ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
Fields generated by high frequency electromagnetic waves are mainly used to transmit information and emitted by mobile or wireless phones, WIFI networks or digital TVs, as well as to heat food in microwave ovens.
WHAT ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES ARE
They are non-ionizing radiations formed by the union between an electric and a magnetic part. The frequencies range from 3Mhz to 300 Ghz.
They are transmitted wirelessly through the air, transporting energy from one place to another. They are mainly used to carry information, which is incorporated in the form of a low frequency into the carrier wave, which vibrates at high frequencies.
Pulsed modulation is used in digital mobile telephony, wireless phones with DECT technology, WIFI networks and Bluetooth.
HEALTH EFFECTS
It has been scientifically proven that electromagnetic waves produce adverse thermal effects on living beings. In turn, it is being studied whether there may also be non-thermal effects, which in this case is particularly dependent on the type of modulation.
Pulsed modulation has the peculiarity that the vibration frequency in which the information is incorporated is located at frequencies similar to those used by the bioelectric system of the human body. In this regard, science studies whether pulsed waves increase the risk of interacting with fundamental biological processes of the human body.
The Bioinitiative project has analyzed 1800 scientific studies on the affections of low-intensity electromagnetic radiation.
The conclusions of the Bioinitiative project show slight and also more serious affections. The lighter ones indicate that they can cause discomfort, sleep disorders or simply loss of well-being (affections to mental functioning and metabolism). Other more serious affections suggest that electromagnetic waves may be interfering with the possibility of getting pregnant, preventing a pregnancy from ending up successfully or affecting the development of the brain of children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) classified in 2011 the fields generated by high frequency waves are possible carcinogens for human beings (group 2B).
The European Academy of Environmental Medicine (EUROPAEM) in the 2016 guide, among other organisms, identifies long-term exposure to electromagnetic fields with common symptoms such as concentration difficulties, depression, lack of energy, fatigue, sleep disorders, similar symptoms to the flu and as a risk factor for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s and male infertility.
For children, these risks can be even higher, especially because of a cumulative effect, but also motivated by the increased sensitivity of immature cells.
PREVENTION
The physical environment in which electromagnetic waves move is not governed by the high standards that regulate other areas, such as pharmaceuticals, which are subject to multiple tests before new products are marketed.
The accumulation of cases of pathological diseases and the advance of independent science that shows risks of electromagnetic waves advise the principle of prevention. In this respect, the best prevention is distance from emission sources. Another preventive measure is the shielding: Building materials, and specifically the most massive ones, are often an effective shielding measure.
In cases where the measured power intensity provides values far from the prevention thresholds, it is recommended to evaluate specific shielding measures, especially in the case of rest areas where the human body remains for longer hours.
ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES measurement
A common method of measuring electromagnetic waves is the Aspect Analyzer, which detects radiation intensity, power and frequency. The current limits in Spain are of 1,000 μW / cm2 power density for mobile phone frequency ranges (2GHz).
When setting limits for non-ionizing radiation, many organisms take as a reference the 1998 exhibition guide conducted by a private organization, the ICNIRP, which focused exclusively on the thermal effects.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved in 2011 a resolution entitled “The potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment” that established prevention thresholds for long-term exposure levels in microwaves in all indoor areas at 0.6 V / m (approximately 0.1 μW / cm2).
The reference values used in bio-construction include limit values far below the legal limits and avoid as far as possible values above 0.1 μW/cm2 recommended by the Council of Europe.
Want to measure electromagnetic waves?
Want to measure electromagnetic waves?