(Electromagnetic Field Exposure) Can EMF's Be Dangerous For Your Health? 

 

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are all around us. The sun is one of the biggest natural sources of EMFs, it radiates its energy towards us as sunlight. In modern times sources of manmade EMFs have boomed, they come from power lines, cellphones, computers, household appliances, Wi-Fi routers and broadcasting towers.

Electromagnetic fields form as a combination of electric and magnetic fields and causes radiation of energy into the environment. Your body also has its own electric fields. Many bodily functions work by generating electricity and energy through chemical reactions. Nerve signals, especially, move through your body through the transmission of electrical impulses all the way from your gut to your brain. These nerve signals tell your brain to release certain hormones that affects your mood, cognition and metabolic functions.

An organ like the heart generates its own electricity and this is useful when your doctor wants to measure its efficacy by using an electrocardiogram (ECG).

According to the US National Cancer Institute EMF exposure comes in two types:

Ionising radiation caused by high-frequency EMFs from exposure to x-rays, some gamma rays and sunlight (ultraviolet light). This type of radiation can be highly damaging to cells and DNA and can cause cancer.

Non-ionising radiation is caused by low to mid-frequency EMFs, which includes radiation from appliances and powerlines (extremely low-frequency radiation), and radiofrequency radiation from wireless equipment like cellphones.   

Why do some researchers think low-frequency EMF exposure can be dangerous?

There is an ongoing debate regarding the effects of extremely low-frequency EMF exposure among researchers and scientists. Because the body generates its own electric impulses, it is easy to assume that these impulses can be disrupted by the presence of EMFs. The disruption, however, will depend on the strength of the EMF.

The human body is also highly adaptable to changes in the environment and some researchers have suggested that our bodies have already adjusted to living with these low-frequency EMFs.

Recent studies have found that low-frequency EMFs can cause poor sleep, leading to insomnia, and that EMFs can have an effect on the calcium currents in cell membranes that can affect neurotransmissions.

A study done in 2019 have reported that exposure to extreme low-frequency EMFs can, in fact, worsen depression, stress and anxiety. Though the National Cancer Institute states that there is no threat from low-frequency EMFs to cause cancer, certain studies have found a correlation between EMF radiation and childhood leukemia. Though the studies are not all conclusive, the American Academy of Pediatrics decided to set out guidelines for children and cellphone use and exposure.

People with hypersensitivity reactions to EMFs have complained about the following symptoms:      

  • Headaches      

  • Anxiety    

  • Depression    

  • Insomnia

  • Nausea

  • Tiredness and fatigue

  • Loss of concentration

  • Irritability

  • Dizziness

  • Memory problems

How to decrease your exposure

Even though international bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) have claimed that extremely low-frequency EMFs have no clinically significant effects on health, it is still a good idea to reduce your exposure to them. The further you are away from the object emitting the EMF, the less your exposure will be. This means switching off your Wi-Fi while you sleep and leaving your cellphone in another room at nighttime. X-rays fall in the group of radiation exposure that can damage your health, so be sure to only go for them when it is really needed. Ultraviolet light from the sun is also harmful and it’s important to wear proper sun protection when you are outside and limit your exposure. 

References:

1.National Cancer Institute (2019). Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer. [online] National Cancer Institute. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/electromagnetic-fields-fact-sheet[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].

2.    Sun, Z., Ge, J., Guo, B. et al.Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields Facilitate Vesicle Endocytosis by Increasing Presynaptic Calcium Channel Expression at a Central Synapse. Sci Rep6, 21774 (2016) doi:10.1038/srep21774. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep21774

3.     National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2019). Electric & Magnetic Fields. [online] National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Available at: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/emf/index.cfm[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].

4.     World Health Organization (2019). What are electromagnetic fields?. [online] World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index1.html[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].

5.     Miah, T. and Kamat, D. (2017). Current Understanding of the Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields. Pediatric Annals, [online] 46(4), pp.e172-e174. Available at: https://www.healio.com/pediatrics/journals/pedann/2017-4-46-4/%7B200c8f09-fd7e-40d5-b4e5-a893488c0387%7D/current-understanding-of-the-health-effects-of-electromagnetic-fields[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].

6.    Barsam, T., Monazzam, M. R., Haghdoost, A. A., Ghotbi, M. R., & Dehghan, S. F. (2012). Effect of extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure on sleep quality in high voltage substations. Iranian journal of environmental health science & engineering, 9(1), 15. doi:10.1186/1735-2746-9-15. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561068/

7.    Bagheri Hosseinabadi, M., Khanjani, N., Ebrahimi, M., Haji, B. and Abdolahfard, M. (2018). The effect of chronic exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields on sleep quality, stress, depression and anxiety. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, [online] 38(1), pp.96-101. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15368378.2018.1545665?journalCode=iebm20[Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].Word count without references

 
Latest, LifestyleKate Goodwin