The Health Risks of Electrosmog
By Shawn Skinner
Electronic gadgets and appliances such as cell phones, MP3 players, computers, and microwaves are commonplace in today’s global society. Additionally, the air is filled with radio and wireless internet waves. Although designed to make life easier, some researchers suggest electronic devices contribute to something far more ominous: electrosmog.
According to the Detect & Protect website, electrosmog is the invisible electromagnetic radiation that is emitted from cell phones and their towers, as well as other common electronic gadgets and appliances. These electromagnetic fields (EMFs) surround the aforementioned devices, and according to the work of Sam Milham, MD, there is an even more sinister EMF: “…a relatively new suspected carcinogen known as high-frequency voltage transients, or ‘dirty electricity.’ Transients are largely by-products of modern energy efficient electronics and appliances—from computers, refrigerators, and plasma TVs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs and dimmer switches—which tamp down the electricity they use.” Thus such devices created to save energy and money appear to have their drawbacks in the adverse affects they have on human health.
Milham investigated a La Quinta, California middle school after 16 out of 137 staff members developed 18 cancers from 1990 to 2005. His final report assisted by L. Lloyd Morgan in 2008 in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine concluded: “Cumulative exposure to transients in the school increased the likelihood a teacher would develop cancer by 64%. A single year of working in the building raised risk by 21%.” Additionally, according to the study, the risk for young children was probably greater, although not included in the statistics of the study. Although EMFs seem to be the cause of the high cancer rate, other possible carcinogens in the school environment appear to be absent from the study.
Many concerned German doctors were led to sign the Freiburger Appeal in 2002 based on their observation of the rise in cancer, chronic diseases and mental disorders among their patients, which they believed were linked to high-frequency microwave radiation (HFMR). This appeal called for the reduction of these waves “on a justifiable scale, especially in areas of sleep and convalescence.” Additional stipulations called for a ban on cell phone use among small children and restrictions on adolescent use.
On the other hand, there are those who disagree that cell phones and other devices are harmful to human health. A CNN article from 2008 relates the stance of the cell phone industry: “…the overwhelming majority of studies that have been published in scientific journals around the globe show that wireless phones do not pose a health risk.” It is difficult to find the truth because “Cell phones have been wildly popular for only a matter of years, and it can take at least a decade for cancers to show up. Studies contradict each other, and scientists bicker.”
So, what can you do until the studies are completed? Objective sources are difficult to find; many are advocates for electronics corporations, others often want to convince you that you need to buy something to lessen or nearly eliminate the dangers of electronic radiation. I encourage you not to take just anyone’s word about whether or not electrosmog is dangerous without first being educated on the subject. Additional information about Electromagnetic fields can be found at the World Health Organization’s and Dr. Mercola’s websites.
Tags: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, CNN, Detect & Protect, Dr. Mercola, electrosmog, Freiburger Appeal, Sam Milham MD, World Health Organization
