us as humankind, including electricity, sound, light, radio, cell phones and more.  We place these things in order according to the frequencies of their electromagnetic fields, as measured in Hertz.  Frequency is just one of the aspects of electromagnetic energy.

• Earth’s electromagnetic field (0 – approx. 40 Hz)
• Electricity – Powerlines and circuits – we use to power appliances and in which thing like solar panels operate within, in direct and alternating current (0 – 60 Hz).
• Sound – the frequencies in which the human ear can hear sound (15 or 20 Hz – 20 KHZ)
• AM radio (540 – 1,600 KHz)
• FM radio (88 – 108 MHz)
• Microwaves (300 MHz – 300 GHz)
  • TV signals (54 – 806 MHz)
  • Cell Phone signals (850 – 2,600 MHz)
  • WiFi (2.4 – 5 GHz)
  • Microwave ovens
• Light: Infrared, Visible Light
• Ionizing Radiation
  • UV Light (300 GHz – 30 Mhz)
  • Radioactivity
    • X Rays & Gamma Cosmic (30 Mhz – <<10 EHz)

 

You may be asking, what is frequency?  Frequency is just one way we use to describe electromagnetic fields…it is one aspect of electrical energy.  According to http://www.fluke.com&#8230;

The more cycles that occur per second, the higher the frequency.

 

Another aspect of electromagnetic energy is the SHAPE of the wavelength!  The Earth’s energy has frequencies with sinusoidal waves…they are wide and smooth and do not have hard spikes on top.  But there are other frequencies that have waves that are shaped differently, and some waves even carry “data packets” which further complicate its shape.  Cell phone operate this way….how else do you think the data can be transmitted to and from your phone?  There is also a part of the electromagnetic spectrum in which electromagnetic ‘interference’ emerges (2 – 400KHz).  Visually, electromagnetic interference creates a ‘cloud’ around the thin line which we recognize as the ‘wavelength.’  “Overlapping fields can interact to strengthen or weaken the total effect. Therefore, the strength of the electric and magnetic fields depends not only on the distance from the source but also the distance from, and location of, other nearby sources.” – http://www.greenfacts.org

 

Now that you have some context in which you can place various electrical devices, such as cell phones, we can get closer to answering the question – are cell phones hurting us?

Cell phones, which operate within the frequency range of approx. 850 – 2,600 MHz, are within the microwave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, along with some of the TV signals, all of the current WiFi signals, as well as microwave ovens.  We have been employing wireless technology for a very long time — but nowadays, we don’t think from that perspective.  I think it is commonly thought that WiFi is somehow a completely different technology than radio or TV, but the main difference (in our current understanding), is the number of sine waves which occur per second – devices in the microwave portion of the spectrum operate with frequencies that have more sine waves per second, and radio and TV frequencies have less sine waves per second.

 

People often ask “how can the electromagnetic fields from my WiFi router or cell phone be hurting me then?  We’ve been transmitting frequencies for over a hundred years – radio and TV…and we’ve been exposed to electromagnetic fields from the wiring in our homes for over a hundred years as well….and no has died, have they?”

 

It is absolutely correct that we’ve been exposing ourselves, as well as wildlife, to a VARIETY of man-made electromagnetic fields for about 140 years, but “Only in 1925 did half of all homes in the U.S. have electric power.” – http://www.nps.gov.  Although many US homes already had a refrigerator, washing machine, and other convenient electrical appliances in the 1950s and 1960s, many households in other parts of the world, such as Europe, were just starting to bring these appliances into their homes.

 

If you think about, there are some parts of the rural US that have only had electricity in their homes for about three generations!

 

People say that in-home electricity, radio and TV electromagnetic fields and waves haven’t affected us negatively, but just because they SAY that, doesn’t make it TRUE!

With each passing decade, our technology has ‘advanced,’ and we’ve exposed ourselves to not only higher frequencies/more types of electromagnetic fields, but also we’ve increasingly exposed ourselves to MORE of each frequency.  First, we just had electricity and radio, but then we added more radio (FM), and then we added more electrical appliances in the home that have their own electromagnetic fields (washing machines, refrigerators), and then we added TV, and then we added nuclear gamma cosmic electromagnetic fields, more electrical appliances and devices, such as computers and microwaves, and then we added cell phones, WiFi, and now, we are headed toward a completely new technology called “5G”, which is a type of antenna that will emit frequencies that are even faster in wavelength than microwaves.

 

For a long time, we thought that only ionizing radiation (UV light, X rays, and Gamma Cosmic) could affect our physiology.  This was based in a rudimentary understanding of how the cells in our bodies work.

We now know that magnetic fields around cell membranes have an electrical force of 70 to 90 mV.  “Cells use 50% of its ATP production to maintain this potential (70-90 mV).  If you reduce this value, for various reasons, the body starts to degenerate.” – http://www.trulyheal.com

“Electrical currents exist in the human body due to the chemical reactions that occur as part of the normal bodily functions, even in the absence of external electric fields. For example, nerves relay signals by transmitting electric impulses. Most biochemical reactions from digestion to brain activities go along with the rearrangement of charged particles. Even the heart is electrically active – an activity that your doctor can trace with the help of an electrocardiogram.” – http://www.who.int

We’ve known for a long time that our bodies are pulsing with electrical energy, from our nerves to our hearts.  Even the bacteria in our guts have their own electrical energy.  But we’ve only begun to scratch the surface when it comes to how negative ions, electrical energy, and all of the  mechanisms inside the body interrelate.

Dr. Martin Pall, Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington University recently presented the studies which show how electromagnetic fields harm the body.

 

I grabbed some screen shots from his presentation, in which we can see the main 8 ways we are suffering from exposure to electromagnetic fields.

 

I’m not an electrical engineer, but I pursued higher education to be an electrician for a short period of time.  During that time I was exposed to a lot of unbelievable concepts related to electricity and energy, and I also gained experience outside of my schooling installing some electrical circuits in homes for Habitat for Humanity.  Though I didn’t do either of these things for a very long period of time, it gave me a small foundation which I’m using today, as I’m learning how to measure electromagnetic fields, using a variety of meters.  Some of these meters I used during my schooling to be an electrician, and some of them I’d never used before.

Why measure electromagnetic fields?  Electricians do it all the time.  It is an essential skill that is necessary for electrical engineers and electricians to make sure that they are doing their work correctly, precisely, and safely.  That is the most basic reason — to make sure the electrical circuits we create actually function, that the electrical distribution systems distribute power all over our communities and cities, and all while keeping people safe.  However, there are many other reasons to measure electromagnetic fields.

One of the four meters I have measures the power density (in Watts) of Radio Frequency (RF) and microwave electromagnetic waves, such as those coming from radio, TV, cell phones, WiFi, ‘smart’ utility meters (also known as ‘2-way AMI meters), microwaves, and other wireless transmitting devices.  The particular RF meter I have is called the Acoustimeter.  It measures the power density in two units – Volts per meter (V/m), and microwatts per square meter (uW/m2).

For radio frequencies and microwaves (RF), electric and magnetic fields are closely interrelated and are typically measured by their power densities in watts per square metre (W/m²).

One of the first things I measured with this meter was a cell phone.  We measured the power density of the RF frequencies during the following activities:

• calling
• on the call (2.4 microWatts/cm2 = peak or 24,000 microWatts/m2)  the abbreviate for microWatts is uW.
• texting
• using data – we did not test this yet

 

The power density was very high during all of these activities, but the highest peak measurement I saw was while the cell phone was being used during a phone call.  The peak measurement was somewhere around 24,000 uW/square meter (or 2.4 uW per square centimeter).

 

 

Building Biology Evaluation Guidelines

The Building Biology organization says that anything over 10 microWatts and up to 10,000 microWatts is causes for severe concern.  And anything above 1,000 microWatts is cause for extreme concern. The cell phone measured is way over 1,000.  The peak was 24,000!

• < 0.1 microWatts/sq. meter – no concern
• 0.1 – 10 microWatts/sq. meter – slight concern
• 10 – 1,000 microWatts/sq. meter – severe concern
• > 1,000 microWatts/sq. meter – extreme concern

 

The BioInitiative Report Precautionary Guidelines (www.bioinitiative.org) 

The BioInitiative says that “Human sperm are damaged by cell phone radiation at very low intensities (0.00034 – 0.07 uW/cm2).”  Remember, the peak measurement we found when testing on a cell phone call was 2.4 uW/cm2!!!

If a pregnant mother is exposed to DNA-damaging radiation levels, the eggs which are developing in that fetus (if it is a female) will be forever altered.  The generation of females who were exposed to this level of radiation in the womb (from the pregnant mothers using the wireless laptops, cell phone, and wiFi routers, etc), have not yet been born, because wireless radiation from all three of these sources did not become prolific until I was in high school, which was 2001 – 2006. Even back then, my family still had dial-up, wired internet, and none of us had cell phones yet, but many people did have cell phones at that time.

I didn’t have my first cell phone until I was 19 years old.   So, if I were to become pregnant now (I’m 30 years old), and I were to expose my female fetus to wireless radiation, either form a nearby wiFi router, cell phone, or laptop emitting a wireless signal, that female fetus’s EGGS (all eggs in a female are formed while the fetus is developing in the womb), will be damaged.  when my daughter then has HER child, and my grand-daughter grows up…the question will be….will she be fertile, or infertile?  If there is a God, we have to pray to him about this issue!  And we also have to wake up and stop radiating our fetuses.

As you can see in the chart at the following link, there are many studies which have been done, and the chart shows the level of microWatts per square centimeter on the left (the column is called “Power Density”), and then the health effects that were found at that level, in the middle column.  the far right column shows the study that documented it.

 

Link: http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/BioInitiativeReport-RF-Color-Charts.pdf

You will find a color Key at the bottom of each page, which will help you see more easily what the health effects were for lab animals.

 

In conclusion, knowing that the cell phone hits as high as 2.4 microWatts per square centimeter, while on a call, there are quite a number of health effects that have been documented below and up to that power density level (24 uW/cm2).

 

Those health effects include:

• oxidative damage/ROS/DNA damage/DNA repair failure
• reproduction/fertility effects
• sleep, neuron firing rate, EEG, memory, learning, behavior
• cancer, (other than the brain), cell proliferation
• stress proteins, HSP, disrupted immune function
• cardiac, heart muscle, blood-pressure, vascular effects
• disrupted calcium metabolism
• brain tumors and blood-brain barrier

As the power density increases, more and more serious effects from each of these 8 categories are seen and have been documented by scientific research.

 

 

Resources

Here is a list of the best resources for what electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are, why the radiation is harmful to our biology, and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

• Wireless Education course (1/2 hour long) developed for families, schools, school staff, public officials, legislators and families. $7.95 – link
• Baby Safe Project – created by Hugh Taylor, OB-GYN & researcher at Yale.  Protect yourself and fetus during pregnancy and baby after birth– link.
• 13 easy ways to reduce your exposure to EMFs in your home – link.
• Networking site for those working on EMF/RF issues – WIN19.org.  Share research, ideas and experience regarding wireless devices, cell towers, 5G rollout, smart meters, smart communities, wifi in schools, physical and mental health conditions and government regulations.
• Scientific research laid out in the context of a presentation – link.
• Scientific research – recent, from nationally and internationally recognized orgs – link
• Study findings summary – cell phones cause cancer, by the Ramazzini Intstitute study in Italy:
  https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/29C7A9A3E802F9F3382D46DC62A5D00DF6203D7E093F04397B9DBDAA3681C5B3F25AE8E278ED4891D2543D86DF4B8B58
• WiFi – same biological harm as cell phones: Dr. Martin Pall’s 2018 paper, “Wi-Fi is an important threat to human health,”  summarizes studies of the biological harm from wi-fi: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935118300355

• Fact Sheet: EMF Points of Confusion vs. Fact 

• Environmental Health Trust – founded by Dr. Devra Davis – epidemiologist, nobel laureate fro climate change, and much more.
• Film: Generation Zapped.  Excellent, non-threating, non-hysterical way to hear from doctors, scientists and patients regarding this risk – link.
• Book: The Non-Tinfoil Guide to EMFs.  Excellent, funny book to explain this issue, written by a health journalist.
• Course for physicians: Electrosmog Rx.