The Unknown Quantity
 
While many sources of man-made electromagnetic radiation have been shown to contribute to ill-health, it is the saturation of both our personal and public environment with RF / microwave radiation which is the most dangerous EM Pollution threat to our health. Although not widely known, it is a fact that wireless technology, especially the ubiquitous Wi-Fi, was never tested before being introduced to the public in 1997.
The diagram above shows how a WiFi network is set up. Obviously the power levels closest to the Master Access Point are highest, followed by the Relay Access Points then the Remote Access Points. Laptops and PCs put out their own EM pollution in addition to the WiFi.
Wi-Fi escaped testing due to its use of an unlicensed part of the radio spectrum and as long as basic requirements for interference and compatibility were met, consumers were able to buy these Wi-Fi devices. WiMax has been described as WiFi on steroids and is potentially orders of magnitude more dangerous.
The diagram above shows the electro-magnetic spectrum and some of its biological effects.
Those who approve planning applications for the placement of antennas within their jurisdiction are bound by local planning laws. Provided applications meet guidelines frequently based on research sponsored by those with a vested interest, planning is invariably granted whatever the personal preferences of those making the decision might be. Such local authorities are told by both the telecommunication industry and by central government that this technology is safe as long as the radio frequency exposure remains below the national guidelines. The industry calculates the exposure in a particular area for approval and, once the antennas are erected, unannounced monitoring is seldom conducted to determine whether those values are correct.
The international ICNIRP guideline is based on short-term thermal effects. This guideline is based on the assumption that if microwave energy does not heat tissue it is not harmful. This assumption is incorrect and has been known to be incorrect for a number of years. Adverse biological effects have been documented at levels below recommended guidelines and there are no guidelines for non-thermal effects, nor are there guidelines for long-term exposure. The technological developments and uses of wireless devices are running well ahead of the policy decisions necessary to ensure their safety.
Whether non-thermal effects occur is no longer the issue, the issue is at what level do these non-thermal effects occur and what are the safe levels of long-term exposure. Guidelines for exposure to environmental contaminants are similar in countries around the world. If these guidelines differ, the difference is often within narrow limits or relates to specific conditions unique to a particular environment or a particular population. This is not the case for radio and microwave frequency radiation.
Radio frequency guidelines vary by orders of magnitude in countries around the world.
The FCC guideline ranges from 200 to 1000 microW/cm based on frequency and is much higher than the guidelines recommended in New Zealand, Italy, China, Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, Switzerland, Austria and in New South Wales, Australia. Since the science upon which these guidelines are based remains the same, one way of interpreting this discrepancy is that some countries place a greater value on science and on preventative health regulations while others may place a greater value on commerce.
A number of adverse health effects have been documented at levels below the FCC guidelines, which include altered white blood cells in school children; childhood leukaemia; impaired motor function, reaction time, and memory; headaches, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, and insomnia. At the frequency in question for Wi-Fi technology the guideline in the US is 1000 microW/cm (or 1 milliW/cm).
There have been no studies to date on the effects of exposure to Wi-Fi. This in itself is unusual since populations are already being exposed to this energy without any studies on how they might be affected. Since there is not yet enough information about exposure to Wi-Fi there is a need to rely on studies of exposure to similar types of radio frequency radiation. The closest case studies are those of exposure to cell phone antennas and cell phones.
As of 2007 there have been seven epidemiological studies of people living near cell phone antennas in Spain, the Netherlands, Israel, Germany, Egypt and Austria and each one of these studies documents adverse health effects. Studies in Israel and Germany show increased risk of cancer and the others show increased symptoms of electro-hypersensitivity (EHS). In all of the studies, exposures are orders of magnitude below the FCC guideline.
Digital TV Switchover
A similar situation exists with our intended full switchover to Digital TV broadcasts. No testing has been done to determine the safety of this new TV broadcast format even though the new signal is 250 times stronger than the previous analogue one. In fact, several German physicians wrote to President Obama and Congress urging caution and requesting a stop to the introduction of DTV based on the negative health effects experienced in Germany.
The type of signal used is fundamental to understanding the danger of wireless / digital technology. Prior to the use of digital technology all radio wave signals were broadcast in analogue format. An analogue signal is an unmodulated radio sine wave. Since normal radio waves move in this flowing manner, they are not dangerous to us (only exception is the heating effect to the body when standing too close to a transmitter tower). This is how radio stations, analogue TV, and some older cordless phones work.
In contrast to the analogue signal, a digital signal is a modulated radio wave. What this means is that instead of the smooth rhythm of the sine wave, we now have the unnatural, man-made ‘square wave’. This angular wave represents a pulsed signal which is either on (1) or off (0). This is exactly how Cell Phones, Digital TV broadcasts, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cell Towers / Masts, and all other wireless technologies work. In order for all these technologies to carry the necessary information the signals must be modulated. Therefore, the key to wireless and digital technology is a pulsed or modulated radio wave which emits unnatural microwave radiation. It is this unnatural pulse modulation of microwave radiation that creates the greatest threat to our health.
There are two aspects to digital signals – the high frequency of the broadcast microwave (carrier wave) and the low frequency of the pulse modulation (data transmission). In other words, the data transmission is embedded in the carrier wave. The carrier wave is usually high frequency and low power. The modulated portion (data transmission) is low frequency but very high power. These signals are amplitude modulated and the signal strength rises and falls in time at a lower frequency. It is these very sharp spikes (peaks) of high amplitude (high power) unnatural pulsed lower frequencies, many of which occur in the biologically active range of 3 – 25 Hz, which can and will interfere with everything from brain processes to hormone production to cell repair. Even though these signals are many magnitudes lower in power than guidelines established by the FCC in the U.S. or by the ICNIRP for Europe – which again only protect from thermal / heating effects – the body is negatively affected due to non-thermal biological effects.
While many, especially the telecommunications industry, regulatory agencies (FCC), and radiation safety organizations (i.e. ICNIRP) still claim there is no proof of these non-thermal effects, research has provided conclusive evidence of non-thermal biological damage. These scientists have proven that when we are exposed to the unnatural, man-made radiation from our modern technology it will have a direct negative effect on our nervous system, immune system, cellular function, and ultimately our DNA.
The AUVA Report of July 2009 verified that EMFs from cell phones damage the brain and nervous system, immune system, and induce changes in protein synthesis that lead to increased rates of DNA breakage, all at power levels well below the accepted SAR levels. In fact, damage was shown to start at 0.1 W/kg. Remember, the U.S. safety guidelines for cell phones are ≤ 1.6 W/kg! Also noted in this report was the increased susceptibility of children and youths to the negative health effects of this radiation due to the especially pronounced tissue growth and therefore cell replication of this age group.
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