EMF ASSESSMENT REPORT
Dwayne Hunn
359 Jean St, Mill
Valley
December 31, 2018
INTRODUCTION
I am a Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC),
trained and certified by the International Institute for Building Biology and
Ecology (IBE) in the measurement and mitigation of electromagnetic fields
(EMFs). I also completed an advanced
certification program from IBE and was certified as an Electromagnetic
Radiation Specialist (EMRS) 2014.
The Building Biology Institute (IBE) is a non-profit training
and education organization that started in Germany after World War II when
homes were being built that made people ill, for example, from toxic paints.
Building Biology is the holistic study of how the built environment affects
human health. There are three main areas of focus: indoor air quality, healthy building
construction and electromagnetic fields.
The Institute was started in the U.S. in 1987.
Dwayne Hunn requested
that I assess his 4-bedroom, 2-bath, two-story home. While this is a single home, it has been
divided into two living areas with an inside stairway connecting the two
areas. Dwayne lives in the upstairs half
of the house. He was especially
concerned about cellular antennas located at a fire station across the street
from his home. I took measurements on Sunday,
December 30, 2018 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. These results may not be repeatable if conditions
inside or outside the building change, or for results collected during a
different time of day or season. These
measurements should not be relied upon to be representative of conditions at
any other time.
An excellent source information on the
health effects of RFs/EMFs is the BioInitiative Report. This is the only fully comprehensive,
independent review of all the peer reviewed studies to date. It was first published in 2007 and included
about 2,000 studies. It was updated in
2012 with 1,800 more studies. The full
report, along with the Summary for the Public, can be found at
bioinitiative.org. The report includes
chapters on evidence for effects on reproduction, Alzheimer’s, neonatal,
autism, electrical sensitivity, nervous system, brain tumors, other cancers,
DNA damage and more.
Symptoms of overexposure or sensitivity
to radio frequency (RF) and other EMFs include sleep problems, chronic fatigue,
headaches, difficulty concentrating, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), memory
problems, heart palpitations, tingling, nausea, joint pain, numbness,
depression, irritability, swelling of the face or neck, rashes. It is
estimated that about 30% of the world’s population is moderately sensitive to
EMFs and 3% is highly sensitive. An
excellent source of information is a report by Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe, MD, Electromagnetic
Hypersensitivity: A Summary. Electrical hypersensitivity is recognized by
the ADA.
SUMMARY
OF KEY FINDINGS
- Extremely high levels of radio frequency from devices inside the
house as well as from nearby cellular antennas.
- Ungrounded outlets in most of the house—this is an equipment safety
issue as well as health issue, as this can create high electric fields.
RADIO FREQUENCY
Radio
frequency is emitted from wireless sources such as cell phones, cell towers,
wireless routers, cordless phones, baby monitors and SmartMeters. It was classified as a 2B carcinogen
(possible human carcinogen) by the World Health Organization in 2011 due to
evidence of increased risk for brain tumors.
In addition, the National Toxicology Program released part of its
$25,000,000 study of rats that were exposed to wireless (cell phone)
radiation. After only two years of intermittent
exposure, one in 12 male rats got either a brain tumor, heart tumor or
pre-cancerous lesion.
The California Medical Association, American Academy of
Pediatrics and the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) have all
issued letters or resolutions calling for a reduction in exposures. According to the AAEM, “the peer
reviewed, scientific literature demonstrates the correlation between EMF/RF
exposure and neurological, cardiac and pulmonary disease, as well as
reproductive disorders, immune dysfunction, cancer and other health
conditions. The evidence is
irrefutable.” (Quoted from an AAEM
document entitled “Wireless Smart Meter Case Studies”, referencing
recommendations passed on October 23, 2013.)
Following
are the Building Biology guidelines for radio frequency in the sleeping areas:
|
Power Density in
Microwatts
|
No
Concern
|
Slight
Concern
|
Severe
Concern
|
Extreme
Concern
|
|
Per square meter (uW/m2)
|
<0.1
|
0.1 – 10
|
10 -1,000
|
>1,000
|
I used the Gigahertz Solutions HFE59B and HFW59D meters to
take measurements. These are two of the
company’s top-of-the line RF meters.
Measurements were taken in microwatts per square meter (uW/m2). I took
readings initially with all devices in the home on, then with devices off.
Following are the readings:
|
Radio Frequency (in uW/m2)
|
|
Location
|
Readings
with wireless devices on
|
Readings
with all wireless devices off
|
Comments
|
|
Desk in family
room
|
33,000
|
1,600
|
Router
near desk
|
|
Couch in family
room
|
16,700
|
2,700
|
|
|
Drafting table in
family room
|
52,000
|
1,170
|
Cordless phone on
table
|
|
Kitchen table
|
19,000
|
19,000
|
|
|
Master bedroom
|
5,400
|
5,400
|
|
|
Spare bedroom
|
1,140
|
1,140
|
|
|
Bathroom
|
19,500
|
19,500
|
|
|
Garage
|
12,800
|
12,800
|
|
|
Tim’s bedroom
(downstairs)
|
5,700
|
5,700
|
|
|
Tim’s spare room
|
7,000
|
6,800
|
|
|
Tim’s dining
table
|
2,000
|
560
|
|
|
Tim’s kitchen
|
15,300
|
14,900
|
|
|
Exterior deck
|
—
|
42,000
|
|
|
Dwayne holding
cordless phone
|
50,000
|
—
|
At about 1-foot
distance
|
|
Dwayne’s cell
phone
|
20,000+
|
|
At about 1-foot
distance
|
|
Microwave
|
20,000+
|
|
In the kitchen,
when in use
|
There were extremely high levels of RF exposure in most
rooms of the house. The main source of
RF in the family room was the AT&T modem/router. Dwayne had been told by AT&T that they
had disabled the wireless, but it was still emitting when I did my testing. The main source of RF in all the other rooms
were the cellular antennas at the fire station across the street.
Internet/Computer Area
With AT&T U-verse, it is difficult to turn the wi-fi on
and off. In order to more easily control
the wi-fi, a separate modem and router is needed. AT&T U-verse only works with their
all-in-one modem. I recommend that you either use AT&T U-verse with the wi-fi
always off (and verify that it is truly off), or that you change to another
provider so that you can more easily control the wi-fi. Comcast and Wave are two providers that allow
a separate modem and router. There may
be other providers in your area—you would need to investigate if he could use a
separate modem and router with their service.
If you decide to change services, here are the steps for
Comcast, as an example:
Step 1. Order the
following:
- Arris TM822R or Arris TM822G modem. I found the TM822R on-line at Best Buy.
- Any Netgear router except their All-in-one modem
router. You could call Best Buy or some
other store and ask for one that is lower powered. But the idea is to leave the wi-fi off, so
any Netgear router should be fine. It
should have an easy on-off button for wi-fi.
Step 2. Call Comcast
and have them come out to set up the new equipment. Now you can have internet connectivity
without the wi-fi on. (Note: Return the AT&T modem/router, as you are being
charged for it each month.)
You also need to move the printer closer to the computer so
it can be hard wired. Be sure to turn
off the wireless in the printer settings.
With the printer hard wired, you should not need to use any wi-fi.
Replace wireless mouse with wired mouse. Replace cordless keyboard with corded
keyboard. Once these are plugged in,
turn off the Bluetooth on your computer, as well as laptop, if applicable. Also make sure that the wi-fi is turned off
your computer and laptop.
Verify that all the wireless on the devices is off. I recommend the Safe and Sound detector
($149) available from Safe Living Technologies (slt.co).
Cordless Phone
I
recommend that you replace the cordless phone.
The AT&T CL4940 has answering machine, caller ID and speaker
phone. You can get it on line. If you want to be able to walk around with
the phone, then I recommend you get a corded “clamshell” phone, such as
AT&T 210 Trimline to use as extensions around the house. This phone has no power cord, so you only
need a long phone cord to walk around with the phone.
AT&T CL4940 (Amazon) AT&T
210 Trimline corded phone (Amazon)
Cellular Antennas
To shield the house from the cellular antennas, you could
consider painting the side of the house facing the fire station with Y-shield
paint, as well as covering the windows with either curtains made of shielding
fabric or with special shielding window film.
However, painting this house could be quite a challenge. The sides of
the house are covered with wooden shingles. There is a small gap between each
shingle, and the paint would need to fill in this gap. Also, the edges of every shingle would need
to be painted. At best, with a standard
flat surface, you might get 80 – 90% reduction in RF. That is because there are always small nooks
and crannies that the RF can get through.
Given the shingles on the side of the house, the result would likely be
less than this. I recommend that you
consult with Stephen Scott (emfscott1@gmail.com)
to get his opinion on the viability of shielding. He is an electrician in Novato who is expert
at applying this type of paint. This
paint should also be grounded. Note: the roof may also need to be shielded. The heavy-duty foil sold by slt.co provides
an excellent shield. Stephen Scott could
also advise on shielding the roof.
It is possible that you might still need a bed canopy, even
after shielding the house. You may not
get the levels low enough in the sleeping area.
You would need to remeasure after the exterior shielding has been completed. Another option for the bedroom is to paint it
with Y-shield paint. This is discussed
further in the report, under Electric Fields.
Other Notes
Turn off Bluetooth in car.
Verify with meter that it is off.
Microwave leaks when in use.
Stand outside of the kitchen when using.
The cell tower RF was so strong that I could not tell if the
SmartMeter was an issue. However, it is
so close to the bedrooms that I recommend opting out as a precaution.
AC MAGNETIC FIELDS
AC magnetic fields
(60 Hz) were classified as a 2B carcinogen (possible human carcinogen) in 2001
by the World Health Organization due to evidence of increased risk for
childhood leukemia. An excellent source of information about reported health
effects is emf-portal.de.
There
are four main sources of AC magnetic fields:
- Point sources.
These are the electrical devices within a home or office. They only give off a magnetic field when they
are turned on. We generally are not
concerned about these sources, since the magnetic field strength drops off very
quickly, usually down to ambient levels within a foot or so of the device.
- Long distance power transmission lines. High tension power lines may give off high
levels of magnetic and electric fields.
Also, local power distribution lines can give off high levels of
magnetic and electric fields. Magnetic
fields from power lines vary depending upon the load on the system. They are higher in the late afternoon and
early evening as people return home from work and turn on lights and
appliances. They are also typically
higher in the summertime when people use their air conditioning.
- Wiring errors.
For example, neutral wires from two or more circuits that are joined
together in a junction box can cause elevated magnetic fields.
- Stray current.
If a neighbor’s home has wiring errors, then stray current can enter
your home via the water pipes, cable or telephone lines.
While
there is no exposure threshold in the U.S. for residential 60 Hz magnetic
fields, a number of credible sources have provided suggested thresholds for
maximum exposures over the last several years. The EPA in various publications
has recommended 60 Hz exposure thresholds from 0.5 mG to 2.5 mG. In 1992, the Swedish government established
2.0 mG as a standard for computer emissions at a distance from the front of the
monitor. In 1989, a National Council on Radiation Protection Report draft
suggested 2.0 mG, which was later withdrawn. Dr. Robert Becker, author of The
Body Electric and Cross Currents recommended 1.0 mG as an exposure
threshold. The Building Biology
Institute recommends less than 1.0 mG for the sleeping areas (slight concern
range).
I took magnetic
field readings with a Gigahertz Solutions NFA1000 EMF meter. Readings were as follows:
|
Magnetic Fields (in milligauss)
|
|
Location
|
Reading
|
|
Desk in family
room
|
.19
|
|
Couch in family
room
|
.20
|
|
Kitchen table
|
.44
|
|
Kitchen (at
stove)
|
.87
|
|
Kitchen (at sink)
|
.75
|
|
Master bedroom
|
.37
|
|
Bathroom
|
.27
|
|
Spare bedroom
|
.20
|
These
levels are all less than 1 mG, which is the Building Biology slight concern
range. There are some slightly elevated levels in the kitchen. This from the refrigerator. It is normal for refrigerator motors to
produce magnetic fields.
I
found no evidence of wiring errors in the home.
AC ELECTRIC FIELDS
AC electric fields are extremely low frequency (ELF) 60
hertz fields (60 wave cycles per second).
These fields come primarily from wiring in the walls and cords that are
plugged in. The cords and wiring always
give off an electric field, even if the devices are turned off, as long as the
power for the circuit is turned on. Homes
built with Romex (plastic jacketed) wiring, which is most homes, generally have
higher than recommended levels of electric fields. The electric fields emanate out about six
feet from the walls and from cords that are plugged in.
Electric fields have been linked to sleep disruption, impact
on immune system, heartbeat, calcium metabolism in cells, muscle and nerve pain,
change of enzyme activity in cells, change in cell division and DNA
synthesis. The University of Toronto
performed a study of Ontario Hydro workers (American Journal of Epidemiology,
7/10/1996) which showed that electric fields were far more important in the
development of cancer in electrical workers than were magnetic fields. Exposure to both fields increased the risk
for cancer.
Following are the Building Biology guidelines for the
sleeping areas:
|
AC Electric fields
|
No Concern
|
Slight Concern
|
Severe Concern
|
Extreme Concern
|
|
In volts per meter
|
<0.3
|
0.3 – 1.5
|
1.5 – 10
|
>10
|
We like to see less than 1.5 V/m for a healthy person and
less than .3 V/m for a sensitive person.
I typically find about 4 – 8 V/m in the sleeping areas of most
homes. Levels at the bed were as follows:
|
AC Electric Fields (in Volts per Meter)
|
|
Location
|
Reading
|
Concern Range
|
Comments
|
|
Upper left side
|
9.7
|
Severe
|
|
|
Upper right
|
9.6
|
Severe
|
|
|
Lower left
|
5.3
|
Severe
|
|
|
Lower right
|
4.9
|
Severe
|
|
We identified circuits affecting the master bedroom:
|
Breaker #
|
Electric Field Strength (in V/m)
|
|
7A
|
4.9
|
|
7B
|
8.2
|
|
8A
|
8.7
|
|
9B
|
4.5
|
|
10A
|
3.1
|
|
10B
|
3.3
|
|
11A
|
2.7
|
|
13
|
1.7
|
|
14
|
6.2
|
It appears that many circuits are running near this
bedroom. There are too many circuits to
reasonably turn off at night, especially since a number of the circuits are for
the lower living space where another person lives. The best solution would be to completely
paint the room, including floor and ceiling, with Y-shield paint. That would block electric fields as well as radio
frequency from the cellular antennas. The
paint must be properly grounded in order to reduce the electric fields. You would also need to shield the windows (to
block RF) in order to create a completely shielded room. You could use shielding fabric for curtains
or use special window film (available from slt.co).
Most of the outlets in this house are ungrounded. Any outlets used for three-pronged power
cords should be grounded, especially near the computer area. This is an equipment safety issue as well as
a health issue. If a computer or laptop
is plugged into an ungrounded outlet, the keyboard that you touch can have very
high electric fields.
Most of the outlets in the kitchen were grounded. However, the power strip near the refrigerator
was not. The outlet for the refrigerator
should be checked to make sure it is properly grounded.
DIRTY ELECTRICITY
I measured “dirty electricity” (electromagnetic
interference) in the house. Every home
has dirty electricity to some degree. It
is created by alternating current and comes from electronics in the home, such
as TVs and computers. Dirty electricity
travels along the wiring in the walls and emanates into the rooms. Some people are very sensitive to it. Certain electronics, such as compact
fluorescent lights (CFLs), dimmer switches, pool pumps, other large motors and
solar inverters produce high levels of dirty electricity. This can come from the electronics in your
own home, as well as from your neighbors’ homes, as you are all on the same
grid.
Note: All CFLs and
LEDs produce dirty electricity; some LEDs are worse than CFLs. The only lights that produce no dirty
electricity are incandescents and incandescent halogens (full voltage
halogens).
I measured the dirty electricity with a Greenwave Broadband
EMI meter. There are less peer-reviewed studies on dirty electricity than on
radio frequency, AC magnetic and AC electric fields. For this reason, Building Biology does not yet
have established guidelines. The
manufacturer of Greewave filters recommends less than 75 mV. From what I have seen, most homes typically measure
about 300 – 500 mV. I generally recommend
remediation when I see levels approaching 700-800 mV.
Following are the readings in the home:
|
Location
|
Reading (in
millivolts)
|
|
Family room
|
190
|
|
Kitchen table
|
350
|
|
Kitchen
|
349
|
|
Bathroom
|
740
|
|
Master bedroom
|
220
|
These levels are typical or lower than what I find in most
homes. The solar installation does not
appear to be creating any significant dirty electricity. I don’t recommend any action at this time for
dirty electricity.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions
about anything in the report.
Sincerely,
Liz Menkes, BBEC, EMRS
Certified Building Biologist
Certified Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist
EMF Healthy
925-937-1754
