Today, a growing group of scientists worldwide have published evidence that electromagnetic fields (EMF) result in biological harm to the human body. This might be a brand new topic for you or you might be well versed in it. Either way, our goal is to share our unique access to the scientific community to support you in making the best possible choices for how you and your family interact with your wireless technology.
Demand for wireless technology is huge. In a survey that we commissioned, 93% of respondents own a smartphone and 91% of respondents use WIFI regularly. And you know that, in 2015, 47% of US households had WIFI only?
We can say without hesitation that the use of wireless technology is almost universal today.
The research below summarizes the health effects of exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR), a form of electromagnetic radiation. Radio frequency radiation or wireless radiation is emitted by all wireless devices including cell phones, WiFi networks and other wireless technology. The bulk of the research that has been done on the health effects of EMF discusses the risk of glioma (a malignant brain tumor) from exposure to cell phone radiation.
Considering our reliance on wireless technology, it is very important that we educate ourselves on wireless health effects, especially for children. Did you know that brain cancer has replaced leukemia as the leading cause of cancer deaths among children aged 1 to 19 years in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?
Thousands of studies in the last four decades have found that EMF exposure can create negative health effects in almost all of the systems of the body:
The stakes are very high. Exposure to electromagnetic fields (both extremely low-frequency ELF-EMF from power frequency sources like power lines and appliances; and radiofrequency radiation or RFR) has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes that may have significant public health consequences. The most serious health endpoints that have been reported to be associated with extremely low frequency (ELF) and/or radiofrequency radiation (RFR) include childhood and adult leukemia, childhood and adult brain tumors, and increased risk of the neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, there are reports of increased risk of breast cancer in both men and women, genotoxic effects (DNA damage, chromatin condensation, micronucleation, impaired repair of DNA damage in human stem cells), pathological leakage of the blood–brain barrier, altered immune function including increased allergic and inflammatory responses, miscarriage and some cardiovascular effects. Insomnia (sleep disruption) is reported in studies of people living in very low-intensity RF environments with WI-FI and cell tower-level exposures. Short-term effects on cognition, memory and learning, behavior, reaction time, attention and concentration, and altered brainwave activity (altered EEG) are also reported in the scientific literature. Biophysical mechanisms that may account for such effects can be found in various articles and reviews (Sage, 2012). (Bioinitiative Summary for the Public 2014)
Want to learn more? Here are some key studies to consider along with a brief description of their findings.
Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five birth cohorts. Environment International. Birks et al 2017.
Highlights: Largest study to date to use prenatal cell phone use data collected prospectively. High prenatal cell phone use linked to hyperactivity/inattention problems in child. No prenatal cell phone use linked to low risk for any behavioral problems in child. Analysis adjusted for many confounders, but associations cannot be judged causal. Future research should adjust for parenting style, maternal hyperactivity, and more.