Reducing Electrosmog: How to reduce your exposure to high

frequencies at home from Electrical Pollution

Article reprinted with permission

http://www.electricalpollution.com/solutions.html

Other mitigation measures:.................................................................................................3 Other potential grid-related sources of exposure to high frequencies:..............................5 What can your utilities do locally to reduce your exposure to "dirty" power? ................5 Non-Grid Sources of Exposure to High Frequencies ........................................................6 Transmitted radiofrequency radiation (wireless technology) ...........................................6 Reducing exposure to high frequencies at home from transmitted radiofrequency radiation (wireless technology) .........................................................................................7 Steps to shield transmitting utility meters: ........................................................................9
Turn off or unplug all devices that repel or kill deer, rodents, mosquitos, or anything else by emitting frequencies. (We often test devices on animals to see if they are good for humans. The very effects these devices are designed for are telling you that they are not safe for people.) Unplug or turn off any other devices that claim to generate frequencies. (People with radiofrequency sickness need less exposure not more. Individual response to individual frequencies varies widely and there is far more likelihood of a negative effect than a positive one, in spite of claims to the contrary. Artificial sources claiming to generate the earth's magnetic field can also be dangerous and unnecessary- the earth's field is still there. Read Dr. Neil Cherry's paper "Cardiac Effects of Natural and Artificial EMR" for information about the profound effect the earth's natural electromagnetic environment can have on cardiac function.) Have an electrician remove dimmer switches and halogen lights. If you want mood lighting, use three-way lights. Unlike with dimmer switches, you will save electricity on the low settings. Have an electrician bypass or remove variable speed frequency drives (VSFD) where possible. Without appropriate filters they are very bad sources of high frequencies. If you have a VSFD on your motors in your heating and/or cooling system, it can easily be bypassed by the service person. The motor would then just run at high speed. Little efficiency is lost when this is done on a heating or cooling system. Energy efficient washing machines often have variable speed motors and thus require at least one filter. Touch lamps, plasma TVs, most compact fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts, some full-spectrum lights, and wireless plug-in telephone jacks are very bad sources of high frequencies and are best removed. Remove flashers from decorative lighting. Each on or off event results in a high frequency transient. Check if you have the new or old style microwave. The old style turned the microwave signal on and off in order to reduce the power. The new style essentially has a dimmer switch on the microwave beam turning the power down. It causes tremendously dirty power. If you have a new style microwave, getting rid of it is the best solution. Next best is to get a number of filters to be used right at the microwave and in outlets on that circuit, so the high frequencies

1
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

do not get onto the wiring all over the house. (Microwaves often leak microwave radiation when operating and can pose a hazard at large distances for these reasons, even if they do not cause overly "dirty" power.) Only use laptops on battery. Recharge them when you are not around. They generate a large amount of "dirty" power and the transformer on the charging cord generates a very large field. Also use an external wired keyboard and mouse to reduce you exposure to the high frequencies from the processor. (See section on transmitters since most computers come with them nowadays.) Eliminate exposure to transmitted radiofrequencies. See "Non-Grid Sources of Exposure to High Frequencies" below. Use a Microsurge Meter to check for other polluting or malfunctioning electrical devices. (While checking readings, keep in mind that readings which change quickly are worse than steady readings. The faster and greater the change, the worse they are.) Be sure to check high speed internet routers. (A handful of malfunctioning routers have been found that caused incredibly bad electrical pollution levels.) Be sure to check electronics. Some transformers converting AC power to DC power (the boxes that plug into the wall) are poorly designed and highly polluting. They will pollute as long as they are plugged in and the outlet is on.

If one or more consumer products are responsible for making you ill, please report them to the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or a href="http://www.cpsc.gov">http://www.cpsc.gov. Be prepared with the product name, model and/or serial number, and the symptoms it causes. These dangerous consumer products will not be either removed from shelves or re-engineered unless complaints are filed. Eliminate sources of arcing (a source of very high frequencies): Have an electrician inspect for and eliminate loose or poor connections; Have the utility or a professional trim branches bumping or touching overhead wires (Alliant Energy even states in their leaflet entitled "Energy Basics: Power Surges" that "An external power surge, stemming from outside your home, is most commonly caused by a tree limb touching a power line..."); Have your electrician replace poorly made switches, fixtures, and appliances. Have your utility replace split-bolt connectors with crimp-on connectors, if they have split-bolt connectors on your line. (If you have split-bolt connectors on line you own, you should have an electrician replace those as well.) Utilities have not installed split-bolt connectors in quite awhile because they have a tendency to loosen up and arc as time passes. Even crimp-on connectors in high stress areas may need periodic re-crimping.

Have your electrician make sure the wire between the meter and your electrical box is large enough and in good shape. If it is too small, it is a bottleneck for high frequencies and a fire hazard. Plug in high frequency filters. (Such as those available from Stetzer Electric. Stetzer Electric can be reached by phone at (608) 989-2571 or at their website http://www.stetzerelectric.com/. Questions can be directed to sales@stetzerelectric.com). Approximately 20 Graham/Stetzer filters are needed for the average house. They should be plugged in near sources of high frequencies, as well as, frequently used electrical appliances. (Some devices generate pollution that the capacitor will lower at the receptical, but will not

2
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

lower at the device. This is a particular concern when people are close to the device, as they are with hairdryers, sewing machines, and low voltage halogen desk and reading lamps.) A couple should be plugged into outlets installed off of both A and B phases next to the main service box. (Have your electrician use properly rated stranded wire to wire the outlets for maximum filter effectiveness.) The rest should be scattered throughout the house. If improvement occurs only slowly, more filters may be necessary. If way too few are installed initially, no difference may be observed, so it is very important to put in sufficient quantity from the start. For specific directions on installation which will help you maximize the filtering effect, as well as help you get a good idea of how many you will need, go to http://www.stetzerelectric.com/filter/ See the picture Dr. Graham provided of the response of electrical pollution to a 20 mF capacitor, which was documented with a spectrum analyzer. Have a plumber install a PVC pipe or a commercially available dielectric union between the house pipes and the water/sewer system, which has become an alternate return path for electricity. Have your heating or gas technician install a commercially available dielectric union just after the gas pipes enter your home to electrically separate the gas tank or the system of natural gas pipes from the gas pipes inside your home, often these pipes have become an alternate path for electricity or radiofrequencies. Have the phone company install an Radio Frequency (RF) Filter on your phone line. The phone line can conduct the electric utilities ground currents, including high frequencies, since they are both grounded to the same earth. Some people have found installing shielded phone wire to be helpful. Make sure new electronics come with appropriate harmonic noise filters already installed. A caution on old wiring, particularly knob and tube and cloth insulated wiring: This wiring was designed long before modern electronic loads, non-linear loads, were even conceived of. It is not, therefore, designed to be used by them. The high frequencies generated by them can cause overheating, resulting in a fire hazard. (Blown-in insulation touching knob and tube wiring is inherently a fire hazard.) It is important to have an electrician check that the fuses/circuit breakers on old wiring are the appropriate size. People have been known to tire of constantly tripping fuses/breakers and replace them with larger ones instead of re-distributing loads or re-wiring. This is a fire hazard and should be corrected.

Convince your neighbors to do the same.

Other mitigation measures:

Walls do not stop electromagnetic fields. Be aware of this when arranging furniture. Sources of electromagnetic fields (EMF) to be aware of as you place your furniture include transformers for electronic gadgets (the box at the end of the cord), televisions, computers, electric clocks (don't put them right next to the head of your bed), fluorescent lights, and your electrical service panel and electrical meter, as well as wires feeding them. You will also want to be aware of where major wire bundles run in the walls of your house and keep the time you spend near them to a minimum. Be aware that televisions and computer screens with cathode ray tubes (CRT) frequently have electromagnetic fields around the sides and back that are as high, or higher, than those in the front. Electric blankets and heating pads should also be avoided, particularly old models. Any electric device will have an electromagnetic field. Both

3
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

Warning: The Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health. How to protect yourself from electromagnetic fields by Ellen Sugarman and Crosscurrents by Robert O. Becker, M.D. have sections discussing risks posed by specific household appliances. Crosscurrents by Robert O. Becker, M.D. also discusses mechanism of action and sundry other interesting items that relate to electromagnetic fields and health. I suggest that you read one of them or one of the other references found on the reference sheet in the Further Info section for a more in depth discussion. The frequencies on electrical wiring are now high enough that they radiate. This can be measured using a Multidetector II Plus/Profi meter. Lamps and other ungrounded items radiate the worst. Putting a cord with a grounded plug on helps. Lamps and items with the least amount of metal seem to radiate least. Metal shades and reflectors seem to direct and concentrate the radiation. Use rubber gloves when washing dishes or working in the sink. Also stand on a nonconductive mat. Both increase the resistance of the path through your body. For computers, put aluminum flashing on desktop and connect it to aluminum flashing under chair with a width of aluminum flashing. If there are different pieces, they need to have a good connection such as aluminum rivets between them. The aluminum flashing can be under a plastic mat like ones used to protect the floor from desk chairs. This creates a path to the floor for the contact current to take that is lower resistance than your body. (See also the transmitter section since most computers come with transmitters nowadays.) Wear conductive socks or copper insoles (at least 2" wide by 16/1000" thick) connected with stranded wire (at least a single 10 gauge wire or 16 gauge lamp cord with both wires connected in parallel). www.lessemf.com sells the socks. Electricity travels through the more conductive pathway this provides, instead of through your body from one foot to the other. Shut off non-essential circuits especially while sleeping. This should help you sleep and feel better. (You will get the best results if all circuits in your bedroom or the room you are in are off, including circuits in the walls and floors that may service other rooms. If this is not possible for whatever reason, being aware of where the live wires are and keeping your distance is also effective.) Use a digital multimeter or oscilloscope with the red and black leads each clipped onto a different square of aluminum foil to quantify whether shutting off particular circuits helps reduce your exposure in your favorite areas. For example, in bed place one foil where your head would be and the other where your lower extremities would be. Read the voltage level that results, then carefully turn off circuits and see what readings result. Another example would be placing one aluminum square on the back of a favorite chair and the other on the bottom, not touching each other. You can then repeat the readings as above. Sleep on a wood-framed bed. Sleep on a mattress without springs e.g. futon with no box springs. Conductive cloth is available that can be put under the mattress pad to reduce the amount of current the bedsprings induce into your body. It should be as wide as a fitted sheet and touch the floor at the head end of the bed. Sleeping in a Faraday cage may also be helpful. There are conductive cloth versions available. Some people have found them to be helpful. Some people have found that it makes the problem worse. If you get one, get it at a place with a good return policy. I would take all the other steps first.

4
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

After reducing your exposure to radiofrequencies using the others steps on this page, consider removing metal fillings if appropriate. More information about the interaction between fillings and radiofrequency radiation can be found at http://www.flcv.com/EMFeff.html. The Dental Amalgam Mercury Fillings website at http://www.amalgam.org was recommended to me as a good resource to start with. This is not a topic with which I have any experience, but I have heard from others who have found removing amalgam fillings to be very helpful.

Other potential grid-related sources of exposure to high frequencies:

Equipment running at cell towers and strobing lights that are installed without an RF Choke. Information about eliminating this cause of electrical pollution Alternative energy systems installed without filters to clean up the waveform the inverter generates. Consult a power quality specialist. Work or school. A specialist should evaluate the power quality and recommend appropriate remediation measures. If that is not a possibility, the portable high frequency filters may be able to provide some relief. (I carry eight and a meter with me whenever I leave the house. I find plugging them in at meetings, friends homes, etc. to be a tremendous help.) New watt-hour meters (your electrical rate meter) may include modern digital circuitry which generates pollution right at the meter. This may be more likely to happen if the meter is designed to be read remotely. If you notice a change in your health after the meter has been changed, check the meter with an AM radio (as described in "Mitigation of Electrical Pollution in the Home"). Please also see the Transmitting Utility Meter Page and the transmitter section on this page for more information about transmitting utility meters and what can be done about them.

What can your utilities do locally to reduce your exposure to "dirty" power?
First and most important: enforce the section of the IEEE 519-1992 that specifies allowable distortion of current and voltage on return current. In other words, the largest polluters will have to clean up their power to certain specifications before returning it to the primary neutral. The utilities would still have to "clean" up after the individual polluters who already meet the specifications, but it would significantly reduce the overloading of the system. Make sure that wires at your house and your neighbor's house are connected with crimp-on connectors instead of split-bolt connectors. Split-bolt connectors can be a source of arcing and, therefore, high frequencies. Make sure that tree branches are trimmed so they are not touching the wires. Branches rubbing or bumping the wires can cause arcing. (With a little care trees can actually be trimmed away from wires without being mutilated.) Bare wires are more likely to arc, causing high frequencies, than insulated wires. Install a primary neutral wire that is 225% the size of the phase wires all the way to the substation and/or filters on the utility side to filter the high frequencies. Install transformers with filters built in.

5
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

Make sure that the wires are in good shape. In some areas the wires have overheated so much from being overloaded with high frequencies that the insulation is hanging off in shreds.

The Solution: Both the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) have identified remedies for "dirty" power and electrical ground currents.

Non-Grid Sources of Exposure to High Frequencies

Spark plugs are a source of exposure to high frequencies in gas cars. The high frequencies from the arcing transmit directly and travel on the car wiring. The firing of the spark plugs can be heard on a properly tuned AM radio. Filters used by audiophiles are helpful for filtering them off. We have a stripped down model truck and disconnected the unnecessary wires. (The wires had been run and connected for all the options we did not get.) We also got a diesel for our primary vehicle. Diesels do not have spark plugs. Speakers generate high frequency electromagnetic fields. The high frequency electromagnetic fields are generated by the electromagnet used to move a diapham that creates the sound waves we enjoy listening to. Speakers are usually only a problem when close by, as in vehicles. Computer monitors or TVs that have cathode ray tubes emit ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, primarily toward the front of the screen. Maintaining sufficient distance and being off to the side can help. I find I have trouble getting meaningful work done on a computer with a CRT monitor because of the forced close proximity. I have switched to a flat screen (LCD) and find I have no trouble unless the power quality is really bad.

Transmitted radiofrequency radiation (wireless technology)

Important information about transmitters: Safety standards in the United States are based on tissue heating. The strength of signal required to cause tissue heating was calculated and then a safety factor of 100 was taken. No account was taken for other more subtle biological effects of exposure to high frequencies. Thus, transmitters in the United States (I believe Canada is the same.) transmit at strengths far higher than permitted in countries where the health effects (other than tissue heating) of high frequencies are used as the basis for regulation of signal strength. Please read this letter from the Radiation Protection Division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the limitations of the FCC standards. The Salzburg Standards recommend no more the 1 microwatts per meter squared. The Russians recommend no more than 10 microwatts per meter squared. The U.S. allows 1,000 microwatts per meter squared. (Cell phones taking a call have been measured transmitting over 2,000 microwatts per meter squared at 10 feet away.)

Our Volkswagon Jetta handbook actually warns against cellphone use in the car due to the potential for the signal to fry the microprocessor. If the signal has the potential to damage electronics during normal usage, what does it do to sensitive biological systems? Incidentally, the phone does ramp up the signal if it is not getting through to the tower enough and due to the blocking effect of the metal in the vehicle, this often happens in motor vehicles. This results in a greater exposure for you and others when a cellphone is used in a vehicle.

6
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

Antennas transmit in all directions from the antenna. This results in substantial exposure to yourself and others around you (kind of like second hand cigarette smoke) each time you use the phone. There are gadgets being sold that are supposed to shield you or direct the signal. An informal test of one of the signal directors showed it to be useless. Not only that but at 10 feet the signal from the phone was still overloading the meter that read up to 2000 SAR, the highest the phone should output when read directly at the phone. Thus, everyone in the room was exposed to a signal that was stronger than deemed safe. Because people using these "protectors" use their wireless technology more than they otherwise would without real additional protection, these things are dangerous. I think it worthwhile noting that although it is a good idea to use a non-transmitting air-tube headset with your phone to reduce the risk of brain cancer, depending on where the phone is set or worn while doing so, it may increase the risk of cancer in other parts of the body due to microwave exposure. The industry often claims that the phones could not possibly cause brain tumors because most of the signal bounces off of your skull. Your abdomen has no such shield, or at least mine doesn't. Thus, wearing or carrying a phone, with the battery installed, on a belt, in a pocket, or in a purse is likely to result in higher cancer risk in the exposed areas. No one is tracking these cancers related to cellphone use or wireless technology use of any kind. Some cellphones transmit more than others. Smart phones transmit almost continuously in order to update whatever information they have been asked to keep on top of. The more data the more power dense the signal is likely to be. Almost all newer cell phones continuously transmit a GPS signal even when off. In other words, they always transmit a microwave signal. This is a "safety" feature so that you can always be located. However, continuous exposure to microwaves is unsafe. (As an aside, I find it interesting that people are willing to pay to carry around a device that tracks their every movement, but if the government asked them to do so at no charge there would, quite rightly, be an uproar.) According to a news story by NPR the data is being used to track people and their movements in many different ways. Here is a link to a similar story in Technology Review titled Mobile Data: A Gold Mine for Telcos . Finally, exposure to high frequencies, including from cellphones, decreases melatonin secretion. Melatonin is a hormone that is essential for a good night sleep. It also has antioxidant and cancer fighting properties. Sleeping with a cellphone or other transmitter that is not turned off is therefore not conducive to getting the best night of sleep and has the potential for further health consequences.

Reducing exposure to high frequencies at home from transmitted radiofrequency radiation (wireless technology)
Hardwire high speed internet routers. Transmitting high speed internet routers transmit a very strong signal. All the wireless routers tested by Dave Stetzer so far have been over 2000 microwatts per meter squared and that is the highest his meter goes. People suffering from or concerned about radio wave sickness should make sure that their router is hardwired and does not transmit.

7
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

Be sure that control centers for DSL, cable, or fiber optic connections have the transmitters turned OFF. This must be done specifically as many are installed with transmitters on so that wireless can also be used in the home. Turn off bluetooth and WiFi transmitters on your computer. Most computers these days come with built in transmitters that are on continuously. They must be specifically turned off. If your computer is informing you about wireless networks, at least one transmitter is on. Eliminate (recycle) baby monitors. Baby monitors transmit continuously as long as the transmitting unit, the one right by the baby, is on. Some transmit on the wiring, some through the air, but both transmit at high frequencies. Many transmit well into the megahertz range. Get rid of (recycle) cordless phones that transmit continuously. (Click here for further information.) Cordless phones transmit at high frequencies and so should be used by people sensitive to high frequencies as little as possible. Caution: DECT phone base stations (transmitters) can have cords. All corded phones should be checked to be sure that they do not say DECT on them, if they do, remove them. Keep cell phones off. All cell phones transmit periodically continuously unless turned off. (Hence the airport/airplane and hospital requirement for turning them off.) These transmissions are how the phone informs the network where it is and assesses signal strength. Thus, carrying a cell phone, unless it is off, results in continuous exposure to high frequencies. Which part of your body is exposed the worst depends on where you carry it. Remove batteries from your cell phone and use for emergencies only. Almost all newer cell phones continuously transmit a GPS signal even when off. In other words, they always transmit a microwave signal. This is a "safety" feature so that you can always be located. However, continuous exposure to microwaves is unsafe. (As an aside, I find it interesting that people are willing to pay to carry around a device that tracks their every movement, but if the government asked them to do so at no charge there would, quite rightly, be an uproar. According to a news story by NPR the data is being used to track people and their movements in many different ways.) Shield transmitting water, gas, and electric utility meters. The following aluminum foil shielding technique was developed by a woman with radiofrequency sickness, using an HF35C radiofrequency meter to verify shielding effectiveness. It is not perfect, however it should substantially reduce exposure to radiofrequency radiation from the meter while you work on educating public officials and getting the meter removed. You may need to have someone who does not have radiofrequency sickness do the shielding. Caution: Pregnant women should NOT perform the shielding and should avoid being near the transmitting meter(s)! Caution: Before attempting the shielding, verify that the shielding material (aluminum foil, copper mesh, etc.) will not contact a bare wire or wires and pose an electrocution hazard. DO NOT CONTINUE SHIELDING IF IT WILL. Disclaimer: The webmaster is providing information on shielding of transmitting utility meters to assist people who are experiencing serious health problems resulting from forced installation of transmitting utility meters, but cannot possibly verify the safety of the technique in each individual situation. Thus, PROCEED WITH CAUTION AND AT YOUR OWN RISK.

8
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

Steps to shield transmitting utility meters:

1. A. Wrap meter tightly in eight to ten overlapping layers of heavy duty aluminum foil shiny side in. Do not just wrap the front of the meter. The meter MUST be fully encapsulated. Merely covering the front of the meter will bounce the signal more fully behind the meter. (One woman tore the siding off of her house by the meter in order to shield effectively behind it.) B. Place copper mesh between a yard meter and your home as in pictures. This works if you are never in the areas where the signal would bounce to. Pictures A, B, and C 2. Cover the wall behind the meter inside the house with overlapping layers of heavy duty aluminum foil (or copper mesh). You may need a number of layers, maybe even the eight to ten. One person used lead sheet and covered it with plaster board to keep children from touching it. The overlap of the aluminum foil for both steps 1 and 2 must be generous and tight for optimum shielding. Step 2 may be undertaken without step 1 if necessary. 3. Avoid proximity to meter and shielding material, even on the floor above or below. Please see Transmitting Utility Meter Page for steps you can take to prevent transmitting meter installation or get the meter removed. o Beware of new major appliances. Many transmit continuously and strongly. The transmitter is supposed to interface with the "smart" grid/ an AMR meter/transmitting utility meter. Often the transmitter cannot be turned off. If you have one, you will either need to find someone to disable it or get a new appliance without a transmitter. Eliminate (recycle) miscellaneous other transmitting devices. These devices are multiplying so fast I could not possibly list them all, but the general result is similar. If one or more transmitting consumer products are responsible for making you ill, please report it/them. (Be prepared with the meter manufacturer, model and/or serial number, and the symptoms it causes.) Food and Drug Administration - The FDA regulates electronic consumer products that emit radiation (such as microwave ovens and video monitors and cellphones). You can file a complaint through the Medwatch Program on their website at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm or by calling 1-800-FDA1088. The same program that regulates medical devices, regulates consumer products that emit radiation. Consumer Product Safety Commission - The Consumer Product Safety Commission is responsible for taking dangerous products off the market. You can file a complaint with the Consumer Product Safety Commission at 1-800-638-2772 or https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx. EMR Policy Institute - Please send a copy of the complaints filed with the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to the EMR Policy Institute at info@emrpolicy.org with "Radiation Emitting Product Complaint" in the subject heading so that they can independently compile the complaints. This is not a substitute for filing complaints with the FDA or the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These dangerous consumer products will not be either removed from shelves or re-engineered unless complaints are filed. Beware of shielding paints and fabrics. If they are used properly they can make things better, if not they have the potential to worsen the situation. It is very difficult to do right.

o o

9
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/

Original Article: http://electricalpollution.com/ Related information: http://www.scribd.com/EMFsafety/shelf

10
Reprinted here with permission from Electrical Pollution Solutions Copyright 2002 All rights reserved http://electricalpollution.com/