Live among the waves

Electromagnetic waves are the inevitable companions of domestic comfort. They pervade the space around us and our bodies: sources of EM radiation warm and light houses, serve for cooking, provide instant communication with any corner of the world. The influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body today is the subject of heated debate. So, for example, in Sweden, “electromagnetic allergy” is considered a disease. Although the World Health Organization still classifies such an organism’s reaction as a “possible disease” *. Among its symptoms are headache, chronic fatigue, memory disorders.

“In two decades of work, I have not seen a case of electromagnetic allergy,” says Nina Rubtsova, a doctor, a member of the international expert commission of the WHO program. Electromagnetic fields and human health. “But EMR-related phobias have developed in society.” Do we have reasons for them? And how to minimize the likely harm from exposure to radiation? We did a little research.

Everything is ambiguous

In our country, studies of the influence of electromagnetic fields on humans and animals have been conducted for more than 50 years. After conducting hundreds of experiments, Russian scientists have found that growing tissues, embryos, are most affected. “It turned out that electromagnetic fields also affect the nervous and muscle tissues, can provoke neurological disorders and insomnia, as well as malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract,” explains Nina Rubtsova. “They change both heart rate and blood pressure.”

The influence of the electromagnetic field cannot be characterized as unequivocally negative – EM radiation is used in physiotherapy for the treatment of many diseases, it can accelerate tissue healing and have an anti-inflammatory effect. How exactly the electromagnetic field from ordinary household appliances affects us and how harmful it is to a healthy person is a moot point, so it is reasonable to shield its sources as much as possible and try to minimize exposure.

So, all household electrical appliances are sources of EM radiation, and the higher the power, the more aggressive the field. It is most powerful in microwave ovens, refrigerators with a frost-free system, electric stoves and mobile phones. Low-frequency radiation propagating from the house’s electrical network is considered relatively harmless: the field diverges from the wires, even when the circuit is not closed and electricity does not flow through them, but is largely shielded by grounded conductive materials, such as house walls. The magnetic component of electromagnetic fields is more difficult to shield, but it disappears when the appliance is turned off. The exception is electrical appliances with a transformer that are turned off but remain connected to the network (TV, video). More dangerous is considered high-frequency electromagnetic radiation, the sources of which are radio and television transmitters, as well as radars.

Home

“In residential premises, it is enough to correctly arrange household appliances: a bed and sofas, a dining table, that is, those places where we spend a lot of time, should not fall into their field,” explains Dmitry Davydov, an expert at Ecostandard, an independent environmental review company. – When moving away from the source of electrical radiation at a double distance, the field strength decreases by a factor of four. This is the easiest way to minimize your exposure to radiation – for example, don’t sit too close to the TV.”

It is better to place a sleeping place no closer than 10 cm from the wall, especially in houses with reinforced concrete walls. Well, if the wiring has a third ground wire, you can also replace conventional wiring with shielded wiring. It is better if the wires and sockets are closer to the floor, and not at the level of the human belt, as is often the case. Electric heated floors generate a field of up to one meter above the surface, so it is best not to place them under the bed or in the nursery. However, this disadvantage can be compensated for with the help of shielding paints, wallpaper and fabric materials.

Induction cookers generate strong magnetic fields, metal-ceramic hobs are preferable. The most modern models of microwave ovens are relatively safe: now most manufacturers pay special attention to their high tightness. You can check it if you carry a sheet of aluminum foil in front of the door of a working oven: the absence of cod and sparks will confirm that everything is in order.

How does it work?

All operating electrical appliances (and electrical wiring) create an electromagnetic field around them, which causes the movement of charged particles: electrons, protons, ions or dipole molecules. Cells of a living organism consist of charged molecules – proteins, phospholipids (molecules of cell membranes), water ions – and have a weak electromagnetic field. Under the action of a strong EM field, molecules with a charge perform oscillatory motions. This gives rise to a number of processes, both positive (improvement of cellular metabolism) and negative (for example, destruction of cellular structures).

For those who work a lot at the computer, there is a simple rule: there should be a distance of about a meter between the face and the screen. And of course, plasma or LCD screens are safer than cathode ray tubes. Radio and mobile phones are another source of radiation that we can’t avoid. These are transceiver devices that we hold near our ears, allowing the radiation to act directly on the brain. “The issue of the degree of harmfulness of mobile phones is being discussed,” Ecostandard specialist Alexander Mikheev comments on the problem. – The power of the EM radiation of a mobile phone is a variable value, it depends on the state of the communication channel mobile phone – base station. The higher the signal level of the station at the receiving location, the lower the radiation power of the mobile phone. Suggested precautions include: Carry your phone in your bag or briefcase rather than on your waist or chest Use a Handsfree headset, especially if you need to have long calls. In general, choose phone models with a lower maximum radiation power, especially for children. Children under 12 years of age should not use a mobile phone without the need.

Expert Opinion

Waves that healA whole branch of medicine – physiotherapy – successfully uses electromagnetic radiation to treat various diseases. Physiotherapist Lev Ilyin* tells how this happens.

“Let me remind you that many large molecules of our body are polar, therefore, as a result of exposure to a non-permanent magnetic field, metabolism, enzymatic processes are activated, and cellular metabolism improves. This allows the use of magnetotherapy for edema, treatment of joints and for resorption of hemorrhages. The action of low-power DC pulses on brain structures contributes to a deeper and more restful sleep: such electrosleep is an important part of the treatment of hypertension, neurasthenia, sleepwalking, and some vascular diseases. In acute inflammatory processes, the well-known UHF is used, a device that generates an electromagnetic field of ultrahigh frequency with a short wavelength. The tissues of our body absorb these waves and convert them into thermal energy. As a result, the movement of blood and lymph is accelerated, the tissues are freed from fluid stagnation (common in inflammation), and the functions of the connective tissue are activated. The apparatus for UHF therapy also allows you to: relieve spasms of smooth muscles of the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, accelerates the restoration of nervous tissue, reduces the sensitivity of terminal nerve receptors, that is, it contributes to pain relief. And it also reduces the tone of capillaries and arterioles, lowers blood pressure and reduces the heart rate.

* Lev Ilyin – Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Treatment of the Research Institute of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery of the Russian Medical Technologies.

Power of electromagnetic induction from various devices*

• Power cable surface: 100-120.
• Power lines: 10-16.
• Switchboard (per apartment): 2-3,5.
• Computer monitor: 1.
• Electric kettle: 0,6-0,75.
• Switch: 0,1-0,15.

* Power, measured in microtesla, is an indicator of the degree of danger of the field for humans.

Have a question?

• Ecostandard is an independent environmental review. (495) 723 7267, 916 1505; www.ecostandard.ru