1

EHS is “a major health problem”Professor Dominique Belpomme, the president of ARTAC (Preventive Cancer Research Association), has called electromagnetic hypersensitivity “a major health problem” and “a real threat to public health”, according to Le Dauphine on 29th July. He leads a French research unit which is one of the most advanced in Europe for people who are EHS (electro-hypersensitive).

“In Europe, the number of people affected is estimated to be between 1 and 10% of the population,” he said. Fatigue, insomnia and depression, and other potential risks “of multiple sclerosis, and even Alzheimer’s disease among young people” may be linked to the influence of these fields. “We know now for certain that these people are genuinely ill.” Tests developed by the Association, using encephaloscan, biological tests and blood analysis, enable diagnosis.

“We are convinced that it is the amalgamation of different sources of EMFs - from relay antennas, high-voltage power lines, WiFi, etc - that causes this syndrome.” It is still not clear why some people are seriously affected and others not. “We are working on a hypothesis involving magnetosomes, micro-electro magnets that we have in the brain. Grasping the truth is a slow process but it has started. More than 100 cities and towns [in France] have already decided to create zones where the radiation limit is 0.6 volts/metre. Things are beginning to move.”

A new study (Huttunen et al., 2009) shows that some people react physically with spontaneous hand movements when exposed to FM radio and digital TV frequencies.

The experiment was 5 km from a FM radio mast in a rural part of Finland. A moveable metal reflecting screen exposed the participants to a variety of standing waves. Resonance in the body affects power absorption, with an optimal antenna length of nearly half a wavelength. At 100 MHz the wavelength is 3 m and, at 80-108 MHz FM broadcasts, the whole body resonance length is 1.1 - 1.5m. Since the six FM radio signals and digital TV signals were horizontally polarised and the participants were standing, the

absorption was highest in the shoulder area. The participants felt the change in intensity of the standing radio waves as spontaneous muscle contractions, causing his/her arms and hands to move apart and together up to 60 cm as the waves passed.

Of the 29 adults tested, nine had hand movements traced on a graph which matched the pattern of power peaks plotted by the RF metre. Six showed responses but no similar pattern, and 14 did not react at all. Those tested may have been above-average in the number of electrically sensitive participants. The study concluded that “sensitive persons seem to react to crossing standing waves of the FM-radio or TV broadcasting signals”.

ElectroSensitivity UK

NEWS

ElectroSensitivity UK © 2009 Registered Charity No. 1103018

NOVEMBER 2009

Contents:ES-UK conference 2

ES news 3

How to convince the ignorant 6

Angie’s advice 6

Light bulbs 7

Shielding a house 8

BioInitiative and ICNIRP 11

Health dangers and planning 12

Health dangers and

removing masts 12

International news 13

WiFi dangers 14

ES stories

- Giles’ phone 15

- Steve Miller, DJ 16

- Tin 17

ES UKfor all people sensitised by electro-magnetic fields and radiation

ES is proved? Research shows some people seem electro-sensitive

�Prof. Dominique Belpomme

2

Canadians declare Electromagnetic Sensitivity Awareness Month – “this new environment-related illness”IIn August the city of Colwood in British Columbia became the first Canadian city to proclaim an Electromagnetic Sensitivity Awareness Month. Mayor David Saunders declared that his city was joining “many other countries in recognising this new environment-related illness.” “Relief can be obtained only by eliminating exposure to radiation-emitting devices such as cell phones, wireless technology, FM and cell transmitters, and CFL light bulbs, resulting in major lifestyle changes. EMS is recognized by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Canadian Government as an Environmental Sensitivity, the Americans with Disability Act, and numerous other international commissions. The health of the general population is at risk from chronic, long-term exposures to electromagnetic radiation. This illness may be prevented by a reduction in radiation exposure levels both indoor and outdoor.”

EHS Awareness Months continueDennis O’Keefe, the Mayor of St. John’s in Newfoundland, declared September 2009 as Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Awareness Month.

Switch off the power!A reader writes: “I am following Dr Dietrich Klinghardt’s protocol. His number one recommendation involves switching off the fuses at night. The fridge freezer is fine and we all have torches next to our beds. I can now shake my head whenever I wish and without pain, dizziness or disorientation. (Odd but true - this has been 7 years in the making.) The fall off in other symptoms is remarkable too.”

Delivery and supermarket problems – ‘knocked for six’Someone reports that he is “knocked for six” by the electronic signature pads used by parcel-deliverers for UPS and the Royal Mail. Examples such as the CN3 by Intermec combine WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and a 3G mobile phone. “These pads make me really ill for just a few seconds exposure. Supermarket staff use similar pads to stock take and WiFi the resulting info back to the store computer. So supermarkets are out for me.”

The rise of electrosmog – and pineal / pituary imbalancesThere are reports from around the world of sharp increases in electrosmog over recent months, supposedly 8-fold in places, with one area up from 6 to 19 V/m. Mast power is being increased to match demand and there is also more celldar, satellite and digital TV. One result has been an increase in pineal and pituitary imbalances as a result of microwaves and high magnetic fields. One practitioner apparently said, “It’s funny, almost everyone that’s come to me in the last few months is showing these abnormalities,” whereas previously she hardly ever saw these problems. Her records showed that the first person to arrive with these problems was on 15th March, the day after someone measured the increased radiation nearby.Glynn Hughes strongly recommends that all bedrooms should be under 0.02 V/m. Remember to earth any protective netting.

ES-UK conferenceOver 100 people gathered at Melton Mowbray on Saturday, 3rd October for an excellent conference. It was arranged by Brian Stein, one of our trustees, and his team, who generously provided a suitable location and superb food (of course!). We were privileged to hear a series of talks from expert speakers.

Professor Olle Johansson from Sweden started by challenging us with the history of the scientific study of aspects of electrosensitivity. He then asked how society should react to the functional impairment of those affected and how those affected should expect society to react.

Professor Denis L Henshaw, Willis Professor at the department of physics of the University of Bristol, presented a talk entitled: ‘So much research, yet so little notice taken’. (downloadable at: http://www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk/presentations.html) He showed the large number of scientific papers on the link between magnetic fields and traceable responses in all major animal kingdoms. This key resource for the future of mankind appears to be ignored by some governments and regulators.

Alasdair Philips of Powerwatch spoke both on the scientific studies behind ES and on more practical ways of dealing with everyday problems. Anne Silk presented ways in which ES symptoms are similar to those from visual flickering effects. Dr Andrew Goldsworthy gave an accessible but scientific explanation of a likely explanation for ES, where EMF exposure affects calcium ions.

It was a busy but positive day, with people able to share experiences and also to understand much more about their condition. We are very grateful to our speakers and organizer.Dr Andrew Goldsworthy gave an accessible but scientific explanation of a likely explanation for ES, where EMF exposure affects calcium ions (audio version available at ES-UK website).

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The Times on Electrosmog victimsThe Times on 22nd August had a full-page article by Charles Bremner entitled “New wave of ‘electrosmog’ victims find haven in country” featuring how residents in France’s first EM ‘refuge zone’ have found a haven from the invisible pollution of modern life which has blighted their lives. The online version was entitled “Electrosensitive refugees from wireless technology head for Drôme”. Anny Boury, 48, described the misery of proximity to phones. “When someone in a train telephones behind me, I feel it like being stabbed in the back,” she said. Cindy, 39, a photographer from California, said she had travelled to France because the authorities were ahead of the US in beginning to understand electro-sensitivity. Claudie, 55, a primary school teacher, said that she is unable to take trains, and drives only at night. “I can feel the masts before I see them,” she said.

“The Hum” dramaOn 17th May Radio 3 broadcast a 90 minute drama called “The Hum”, based on the Bristol Hum. Emma is part of a team in Bristol who are called out to investigate cases of noise pollution and finds that a number of cases defy explanation. Can an inexplicable “hum” be to blame? This low frequency droning noise can only be heard by a very small portion of the population but its effects can be truly devastating. Laura Wade is a young British playwright and winner of The Critics’ Circle award for most promising playwright in 2006.

Airport body scannersL3’s ProVision body scanner is coming into use at airports around the world. It operates at 27-33 GHz (about 10 mm wavelength) at 10-60 microWatts for 2 seconds. (In contrast, the Active Denial Weapon uses 3.2 mm waves of 95 GHz at 2.5 megaWatts.)

How not to measure your heartSt Jude Medical Inc. in the US is introducing Merlin.net to provide RF communication from an implanted cardiac monitor to a receiver connected to a telephone line to give doctors a daily update on a patient’s heart state.

The new AcoustimeterI have tried out EMFields’ new Acoustimeter, (RF Meter Model AM-10). It gives a digital LCD display of V/m (Volts per metre) for peak readings from pulsed signals in the range 200 MHz – 8 GHz. There is also an average digital readout for analogue signals in μW/m2 (microWatt per square metre). In addition there is an audio signal and

output. The front panel has 15 small LED lights for each metric, showing green, amber or red according the strength of the signal. The range is from 0.02 V/m to 6.00 V/m.

I found it an excellent device and easy to use – just switch on and choose where to face! It provides a wonderful source of accurate information. Many town readings were nearing BioInitiative’s international safety limit of 0.194 V/m indoors. Close to some groups

of masts the readings were much higher and occasionally reached 0.6 V/m, the outdoor safety limit, where the lights went red. It picks up which neighbours have DECT phones or WiFi (a neighbour’s BT hub reaches the indoor limit in our house!) and can re-assure you about rooms with low readings. It can also pick up small hot spots or beams of radiation. After a week’s use it gave me a good feel for my usual areas, both re-assuring and as a warning.

Athletes and executivesuse bed nets too!What do some high performance athletes and business executives have in common with EHS sufferers? They all benefit from using bed nets to shield them from electromagnetic pollution, according to Dr Crofton in her 2009 book Radiation Rescue (p.361). Make sure the net is earthed.

EWG websiteThe Washington-based Environmental Working Group has a useful website on the dangers of mobiles phones and their relative SAR values.

New websitewww.EMF.mercola.com is a useful website with articles on practical protection for your home. There are also articles on the medical dangers of EMF. Dr Mercola built EMF protection into his bedroom. It’s now becoming quite fashionable to protect yourself and family in this way.

“The Electrophobes”A new 10 minute video film called “The Electrophobes” stars Dr Andrew Goldsworthy and Sarah Dacre talking in general terms about the science behind electrosensitivity and what it means in practice. It adopts an equivocal approach but ends powerfully with discussion of litigation and the government revenues at risk when eventually people will have to be warned about the dangers of mobile technology. http://www.vbs.tv/watch/motherboard/the-electrophobes

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Yet more wireless on a street lamp near youThe latest addition to electrosmog could be your local street lamps. The New Scientist reported that Essex-based Telensa is developing telecells with radio transceivers to monitor and control street lamps in order to reduce energy consumption. As many as 10,000 telecells connect wirelessly to a base station similar to that in a cellphone network using ultra-narrow band (UNB) transmission. The noise in a UNB channel is proportionally lower than for a cellphone signal, so transmissions can travel farther before being swamped by noise, although a UNB channel carries data at a low rate, suitable for simple communication. The Carbon Trust funded trials of 100 street lamps in London and Manchester, with smaller trials in South Carolina and Austria.

Ofcom adds to electrosmogAccording to the Daily Telegraph on 13th July Ofcom is releasing 57 to 66 gigahertz of the radio spectrum, to be used by consumer electronics manufacturers. First uses would include wireless televisions, which can connect to a set top box or DVD player without any cables.

Hylas 1 satelliteThe Hylas 1 (Highly adaptable satellite), to be launched late in 2009, is apparently 2-3 times more powerful than any currently over Europe. Ofcom has licensed it to operate in a geostationary orbit at 33.5° W, with 2 Ku band HDTV transponders (10.9-12.75 GHz) and 6 Ka band for broadband and data (18-20 GHz).

Further 3G upgradeOn 31st July Vodafone New Zealand, in conjunction with Nokia Siemens Network’s HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) Plus technology, became the first operator in the world to demonstrate the next iteration of its 3G network, offering speeds of up to 21.1Mbit/s download.

Mast within 400 metres is “profit over people”The Summerland Review in Canada on 12th August published a letter by Ava Hare on a public meeting about a new phone mast, stating “We have been told that 400 metres is a safe distance. There are families closer than that from this tower. The Telus [phone company] response to this was, “well, only a few homes are inside this distance.” These are not just houses. These are family homes with people living in them. To me, this is profit over people.”

Dirty electricityA previous Newsletter recommended removing WIFI and using dLAN plugs. This then this puts broadband RF onto the mains wiring, potentially creating dirty electricity throughout the house. One way of reducing dirty electricity is to add Graham Stetzer filters, although they can be expensive. http://www.wireless-protection.org/

Protective tent for saleLesley Carol Moylette (timmoylette@ntlworld.com) is selling a large tent (7 x 5 x 5.6 feet) which she has not needed to use and is boxed up as new. It came from Select Fabricators in the US and cost 10,000 American dollars (6,000+ pounds Sterling). It stops WiFi and most signals.

FDA warns on dangers of mercury fillingsThe US FDA on 28th July reclassified mercury amalgam dental fillings as a class II moderate risk. They are already banned in Sweden and Norway and will be in Denmark, and since 2001 they have been banned in Italy for pregnant women and those allergic to them. They can be troublesome for EHS sufferers.

Lightning and ES effects for survivorsArrhythmia, MS and arthritis are all known as symptoms linked with EMR. The Times on 17th August reported that a woman recently struck by lightning in Serbia survived and was also cured of a long-standing arrhythmia of the heart. In 1994 a woman in Oklahoma suffering from MS was thrown from her wheelchair by lightning but gradually regained leg movement and was able to walk again. Several years ago a woman in Birmingham was temporarily paralysed down her right side by lightning but the arthritis in her right hand had gone by the following morning and the swelling disappeared over the following weeks.

AUVA report confirmsbio-active effects from mobilesThe Austrian AUVA insurance company commissioned researchers from the Vienna Medical University to study biological effects associated with mobile phone radiation. This latest report shows that some cells are very sensitive and respond with a significant increase in protein synthesis, indicating an increased level of cell stress at SAR levels as low as 0.1 W/kg. Since affected cells include especially those that are metabolically active, children and youth seem to be most susceptible to the possible health effects.

5

Dowsers and magnetic fieldsThe National Trust’s Summer magazine featured dowsing. It is apparently used by civil engineers, water and oil companies and the National Trust and has a surprisingly good track record in finding buried power cables and water and even determining water depth and pH levels. Rocard, 1964, assuming a magnetic field phenomenon, recorded dowsing reflex sensitivity at and above field gradients of 10 nanoTesla/metre (= 0.01 microTesla/m) for a dowser walking at 1metre/second with a time lag of 1 second or more, with an induced voltage of 30 nanoVolts, although theoretically this is one millionth of the voltage necessary to trigger more usual nerve impulses (Smith and Best, 1989, p.239). An association with magnetotactic bacteria has also been suggested (Fassbinder et al, 1990).

Such reflex sensitivity by dowsers down to 10 nT matches people sensitised to electromagnetic fields who can feel a gradient of 5 nT at 7 nT. It also fits with Wertheimer & Leeper, 1987, finding sensitivity symptoms at 14 nT at 250m from 400 kV power lines and Draper, 2005, with 23% increased risk of childhood leukaemia at 600m from power lines. In 2003 the California Schools Department recommended an exposure limit of 10 nT.

Protection from EMR mandated for employeesIn the US OSHA has mandated protective gear for employees, in the light of the development of medical diagnostics by the World Health Organization (WHO), such as ICD 9 & 10 codes for “Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity” and “Multiple Chemical Sensitivities”. As a result the medical community in the USA is developing protocols for environmental medicine training for patient care management. Doctors may issue notes requesting employers to provide protective gear to shield from exposure to non-ionizing radiation from computers, laptops, copier machines, telephones and cell phones.

Protecting children from mobilesAccording to the Independent on 15th August, Lukashenko’s education authorities in Belarus, eastern Europe, are considering introducing a new uniform to protect children from mobile phone EMR. It would have a special phone pocket made of absorptive material.

Protective clothingA reader reports that Dyanne at StitchinTime can make up electrocloth protective clothing. She takes orders by post/email using measurements. http://www.stitchintimesavesnine.co.uk/

‘I don’t use a mobile’ - have you heard this one?From a blog posted on 3rd September on how to explain you do not use a cellphone: “When people ask me for my cell number, I tell them I used to think I got headaches talking to my mom, then found it was just the phone.”

PDA cell phones produce elevated ELF EMFsPersonal Digital Assistants (PDAs or palmheld wireless units) produce high intensity bursts of extremely-low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) resulting in comparatively high ELF-EMF exposure in persons carrying a PDA close to the body (i.e., in a pocket or on a belt) or held to the head for cell phone conversations (Sage C., et al., 2009). Email transmit and receive functions produce rapid, short ELF-EMF spikes in the 2–10 microTesla range, each lasting several seconds to over a minute apparently depending on file download size, with some units producing spikes up to 30–60 μT. PDA cell phone use produced continuous 0.5–1 μT readings, as opposed to the rapid spikes for email. Switching the PDA from ‘‘OFF’’ to ‘‘ON’’ gave single pulses over 90 μT on two units. Email downloads into the PDA can occur randomly throughout the day and night when the unit is on. The interntational BioInitiative safety limit for ELF-EMF is 0.1 μT (100 nanoTesla).

International EMF Collaborative report on mobile dangersA 37-page report by Lloyd Morgan, “Cellphones and Brain Tumours: 15 Reasons for Concern”, for the International EMF Collaborative and endorsed by 43 international scientists, highlights the evidence for dangers from mobiles, along with design weaknesses in the Interphone study, soon to be released. The Cyprus Mail commented: “The Radiation Research Trust (RRT), which issued the ‘15 reasons to be concerned’, is no scaremongering outfit or fanatical fringe group. The scientists involved are from leading universities worldwide. Yet the report does make frightening reading and its recommendations should be taken into consideration by all governments.” See: www.RadiationResearch.org

Headaches for 20% of childrenAccording to Kernick, 2009, 20% of 1,000 12-15 year olds in Exeter suffer headaches at least once a week and 10% had more than two headaches a week. That group had a poorer quality of life than children with asthma, diabetes or cancer. Headache was the most common type of pain in children.

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Three ways to convince the ignorant!It is very difficult for people suffering from EHS when others, especially family members, are ignorant about the condition and do not accept it. Some people only really believe it when they see about EHS in print in a newspaper. Others are only convinced when they see ‘proof’ of a person with EHS accurately complaining about mobile phones being on and being proved right, although the phones were out of sight. Here are three approaches which may be worth trying.

1. Have copies of the ES-UK leaflet on Electrosensitivity available for people to read or take.

2. Have copies of an article on someone who has been sensitized. DJ Steve Miller’s story in the Sun helped convince some sceptics. You can find other stories in ES-UK Newsletters.

3. Try some scientific arguments such as:(a) The medical profession uses sub-thermal pulsed microwaves similar to mobile phone signals to help heal bones fractures, control pain and help with Parkinson’s and MS, so doctors have known for several decades that mobile phone-type radiation has biological effects.

(b) Many scientific studies show that mobile phones reduce male fertility and should not be kept switched on in trouser pockets – useful for any young males who do claim they do not believe the evidence!

(c) Refer to military people, especially in the air-force or those employed in electronic warfare. In fact such people may think you are rather odd if you assume they would not know about the dangers of EMR! The military buy the same silvered netting which EMS people use to protect against electromagnetic radiation. Some EU troops in Iraq had to be sent home because they developed EHS after using electronic blocking devices against enemy communication systems.

ES adviceAngie gives her personal advice on what to do. This is not ES-UK advice.

• People with ES should find a doctor with advanced understanding of Vitamin D2 and D3 metabolite blood assays. A high D3 is indicative of ES stress as well as sunlight intolerance, photosensitivity and weak immunity.• They should also monitor their electrolytes / mineral levels, paying particular attention to potassium, magnesium and copper levels to support conduction systems in the body. This should be done monthly.• No mineral supplementing should be undertaken without a solid clinical reason such as deficiency, and with a doctor’s prescription. The recommended daily allowance quantities which constitute a balanced diet are there for very good reason. • Absolutely never use a sunbed.• Mobile phone use should be nil, but if that is difficult to avoid, use only a mobile which has no extra functions such as MP3, or which requires constant recharging due to multi function, typical of the newest models. Cordless headphones for TV or audio and headphones generally should be avoided.• Low amber lighting should be used in the home.• Homes with large windows will be unsuitable.• Sleep disruptions should be resolved without delay.• The bedroom decor must be easy on the eye.• Nephrotoxic drugs, foods and beverages should be avoided.• Persons who appear to have an exhaustive or draining personality should be avoided completely.

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Light-bulbs and computers cause rash and sicknessWesley Johnson in a Press Association release on 1st September highlighted the case of a mother-of two who suffers from energy-saving fluorescent lightbulbs. Brenda Ryder, of Godshill, Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, suffers from an extreme light-sensitive skin condition which results in a severe reactions including a dark rash and continuous vomiting which can sometimes last for weeks.

She lives her life behind screened windows and is “completely dependent” on her 54-year-old husband John for everything from the shopping to her banking. She first developed lupus in 1997 but added: “Fluorescent lights are much more prominent now, it’s become much more of a problem. I can’t use a

computer or do anything online because that has the same problems.” She was originally just told to avoid sunlight. She said: “But then I was at a restaurant one evening and I started to get this rash, a reddish-purple rash all over my face, and I had to leave.” She said she started to vomit continuously and had to go home and find a darkened room. “I really do have a very severe reaction for weeks,” she said.

Mrs Ryder said: “Our house is screened. We have DermaGuard (skin lotion) which screens out UV light and black-out blinds for the blue spectrum of visible light. Our car is screened so it’s like a van at the back so if we need to go out my husband drives and I sit in the back.” She also uses the low-wattage old-style bulbs.

Incandescent ‘industrial’ bulbs still availableThe Daily Telegraph on 1st September, the day of domestic 100 V incandescent bulb ban, pointed out that incandescent bulbs ‘for industrial use’ can legally continue. A letter by Brian Rogers, of King’s Lynn, stated: “Visit your local electrical wholesaler and ask for a “rough service” lamp. These are identical to the normal ones except for slightly thicker glass envelopes and extra filament supports. They are more robust than the normal household item as their main use is in garage pit inspection lights and they need to stand up to more abuse.”

ESL – a new type of lightbulbVu1, a Seattle company, has been developing a new type of energy-efficient light bulb since 2004. This is Electron Stimulated Luminescence, different from CFL and LED, which uses accelerated electrons to stimulate phosphor to create light, making the bulb’s surface ‘glow’. The light quality is similar to incandescent bulbs, there is no mercury and they can be switched on immediately and dimmed.

Choose your savingReplacing all tungsten bulbs with CFLs will save 1% of UK energy usage, the same as turning down home heating by 1 ̊C.

Spectrum – the right to lightSpectrum is a group supported by Lupus UK, Eclipse, ElectroSensitivity UK (ES-UK), XP Support Group, The Skin Care Campaign, Lupus Europe, and Migraine Action. It informs politicians that people may be affected by CFLs if they have Lupus Erythematosis, Psoriasis Porphyria, Rosacea, Solar Urticaria, Vitiligo, Photoallergic Eczema, Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Migraines, Autism/Asperger’s, and ME. The effects can be: burning sensation, rash, blisters, migraines, lethargy, poor circulation, swollen painful joints, mouth ulcers, nausea, depression and memory loss, genetic damage.

EU legislation requires old incandescent bulbs to be phased out by 2012 from 1st September 2009. The UK has already started on a voluntary basis - 150 and 100 watt bulbs are no longer sold and from 1 January 2010 60 watt bulbs. Most buildings are lit by low energy light sources. This means that these people are unable to go shopping or visit friends, unless they take their own lights. Some sufferers refuse hospital operations because of the lighting. The EU and UK government know about these problems but seem unwilling to inform the public. In fact even the UK Equality Impact Assessment, largely produced by the Department of Health, quotes consultant photo-biologist, Dr Sarkany, saying that patients suffering from Fluorescent Light Immediate Sensitivity Syndrome “have problems with fluorescent and halogen light but generally not with incandescent light sources. The commonest reaction is redness and severe burning, and prickling feelings in the skin within seconds to minutes of exposure. The numbers affected are unknown.” (p.51)

ES and light bulbs

8

by Dr Hugo Schooneveld (Dutch Electrical Hypersensitivity Foundation)

The house was situated in a wooded area with relatively little high-frequency (HF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). Yet the ever-increasing electronic gadgets of neighbouring dwellings, i.e. DECT phones, WiFi and other cordless communication networks, made it desirable to take measures for an efficient shielding against these threats. The planned house enlargement programme was the perfect occasion for designing a shielding programme against incoming HF EMFs.

SituationThe house in question is almost devoid of equipment spreading HF EMF. It is surrounded by a garden with high trees which absorb much of the fields from distant base stations for mobile communication. The house is separated from an adjacent 2-storey neighbouring house by two sets of double brick layers. The neighbouring house is equipped with a DECT base station and several hand pieces. Moreover, other neighbours consider installing DECT phones and other cordless communication systems such as WiFi, Blue tooth. EMFs can easily be monitored by our HF meters and acoustic detector systems. Although signal strength is already surpassing the German SBM2003 exposure criteria, it was anticipated that signal strength would increase as time proceeds. Efforts to keep HF radiation low were considered advisable. There is some pressure to increase the number of transmitter stations in the area.

Rebuilding planThe plan was to enlarge both the living room and the office with a one-storey building extension that projected into the garden from the backside of the house. This extension should be made as impermeable for HF fields as possible by a set of measures:

(1) Covering the flat roof surface with 5 mm mesh G-ES netting, comprising a network of silver threads covered with an insulating and nonconducting black plastic non-conducting coating. This material is supplied in rolls of 50m of length and a width of 1m. The overlap between adjacent layers should be at least 5cm.

(2) Inserting this material in the spaces of the double-layer of brick masonry of all extension walls.

(3) Shielding all woodwork -window frames and wood decorations- with conducting carbon-containing paint YShield HSF 54.

(4) Steel reinforcements mats in the concrete floor were interconnected by welding and equipped with a steel rod terminal that could be connected to earth, should such be desirable (Fig.9).

(5) Double-layer glass panels HR++ type were ordered to have a ‘Special-S’ coating. This coating type was found to reflect HF radiation better than regular glass or other coating types, according to measurement data of Pauli and Moldan.

(6) Walls shared with the neighbours were painted over their entire length and height with Caparol’s ElectroShield carbon-containing and conducting acrylic paint.

Reduction of high-frequency EMFsduring house reconstruction

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Fig.1. Carbon-containing conductive paint from Biologa (Germany) in a

1-litre can.

Fig.2. Caparol-Electroshield (Germany) jn a 10-litre container with at the left a roll of self-adhesive conductive tape.

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Fig.4 G-ES netting, flexible

Fig. 3 Silver-containing

5mm mesh G-ES netting

Fig. 5 Heat-reflecting glass panel: HR++ Special Plus

Note on the heat-shielding glass panels (Fig.5) Such windows panes as the HR++/Special-S variety are relatively expensive, but the infrared reflection helps keep heat inside during the winter and outside during the summer. It helps reduce heat transfer and that pays for itself in the longer term

9

Note on the conductive paints usedThe product Biologa YShield paint (Figs.1, 8) is relatively expensive but is indispensable for a decorative painting of smaller structures such as wood linings etc. Its adhesion capacity to any type of ground layer is remarkable, due to its content of acrylic binding medium. However, stain spots and spilling cannot be removed. It gives a nice and regular matt black appearance and provides a perfect grounding base for subsequent finishing paint layers. How permanent such combinations are in the long run remain to be determined.

The Caparol product ElectroShield (Figs. 2, 10) is a much cheaper commercial product originally developed for other larger scale applications. It contains a large amount of heavy black material (carbon) that forms compact deposits on the bottom of the container. Such deposits can only be redispersed with considerable mechanical force and even then rather large aggregates

of different size will remain. After a certain dilution with tap water (not recommended by the manufacturer!) a slurry results which can be applied onto plastered walls with a large paint roller. Advice: always roll in the same direction for an optimal result. The porous structure of the walls should have been closed with a suitable filler material available from regular paint shops. The result is a solid black surface with rice grain-looking aggregates, easily visible with raking light. Some might like the surface effect.

Note on G-ES netting (Figs 3,4)Although the carbon content and black appearance suggests otherwise, this product appears not to make electrical connections when layers are touching each other by overlapping fragments. Only if the thread structure is damaged and the silver threads are exposed and interconnected by nails etc. will sheets make contact. This cannot be done under outside conditions. The message is not to use too small isolated gaze fragments. The netting is taped and nailed to the inner layer of the double brick wall and next covered with a 6cm heat-isolating mineral wool blanket. An air space of 4cm is kept for the outer brick layer (see Figs. 6, 7).

Grounding the painted wallTo make the carbon layers as conductive as possible, and also to adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions, the paint should be grounded. That would also reduce the risk of electrocution, should one touch the conductive layer with electrically charged objects. The bases of the

walls were therefore provided with a 5cm broad strip of self-adhesive and conducting tape. This strip was painted over with the carbon paint for an ideal contact and finally connected to earth.

Warning for dirty powerWalls covered with a conductive paint will reject high-frequency fields effectively. If the treatment is meant to reduce low-frequency fields at the same time, then the paint layer should be grounded. Conducting self-adhesive strips were attached to the naked wall before over painting. One of the ends of the strip was to make contact with a 6×6cm stainless steel part screwed onto the wall and which served as a anchoring point for an earth connection.

However, the 220V power provided by the electricity company was not entirely ‘clean’ in this case. The earth thread running along with the 220V threads was contaminated with dirty power transients by capacitive induction. The consequence of an earth connection would be that the wall emits transient electrical field disturbances. For that reason this metal plate was left unconnected because the owner of the house felt uncomfortable with the earth connection in pace.

One should find out how ‘clean’ the earth thread is in any specific location. There are no rules or suggestions for an acceptable voltage pollution. Experimentation is required. Access points should be accessible and detachable for that reason.Also the steel concrete floor reinforcement was left unconnected to earth for the same reason (Fig.9).

Fig. 8 Treatment of wood with HSF54 paint. Two solid layers (one of the sliding doors) are next covered with two finish layers (not shown yet).

Fig. 9 Reinforcement of concrete floor with steel mats, welded together at some points. Note the small piece of rod pointing downwards for an earth connection, if so required

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Fig.6. Brick wall construction and filling: (from left to right): white calcium blocks, G-ES netting, mineral wool insulation, 4 cm space, outer brick wall layer.

Fig.7. G-ES netting, overlapping pieces, nailed against wood board

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Note of finishing the painted wall (Figs. 10, 11)

Due to the excellent adhesive capacity of the black paint material, all kinds of standard wall paints or wall papers can be applied in any colour. However, a double layer of paint may be advised when transparency is a problem.

The result of it all

HF fields have been reduced by these measures. Most HF meters will not give any reading within the added spaces because readings are usually less that 0,1μW/m2 (see Table 1).

No DECT phones can be heard, not even with the highly sensitive Profi Spion HF detector. Mobile phone use becomes problematic inside the spaces for phones of certain mobile operators. One has to step outside for a proper call.

Health effectsBiologically speaking, it was all worth the effort. The owner had suffered from electrical hypersensitivity for many years and was hardly able to use his personal computer without falling ill. After completion of this shielding programme his general health improved markedly and computer use became possible again for a few hours per day.

The conclusion is that previous exposures to HF EMFs far under ICNIRP norms had reduced life

quality for long periods. The German SBM2003 norms of Baubiologie Maes (www.maes.de) are more relevant for the electrosensitive, but only in combination with other measures that result in the elimination of both HF and LF EMFs.

Measurement of HF fields Meter Gigahertz Solutions HF 59B, equipped with an isotropic antenna.

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Table 1. Field measurements after the operations

HF values on the street 10μW/m2Front side of the house, outside 2μW/m2Front inside, behind regular glass 0.9μW/m2Rear side of the house, outside 1μW/m2Rear side, in living room, behind protective glass 0.02 – 0.4 μW/m2Rear side, in office, behind protective glass 0.02 – 0.2 μW/m2

Suppliers

• G-ES netting, Y-Shield conductive paint HSF54, grounding tape and steel connection parst: www.biologa.de • Caparol ElectroShield: www.caparol.de • Glas HR++ Special S via lokale leverancier• Gegevens over afschermende glascoatings, zie P.Pauli en D. Moldan in http://drmoldan.de/html/HF%20Buch%202003%20-%20Pauili%20&%20Moldan%20-%20Leseprobe.pdf

FIG. 10. Painting the wall black with two successive layers of Caparol, using a roller brush.

Fig. 11. Two layers of decorative paint are necessary for making the black invisible.

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BioInitiative rules OK: ICNIRP fails the biological testIn an extraordinary failure to accept scientific evidence, ICNIRP has refused to set chronic biological limits for 100 kHz - 300 GHz. Instead it insists on keeping its 1998 six-minute heating limits. “It is the opinion of ICNIRP that the scientific literature published since the 1998 guidelines has provided no evidence of any adverse effects below the basic restrictions.” (Health Physics, Sept. 2009)

ICNIRP’s claim fails to match increasing scientific data. In 1993 the World Health Organisation stated that “a substantial body of data exists describing biological responses to AM RF or microwave fields at SARs too low to involve any response to heating”. In the 16 years since 1993 there have been hundreds of papers confirming the WHO’s view and demonstrating adverse effects. In 2004 even Swisscom applied for a patent aimed at the “reduction of electrosmog in wireless local networks” because “it has been possible to show that mobile radio radiation can cause damage to genetic material ... This mutation can consequently lead to increased cancer risk. In particular, it could also be shown that this destruction is not dependent upon temperature increases.” And apparently the six research teams worldwide studying the affects of mobile-phone signals on male fertility have all found significant adverse results.

ICNIRP’s 1998 acute heating limits are now seen as obsolete by growing numbers of governments, law-courts, the EU Parliament, and many leading scientists. They instead are opting for the international chronic biological limits of 2007 established by the BioInitiative Report. The USSR adopted biological limits in 1958, but ICNIRP’s 1998 limits are little changed from the US heating limits of 1955.

Among the 15 members of ICNIRP, there are 10 from western Europe (Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the UK) and 5 from the US, the Philippines and Australia, with 2 members each from 5 of these

countries. There are no members from Russia, Poland, eastern Europe, the middle east, China, India, Africa or South America. This is odd, since Russian and Polish scientists have studied the many adverse effects of sub-thermal electromagnetic radiation for much longer than most western countries. In addition China, several middle eastern countries and India are now in the forefront of published research into the sub-thermal dangers. Last year’s Norwegian TV programme argued that ICNIRP and the IEEE were used by US military and business interests to force lax limits on unwilling or unwitting nations.

ICNIRP’s continued refusal to face the facts has further side-lined its role. If it is to have a positive purpose, it needs to be properly reformed in membership and medical aims, based on a full understanding of the precautions essential in public health. In its place the international biological and chronic exposure limits established by the BioInitiative Report of 2007 now enable countries to ensure more effectively world-wide safety for human health at biological and chronic levels. The BioInitiative Report has now become the leading source for international EMF guidelines.

China is more scientific than ICNIRPDr Dariusz Leszczynski, a scientist from Finland’s STUK, reported in his blog on the 5th International Seminar in Hangzhou, China, during April 2009 on EMFs and Biological Effects, where leading Chinese scientists expressed dismay at the ICNIRP way of evaluating the science. China, like Russia, has its own safety standards for mobile phones which are much stricter than in numerous western countries. Prof. Zhaojin Cao, of the National Institute of Environmental Health & Related Product Safety of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing, was very critical of ICNIRP and WHO/EMF Project over their disregard of the scientific evidence for the weak effects of EMF radiation. The negative studies seem accepted as such, without too much scrutiny, whereas the positive studies are examined in every detail, even though the negative studies might include erroneous results or interpretations. Moreover, only the positive studies have to be replicated before they can be accepted as valid, not the negative ones.

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Rooftop masts bannedThe Daily Times in Pakistan reported on 18th July that the Capital Development Authority in Islamabad has decided to stop mobile phone companies from installing base transceiver system towers on rooftops in the city.

Israel bans rooftop masts and internet WiFi in homesAccording to ynetnews.com on 17th July the Israeli Environment Ministry has banned the cellular companies from installing wireless equipment on residential rooftops and balconies and in apartments without proper authority. Dr Stelian Galberg, in charge of radiation at the ministry, said that it is the implementation of the precationary principle: “The health consideration comes before any economic consideration and we don’t have any intention to compromise on that subject”. The Communications Ministry has apparently fiercely fought the ban on financial grounds.

Health objections allowed to masts after allThe last Newsletter included a piece on the way Planning Policy Guidance appears to prevent health issues from determining a planning application. It now seems, according to a report on Mast Sanity website, that sub-thermal health objections are allowable after all.

On 26th September 2003 a High Court Judge signed a Consent Order that quashed a Planning Inspectorate appeal decision. The decision, to allow an Orange mobile phone mast to be erected in Grove Way, Chorleywood, was over-turned on the basis of the Inspector’s “failure to adequately consider the weight to be given to the health concerns of the claimant in his decision letter”. The First Secretary of State offered to concede the case and to pay reasonable costs. The case was submitted under S288 of a challenge to an Inspector’s decision based on the sole ground that, as there was an ICNIRP certificate, the inspector did not need to look at health further. The Treasury Solicitor, instead of even submitting a defence, negotiated a settlement agreeing that a consent order be granted for the reason quoted above.

Planning Policy Guidance note 8 says that, where an ICNIRP Certificate exists for a proposed

mast, there is no need for a Local Planning Authority to consider health issues any further. This has led to the virtual dismissal, by Planning Inspectors and therefore by LPAs, of objections on health grounds to mast applications, since all of them hold an ICNIRP certificate. There is increasing evidence, however, of ‘non-thermal’ health effects, and ICNIRP certification only relates to thermal effects. This decision shows that adherence to PPG8 and unquestioning reliance on ICNIRP certification is not enough.

Repeal of 1996 Telecom Act demandedPima County Board of Supervisors in Arizona on 4th August voted to ask for the repeal of section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and allow local councils to determine their own safety limits.

Los Angeles challenges 1996 masts ‘health’ exemptionLos Angeles has become the first major local government in the US to challenge the federal pre-emption of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. On 2nd June the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to actively seek and support federal legislation to repeal

portions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that limit the authority of state and local governments to regulate cell towers and related wireless facilities on the basis of their health and environmental effects. The city of Sebastopol on 7th July also voted for repealing the 1996 prohibition on health considerations.

Petition to Scottish parliament over planning guidance for nurseriesPetition 1048 to the Scottish parliament calls for alterations to NPPG19 to give nurseries and equipped play areas the same protection as schools.

Welsh call to include mast health-hazardsThe Tivyside Advertiser on 13th August recorded that Adam Price, a Carmarthenshire MP, and Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM have welcomed a report commissioned by the Welsh government recommending that mobile phone masts should be subject to the full planning process. Rhodri Glyn Thomas said: “Plaid has long been concerned about the impact that insensitively sited masts can have on the health of Welsh communities ... for example near schools, hospitals or homes for the elderly.”

HEALTH DANGERS AND PLANNING

HEALTH DANGERS AND REMOVING MASTS

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Increase in cancers around masts – health before receptionThe Liberty Times on 13th July reported that Taiwan has 56,000 base stations with on average one base station per 0.6 km2 in cities, but in Hsinchu City it is one per 0.07 km2. Hsinchu Health Secretary said that in the Xiangshan District, where the base station density is high, 53 people died of cancer last year, an exceptionally high number. A Lake District chief said that many of the cancer victims were unexpectedly young. Wang Bingnan has lived near the lake for 67 years and has never seen anything like the massive cancer cluster in the last five years. He had recently received three cancer-death obituaries on the same day. In Xiangshan South Wuli Village 12 years ago the existing 5 base stations were increased to 15 and residents say this coincides with the increase in cancer. Wang Bingnan said that the people agreed that they favoured health over mobile-phone reception.

French Green party supports BioInitiativeOn 14th June 2009 the Inter-Regional National Council of the French Green Party adopted a motion that lists among the major ecological crises facing our society the technologies that use artificial electromagnetic radiation in the hyper-frequency (HF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) ranges. The motion upholds the radiation limits recommended by the BioInitiative scientific consortium.

Canadian Greens recognize problems with outdated science on mastsAccording to the Guardian on 19th May the Green Party of Canada opposes a Rogers cell tower in Charlottetown and is dismayed that both Industry Canada and Rogers would proceed after the City voted against it. “Federal guidelines ... are hopelessly outdated,” said Peter Bevan-Baker, Green Party Candidate for Malpeque. The Green Party voted earlier this year to replace Canada’s inadequate guidelines. In a 2004 German government study, people living within 1300 feet of a cell tower had three times the normal cancer rate. Elizabeth May, Leader of Canada’s Greens, said, “Federal legislation needs to change so that local governments and citizens have the right to say no to cell towers based on health and environment

concerns. The scientific evidence tells us that electromagnetic pollution is harmful at levels well below Canadian guidelines and that current wide-spread exposure ... is an emerging public health problem that has no precedent in human history.”

Albany votes to review wireless safety limitsThe city council of Albany on 20th July voted unanimously to ask the Federal government, specifically the FCC and FDA, to update its studies on potential health effects of RF wireless exposure.

“Mobile phone masts are dangerous” – learn from UK mistakesGhanaweb.com on 20th August had an article entitled “Mobile Phone Masts are Dangerous – the Plain Truth”, listing the convincing scientific evidence and urging Ghana to learn from the mistakes of countries like UK and not repeat them.

Portland class action suit against WiMAXA class action suit is reported against the mayor and city council of Portland because of the health dangers of WiMAX.

How to apply the EU parliamentary vote in MaltaReacting to the European Parliament’s recent overwhelming majority vote to shake-up regulations governing mobile base stations and other sources of electromagnetic frequencies, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar, the environmental group, suggested that it is now high time to act in Malta. In 2006 Malta already had over 400 base stations on essentially a small island.

Call for reduced exposure from mobile phone mastsThe MEP for Stourbridge, Liz Lynne, is calling on EU countries to dramatically reduce exposure limits for mobile phone masts near schools or residential areas until scientists discover if wireless communication devices cause long-tem harm, according to the Stourbridge News of 26th April. The initiative, including a written declaration in the European Parliament, follows her visit to the High Acres site in Kingswinford in February where residents fear a massive base

station may be causing a cancer hotspot.

Swiss bill for 0.3 V/m safer areasIn June Van Singer Christian proposed a bill in the Swiss Parliament sponsored by 54 MPs with three aims.1. Consumers should be able to choose products emitting low levels of EMR, requiring all mobile and cordless phones and base stations to show radiation levels.2. Local authorities should have the power to designate areas with a level of radiation ten times lower that those currently permitted by ORNI with a maximum of 0.3 V/m as in Salzburg.3. To forbid the installation of antennas near crèches, schools, and other sensitive places.

US radiation health director resignsOn 13th August medpagetoday.com reported that Daniel Schultz, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, resigned by “mutual agreement”. The CDRH regulates medical devices and radiation-emitting products (including microwave ovens). His resignation follows accusations that the division was too cozy with the device industry. A group of CDRH staff reviewers complained that they had been pressured to recommend device approvals against the evidence.

Ecologist highlights dangers of slow researchIn a review, “Mobile phones and health: what do we know?” the Ecologist on 21st July highlighted the dangers of too little and too late research. It stated that “Things are changing. Five years ago, health protection agencies would have denied any notion of risk but there is now enough evidence to say the possibility of risk cannot be ruled out. Action will inevitably be slow, as was the case with asbestos or smoking: wireless technologies are highly lucrative and are deeply ingrained within our lives. In addition, government recommendations come from a limited pool of EMF scientists who belong to self-appointed committees, such SCENIHR that advises the EU Parliament and AGNIR which in turn advises the HPA. This sharing of members can result in an imbalance of viewpoints, an issue recently raised in the EU Parliament by MEP, Christel Schaldemose, which could mean that certain avenues of research are left unexplored.”

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School headteachers risk WiFi illness litigationWalter Graham, chair of Northern Ireland Opposing Masts (NIOM), has posted on the Voice union website the following: “You would also think that the government wouldn’t take the risk of litigation should teachers or children take ill and it is proven to be WiFi microwave radiation caused – unfortunately it may be the principal of the school who takes the liability as the education authorities have merely offered the equipment to the school; it is the principal who chooses to install it.” He then explains that the safer way to deliver internet connections is simply to wire the classroom with multiple telephone and power outlets. A school in Northern Ireland recently hardwired the school at a cost of £1,200 - not an unbelievable amount when weighed up against the possible health damage.

HPA finds WiFi laptops above BioInitiative safety limitsIn September the HPA WiFi research reported 0.7 to 1.3 V/m at a 1 metre distant from a laptop, slightly above 0.5 to 1.5 V/m at 0.6 metres in the Panorama programme of 2007. Thus peak signal exposure from near a WiFi laptop significantly exceeds the international BioInitiative limits of 0.2 indoors and 0.6 V/m outdoors. It is also above the usual exposure 100 metres from a mobile phone mast. ICNIRP’s six-minute heating limit is 61 V/m. The research used 14 laptops individually, but not from class simultaneous use or from the node access points in a typical classroom. Salzburg recommends biological limits of 0.02 and 0.06 V/m.

Is WiFi making you sick?An article by Sylvia Booth Hubbard in newsmax.com on 30th July was entitled “Is WiFi making you sick?” It was a straightforward warning

about the particular health dangers of WiFi, beginning: “Feeling dizzy, sick, and confused? You could be suffering from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Syndrome, and just walking into a business that offers Wi-Fi could be making you feel sick!” It explained that EMR is not new and cell phones and televisions emit it, but WiFi EMR is higher in frequency and stronger due to the immense amount of information its waves carry.

Teachers’ union wants end to WiFi in schools unless safeAccording to SecEd on 21st May the teachers’ union Voice is advocating that new wi-fi systems should not be installed in schools, that existing systems should be turned off when not required and that schools should consider whether they really need to use WIFI, which was developed to facilitate Internet access on the

move rather than to be used as a convenient alternative to cables in dedicated IT facilities.

Laptops emit high magnetic field – over international limitA clip on YouTube shows a laptop, working on battery alone, with high magnetic fields close to its base of 10 mG (1,000 nT) with occasional bursts of 100 mG (10,000 nT). The international BioInitiative limit is 1 mG (100 nT = 0.1 microTesla).

School removes WIFIBallinderry Primary School in County Antrim has removed its WiFi system on health grounds. The principal, Ian Thompson, said: “We don’t really know the biological end of this, which is the thing which really concerns us. It’s all right saying there’s no heat from it, we accept that, but we don’t know what’s going on inside.”

WIFI DANGERS

Suggested school non-consent form for WiFi exposure

This form was produced by the Executive Director of Citizens for Safe Technology in Canada. It is thought that is should have legal significance as an expressed

parental wish, especially if the school were to enforce irradiation on a minor which could be shown to be above international BioInitiative safety limits.

NON-CONSENT FORM

Pupil Name:_____________________ Date:_____________________

Year/Grade: _______________ School:_______________________

Please note that I do not consent to my child named above using computers serviced by wireless internet (WiFi) in school, nor remaining in the classroom while other children are using computers accessing the internet or other systems using

wireless internet. I do not consent to my child being exposed to WiFi (wireless internet) in the classroom which is emitted from wireless devices deployed within

that classroom or school (2.45 Ghz pulsed ICRW).

I do consent to my child using hard wired computers in school. I do consent to my child doing school work in a classroom

free of RF microwave radiation during class times.

Signed by parent or legal guardian:

NamePhone number

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Should you carry your mobile in your trouser pocket or motorbike jacket?Giles from London records his experiences of “phantom text messages” and the onset of electrosensitivity.

Should you carry your mobile in your trouser pocket or motorbike jacket? Until last summer I was, like most people nowadays, very fond of all my modern communication gadgets, from WiFi to mobile, from Palm to laptops and all their advantages.

From 2006 onwards I went several times to see a doctor for heart palpitations, but they couldn’t find anything wrong with me. Then in July 2008 I suddenly started experiencing dizziness on numerous occasions, till it got so bad one night, suffering even from speech problems, that I ended up in A&E thinking I had a stroke or heart attack; in the following weeks I underwent many tests.

The results showed I was absolutely fine, but the symptoms stayed. The doctors told me I was just stressed, but the thing is I wasn’t stressed at all prior to this. To my own shock and confusion I realized that my dizziness always occurred, when I was in close vicinity to WiFi, mobiles, Blackberries and mobile masts.

After medical professionals weren’t able to help, I started my own research and found many websites and blogs by people, with exactly the same problems as mine. They are sufferers of electro-sensitivity (ES), a condition fully recognized in Canada and Sweden as a medical impairment (with 300.000 sufferers in Sweden alone) but unfortunately ridiculed in the UK. I had never heard of it (this to show I am not a hypochondriac), but once I realized that this was the source of my problems, I started clearing my home environment from WiFi, DECT phones and non-essential electrical items. My problems immediately started to get noticeably better.

Most men (especially on a motorbike) carry their mobile in their jacket or trousers for easy access. I used to carry mine in my motorbike jacket’s front left pocket. I stopped doing that; my palpitations vanished. In conversations with friends, colleagues and fellow bikers I heard that many of them experience similar symptoms like pain or tremors in the heart area or what are called “phantom phone vibrations”. Every now and then I‘d think I had a text message, when carrying my phone in my trouser pockets, but when I checked there was no message. According to Swedish scientist and ES expert Olle Johansson this is caused “by high intensity bursts of extremely-low frequency electromagnetic field charges that your phone is producing and affecting your nervous system.”

Of course I don’t know if carrying your mobile is causing ES or if the Phantom text messages are just another symptom and the causes lie somewhere else, like problems with your immune system for example, but I guess it can’t be good to have heart palpitations. I know: I have heard every joke about “vibrating pockets” and have been many times referred to Ben Goldacre’s “Bad Science”. There are definitely pseudo-scientists out there making a lot of money from scaremongering, but you have to distinguish between those and the victims in all this. Retrospectively I am convinced that my heart palpitations were an early warning sign for what was happening later on. And believe me: ES is not an easy thing to live with.

Looking back it would have been great, if I had known more about the possible problems of overexposure to modern communication. So I am trying to raise awareness wherever I can and hope that by reading this you might suspend your disbelief and rethink some of your habits, until it’s really proven that there are no dangers involved in using wireless technology to the extent we do at the moment.

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I’m allergic to wi-fi wavesWe are grateful to The Sun for Dave Masters’ article on 24th July 2009.

FOR Steve Miller a trip to his local High Street is a living hell that makes him sick, dizzy and confused. Pubs make him feel the same and he can’t use trains, airports or hotels without experiencing head-banging agony. But Steve doesn’t suffer from some strange phobia. He is allergic to wi-fi.

And sadly for him - and the other two per cent of the population with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity - the number of people pumping out the wireless internet signal is on the rise. Steve said: “I feel like an exile on my own planet. It’s almost impossible to find somewhere without wi-fi nowadays. If I fancy a pint I have to travel three miles to the only pub in my area that doesn’t have it. I can’t just go to the shops because huge parts of the High Street affect me. If I go somewhere, I can instantly sense the wi-fi and have to leg it.”

Being extra-sensitive to this “electrosmog” has made moving house a nightmare for Steve, as stray signals from neighbouring buildings could make him ill. It has also cost the top DJ thousands of pounds in lost income. Steve, who had a residency at huge Ibiza club Pacha before his allergy, said: “I’ve missed out on loads of European DJ gigs as I can’t find accommodation without wi-fi. Most hotels have it, as have all the airports. I can’t even catch a train because they have it.”

Steve is safe in his current home, a detached house in a village near Falmouth, Cornwall, as it is isolated and has 18in-thick granite walls. But since he and girlfriend Linda decided to move, it has been hard to find anywhere remote enough to avoid signals. Steve said: “I can’t live within 50 yards of anyone. I wouldn’t be able to stand it feeling ill in my own house. There’s no medication you can take.” Steve - better known to clubbing fans as Afterlife - now carries a wi-fi detector with him wherever he goes so he can avoid problem areas.

Steve only realised he suffered from the condition two years ago after turning up at a mate’s studio that had recently installed wi-fi. He and his pal were both feeling ill with headaches and dizziness and struggling to concentrate so they turned off the machine to see if they felt better... and they did. Steve said: “Some of my friends, or members of their family, are equally affected by wi-fi but are only just starting to notice as its use spreads. Even now there’s very little education about it.” There is no hard evidence that wi-fi is dangerous to your health. But just three months ago teachers called for it to be banned in schools over health fears, and for a Government investigation into the biological and thermal effects. A couple of years ago the German government even urged people to avoid wi-fi in favour of “conventional wired connections”.

Steve believes the issue needs looking into and that many people are suffering from his condition without realising. He added: “I certainly believe most of the headaches people get at work are caused by it. I’ve spoken to friends who work in offices who have ended up living on painkillers because of their daily headaches. They tried turning off their transmitters and found their headaches stopped. There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that the radiation has made people feel ratty and tired, caused disrupted sleep, rows and even the break-up of relationships. I’d advise people to turn off their wi-fi at home and see if it changes the way they feel. They just might get a surprise.”

This story was also reported in The Daily Telegraph and in The Daily Mail. On 30th July The West Briton had an article entitled “Wi-fi allergy gets global response” with follow-up on this story. Steve Miller said he had been shocked by the world-wide interest in his story: “Over the weekend I have been contacted by people from across the world involved in research into this, including scientific establishments. It really freaked me out how much interest there is, but it’s really encouraging.” Apparently he does not shut himself away in his home, as some press reports have stated: “I’m an outdoors person and give thanks I live in the most beautiful county in the UK and spend most of my time sailing.”

Steve’s new Afterlife album, Electrosensitive, is out now on Defected Records.

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Tin’s story of electrosensitivityNina has kindly sent the following, since her daughter is now unable to use a computer.

My daughter, a landscape painter, developed a sensitivity so powerful that she and her family had to vacate their home and move in with me. It began with my daughter having migraines, nausea, adrenaline rushes, weakness and exhaustion. At first we all thought that it was the stress of having two one-man exhibitions in London, re-designing the garden of their house etc., all within a couple of months. The main area of the house which affected her, and also the au pair, was the kitchen where she prepared meals for the family and also where she did her paperwork, telephoning and computing. They also installed Broadband for two computers in the annex, about 50ft away from the house where my son-in-law had his office

They tried to find out what was causing the problem, believing it to be faulty wiring in the house, but none of the electricians who came could identify anything wrong. They then thought it might be due to geopathic stress so dowsers came and did tests for ley-lines which they put right, but the problem remained. After that the situation became intolerable and, at the end of October 2008 they sought refuge with me.

Things improved for a time but my daughter had to keep going back to the house to take measurements; soon she couldn’t go into the house at all, then the garden and eventually the whole area surrounding the property as she became ill instantly.

Their own house is situated on top of a hill and, when the leaves fell in the autumn, we saw the culprit: a mobile phone mast with relay drums beaming straight at their house from across a valley about a mile away. My daughter did a lot of research into ES. She made contact with Professor Roger Coghill who has done much work on this subject over many years, and she made contact with another sufferer and so was able to understand her situation better.

She now wears a protective veil when she goes out which helps to a degree. Unfortunately she found that my burglar alarm, which is wireless, affected her as did our neighbours’ WiFi computers and their cordless phones. She cannot use a computer herself hence my writing this. Her symptoms are cumulative as with most allergies. So they had to move out of here and into rented accommodation in their own village but in the valley so that they are protected by the hill from the mast.

She is on a very strict cleansing diet, drinks 2 litres of water a day, exercises regularly and, so long as she uses her detector and keeps out of range of WiFi waves, she is feeling better. But she cannot fly, go in a train, travel in a car with SatNav or stay in hotels, go to restaurants or even visit friend who have wireless devices in their houses. So her life is curtailed but she remains very positive and will not consider anything less than a recovery in the future.

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Please send contributions for the ES-UK Newsletter to: Michael Bevington,

Stowe School, Buckingham, MK18 5EH or email mbevington@stowe.co.uk

TrusteesMichael Bevington (chair)Sarah DacreProfessor Denis HenshawBrian SteinPhil WattsMedical AdvisersDr David DowsonDr Stephen BrookeScientific AdvisersDr Andrew GoldsworthyDr Magda HavasProfessor Olle JohanssonDr Hugo Schooneveld

Aims of ES-UK1. To help people suffering from electro-sensitivity2. To educate the public about electro-sensitivityand related areas

Support ES-UKA donation of £15 per year, or whatever you can afford, helps with the running costs of ES-UK. Cheques, payable to ES-UK, should be sent to the BM Box shown, with a Gift Aid declaration if you wish and are eligible.

NewsletterThanks to Gordon Flavell for typesetting and use of photographs © and to Brian Stein for printing and distribution.

ElectroSensitivity UK can be contacted at the followingpostal address or phone number:

BM Box ES-UK,London,

WC1N 3XX

Telephone: 0845 643 9748

Alternatively, if you have access to email,the charity can be contacted on the

following email and web address

enquirers@es-uk.info

www.es-uk.info

ElectroSensitivity UK

ElectroSensitivity UK © 2009 Founded 2003 Registered Charity No. 1103018

New ES-UK Leaflet

It’s an excellent introduction to what ES is, with notes on its symptoms and causes. Give it to your relatives and friends, or anyone interested.

Copies are availableon the ES-UK websiteand from the ES-UKBM Box address on this page.

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����������������������������������������������������������������for all people sensitised by electro-magnetic fields and radiation