There are sophisticated approaches and instruments for identifying the chemical composition of an odor. Once the chemical is identified, potential sources can then be determined and the building can be searched for these sources. However, this approach uses expensive equipment in a lab, costs hundreds of dollars per air sample, and may require multiple types of samples.

Luckily, most of us come equipped with an exquisitely sensitive instrument — the nose! The human nose is incredibly effective for tracking smells. The olfactory sensitivity of most people is at a part per million level. In other words, people can smell one part of the offending substance in a million parts of air. A few individuals can detect odors at a part per billion level, the level normally reserved for animals such as dogs. So tracking the odor back to its source can be done by using your nose.

A word of caution: some strong chemical vapors can be a health threat. People who are already sensitive or allergic to smells should not be involved in this type of investigation. Other people should not continue tracking odors that become too strong to be comfortably tolerated. You should stop following solvent fumes, gasoline fumes, or natural gas odors when they become uncomfortably strong. If this happens, it would be a good idea to call for help and air the space out. Note that natural gas, propane, and other household fuel sources contain odorants to alert you if they are leaking. These gases are an explosion hazard, so if you suspect that a dangerous gas leak may be the cause of the odor, call for help immediately. The gas company will provide a free leak detection service.

If the entire house smells, it may be helpful to air it out first and then close it up again to see if the formerly pervasive smell can be detected closer to the point of origin. Because people experience what is called olfactory fatigue, becoming less and less sensitive to the smell with prolonged exposure, you may need to give your nose a rest from time to time.

Moldy smells are common. The source of these smells can sometimes be located by looking for places where water intrusion has dampened building materials, decorative items, or other household goods. Water intrusion can be located by looking for water stains on drywall, baseboard, carpets, or corrugated boxes stacked on a concrete floor. In homes built on a concrete slab, problems with water movement through the slab can cause mold growth in the carpet and pad, particularly along outside walls or under furniture with skirting that prevents air circulation. You may be able to smell this mold by getting close to the carpet.

Mold growth inside the walls that results from water intrusion can sometimes be located by removing the electrical wall outlet faceplates and smelling the air in the outlet boxes, particularly those mounted in the outside-facing walls. The smell from a moldy basement or crawl space will move upstairs because rising warm air exiting at the top of the house draws replacement air from the basement and through other holes in the building such as outlet and switch boxes and heating/air conditioning ducts. Also look for water leakage in cabinets under sinks. It is always prudent to call in a mold specialist in cases of suspected mold and I do not advise a homeowner to open wall cavities or baseboards. You can, however, lead the inspector to places where you have noticed moldy smells.

Less common but sometimes problematic are bacterial smells. An example is the odor of dirty socks, or locker-room odor. Wet building materials and fabrics in a home can create a problem with bacterial as well as mold growth.

Another approach to tracing an odor is to think about everything that happened prior to its detection. When did you first notice it? Did this coincide with something being brought into the house or a precipitating event? This might include one or more of the following:

• painting and decorating
• new clothing or household goods
• pest control treatments
• new furniture, carpeting, or drapes
• a change in cleaning products or housekeeping services
• new asphalt-type roofing, yours or neighbor’s
• significant rain, with or without high winds, causing building leakage
• house painting, yours or neighbor’s
• lawn treatments, yours or neighbor’s
• long periods of non-use for sinks, bathtubs, or showers, leading to drying of water in the drain trap
• spills or leaks that could enter your basement from nearby industries or gasoline stations
• septic tank wastewater system failure

The “house detective” process can be time consuming and lengthy, but you know your home better than anyone else. You can save time and money by giving the situation careful attention and thought before your professional arrives. If all else fails, you can call a specialist to help identify the source by collecting a sample of the offending air for lab identification of its chemical components. Good sniffing!

Control Moisture Sources:

• Vent bathrooms, kitchens, clothes dryer, stove hood and toilets directly outdoors.
• Fix water leaks and clean up within 36 hours after floods
• Ventilate in cold weather
• Dehumidify or air condition in warm weather (RH< 50%)

Control Dust Mites and Animal Dander:

• Wash sheets weekly in 130°F
• Vacuum mattress, chairs and carpeting
• Replace pillows every five years
• Install solid surface floors in bedrooms

Eliminate Combustion Gases:

• Use outdoor air supply for fireplace, wood stove
• Use outside vented stove hood when using gas stove
• Use sealed, power vented water heaters and furnaces.
• Eliminate non-vented combustion sources

Eliminate Toxic Pesticides:

• Eliminate highly toxic pesticides
• Discard synthetics exposed to pesticides
• Reduce air concentration with carbon/zeolite
• Use least toxic pest controls – www.biconet.com

Eliminate Volatile Compounds (VOCs):

• Store toxic/volatile materials (including gasoline) outside living space
• Use No VOC paints and sealers
• Open windows to handle high polluting events, such as the use of home cleaning products, hobbies, painting

Reduce Particulates:

• Use a 3M Filtrete 1250 or better furnace filter
• Replace filters regularly
• Use hard floor surfaces rather than wall-to-wall carpet
• Use a True HEPA filter equipped vacuum cleaner

Improve Ventilation:

• Provide a minimum amount of outside air by
  • Using whole house mechanical ventilation
  • Cracking open a few windows

7 Ways to Lower Electromagnetic Radiation:

Reduce Communication Energies:

• Minimize cell phone usage and use airtube hands-free device from: products.mercola.com/blue-tube-headset
• Children are not to use Wireless Communication devices
• Eliminate wireless internet connections use a wired Ethernet
• Eliminate 2.5 and 5 GHz cordless phone system
• Read Wireless Communications article

Shield House from Cell Towers/Cell Antennas:

• Use building materials that reflect RF
• Retrofit with RF reflection paint
• If you have the choice stay away from cell, radio and TV towers. Generally, urban is worse than suburban is worse than rural.
• In general ground floor is lower in outside RF than upper floors
• Buy a RF meter to assess your living space

Reduce Electric Fields:

• Unplug devices within 6 feet of bed
• Move clock away from bed or get a battery clock
• Eliminate electric blanket, pads, and waterbed heaters
• Eliminate extension cords, power strips near bed
• Turn off circuits supplying bedroom
• Get a Body Voltage measurement kit and assess and remediate all your bedrooms (See Products> EMF Meters)

Reduce Magnetic Fields:

• Unplug Electronics near where you spend a lot of time or move away
• Move 120-Volt powered clock away from bed or get a battery powered clock
• Charge your phone (or anything else) away from the bed
• Keep distance from sources (refrigerator, heating system, electronics)
• Find and fix wiring problems causing unequal current flow and elevated fields
• Buy a Magnetic Field meter to find problems (See Products> EMF Meters> Magnetic Field Meter)

Reduce Static Electric Fields:

• Avoid using plastic floor and wall coverings
• Wear natural fiber clothing
• Use cotton bed clothes

Geopathic Magnetic Fields:

• Avoid metal bedsprings, bed frames, headboards
• Sleep in the N-S direction with head to the north

Light:

• Increase natural light (20 min outside per day)
• Use UV admitting window glazing (plastic, quartz)
• Use full spectrum LED light bulbs that do not make dirty electricity (call me about the SaticPulse bulb)

When inspections were made of homes at the request of doctors, the Building Biologists found that 90% of the time the trail led to the sleeping area and that 90% of the time the major pollutant in the sleeping area was the excessive man-made AC electric fields and radio frequency (RF) radiation primarily from devices in the home, but sometimes from sources outside the home.Wireless Communications and Health.

When these pollutants were reduced or eliminated most patients responded to treatment and recovered. For patients with well spouses, the spouses often reported that they saw beneficial changes in soundness of sleep and how they felt during the day. Our work associates high electric fields and high RF radiation with sleep disturbance, increased allergy response, muscle pain, heart palpitations, day time tiredness, day time irritability and childhood bed wetting to name a few.

This should not be surprising. Man-made electromagnetic fields are wholly unnatural and did not exist in the human environment until the late 1800’s. More recently, research focused on electric fields and cancer. Before this, the focus was exclusively on AC magnetic fields. AC electric fields were found to be more strongly associated with cancer risk than magnetic fields. (Ontario Hydro Worker Study, 1996)

Electricity powering our homes produces both alternating magnetic and alternating electric fields. These together are termed AC electromagnetic fields or EMF. Magnetic fields are present when current flows to power appliances and lights. More often then not, magnetic fields are not a problem in the bedroom. However, Electric fields are present at all times and are emitted by the electrical cables in the walls ceiling and floors.  Additionally, wires to electric devices (appliances, lamps, etc.) give off electric fields as well.  Such fields cannot be directly sensed by most people, hence, measurements must be made.

We can conveniently measure electric field exposure by using an electric field meter or via a surrogate measurement. The surrogate measurement is the AC voltage produced on a person’s body in bed by the electric field. This is called Body Voltage (BV). BV is measured using a voltmeter. A meter kit is available for about $130 from Safe Living Technologies. See Body Voltage Kit or Electric Field meter at https://gustenviro.com/emf-meters/

The Institute for Building Biology has standards for rating your sleeping situation as to the level of biological concern. These standards have been developed from 25 years of experience.

In most cases, we find that certain non-essential circuits must be turn off ONLY at night when you are sleeping. Normally these circuits are not the ones powering refrigerators, freezers or heating and air conditioning. Typically, the circuits with the greatest effect are the ones powering the outlets in the bedroom and any outlets in other rooms having common walls as well as circuits that are in the floor or above the ceiling.

We also find that field shielding material often helps to further reduce fields particularly in second-floor sleeping areas where there are power cables in the floor. This requires more professional help, so please consult with a Building Biologist.

Level of Concern for Bedroom Electric Fields

Meter Display                      None                  Slight              Strong            Extreme
BV Reading, Volts              Under 0.010 V      0.010 to 0.1       0.1 to 1.0             Over 1.0
BV Reading, milliVolts      Under  10 mV         10 to 100         100 to 1000         Over 1000

Electric Field, Floating  Under 0.3 V/m       0.3 to 1.5           1.5 to 10              Over 10

This is the only substantive development I have seen amid all the claims made by dozens of protective devices. I recommend getting the shield.

HOWEVER, I have not seen any study that ties brain damage to power rate, so there is no way to know if this reduction is sufficient. YET, the reduction is so significant I can’t see not availing yourself of the development. As we have discussed, texting is a far safer way of using the phone and should be the predominant communications method.

BioGeometry Icons

ADDITIONALLY, based on personal knowledge, I recommend the addition of one more device to your cell phone. Cell Phone Harmonization Sticker.

I personally know Dr Karim, the developer, and this technology has been tested in Switzerland and shown to stop the medical problems caused by cell tower radiation in the Swiss town of Hemberg. Hemberg Study

I have these two items on the back of my iPhone 6. The “L” is at bottom over antennas and other one is centered on the battery over left half at the midpoint of back.

For Galaxy the “L” icon is in center of back over battery. For the other icon, location this is problematic as there are two antennas at the bottom and one at the top of the phone. I’d recommend locating it at the bottom because of the two antennas.

Digital wireless communications (Cell phones, Smart Meters, Cordless Phones, WiFi) is growing explosively. Yet, based on scientific evidence there is reason to believe that wireless radiations are harmful to health.

Man-made Radiation Affects your Cells
There are now over 1800 independent, peer reviewed, journal published study showing health effects. In my opinion there is no longer any question that man-made radiations are a hazard to your health. If you read that these radiations are safe, you need to look carefully at who funded the study giving that result. This may be difficult to do because of purposeful hiding of the real source of the funds. The operative rule is ‘follow the money’. If you can follow the money it always takes you back to corporations with money to loose if the public becomes aware.

For the best study of the studies and their implications please download The BioInitiative Report.

MARTIN BLANK earned PhDs in physical chemistry (1957) from Columbia University and in colloid science (1960) from University of Cambridge. He came to the department in 1959, retired as Associate Professor in 2011 and is now a Special Lecturer. His research has been on membranes, transport processes, excitation, and recently on health effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). His book on health effects of EMR is due out at the end of 2013.

During his tenure, he had short-term appointments at 11 universities around the world, as well as at five industrial research labs and the US Office of Naval Research. He also organized many meetings, including two World Congresses on Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine, 4 Erice (Italy) Courses on Bioelectrochemistry, and he started the Gordon Research Conferences on Bioelectrochemistry. He has been Chairman of the Organic and Biological Division of the Electrochemical Society, President of the Bioelectrochemical Society, President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, and has been on editorial boards of Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, Electromagnetic Medicine and Biology. He was editor of the 2009 special issue of Pathophysiology on EMR.

He has published over 200 papers and reviews, as well as twelve edited books on electrical properties of biological systems, including the Proceedings of the First World Congress on “Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine”, “Electromagnetic Fields: Biological Interactions and Mechanisms”. He was one of the organizers of the online Bioinitiative Report, and edited the 2009 update in Pathophysiology.

In the following four minute video excerpted from Dr. Blank’s talk at the San Francisco Common Wealth Club, October 2010. Dr Blank explains how and what are the mechanism that result in damage to human cells.

Watch the full 20 minute presentation on Vimeo

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. These four words can incite terror in the parents of an infant. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as crib death, is the number one cause of death for infants from one month to one year of age. Eight babies die from SIDS each night. Ninety per cent of all SIDS deaths are in babies under six months old. SIDS research occasionally leads to discoveries of risk factors associated with these deaths, but after almost 50 years, researchers say they do not know how or why it happens. The official US government position is: cause unknown.

It is inconceivable that after half a century and millions of dollars of research no scientist can tell us why it happens. Fortunately, a highly convincing explanation and solution has been found in New Zealand. This explanation is backed by a significant amount of evidence. However, it has been and continues to be completely ignored by SIDS organizations, the medical community, and the US government — for a variety of reasons, including politics, financial liability, and vested interests. The New Zealand findings continue to be denied and suppressed.

Mattress Fungus Makes Toxic Gas
Dr Jim Sprott, OBE, a New Zealand scientist and chemist, states with certainty that crib death is caused by toxic gases. These gases can be generated from a baby’s mattress when a fungus that commonly grows in bedding interacts with fire retardant chemicals to create poisonous gases (Richardson 1994).

These compounds containing phosphorus, arsenic and antimony have been added to mattresses as fire retardants since the early 1950’s.

Depending on conditions, these heavier-than-air gases generated by the fungus acting on the retardants are concentrated in a thin layer on the baby’s mattress or dissipated into the surrounding atmosphere.

If a baby breathes or absorbs a lethal dose of the gases, the central nervous system shuts down, stopping breathing and heart function. These gases can fatally poison a baby, without waking the sleeping baby and without any struggle by the baby. A normal autopsy would not reveal any sign that the baby was poisoned (Sprott 1996).

In spite of denial and opposition from orthodox SIDS organizations, this finding explains every factor already known about crib death. It is backed by scientific research (Sprott 1996 & 2000) and almost seven years of proof from the New Zealand crib death prevention campaign (Sprott 2000).

The fundamental solution is to eliminate all sources of phosphorus, arsenic and antimony from mattresses. But this is not happening now, and is not likely to happen anytime soon. However, putting the mattresses in a gas-impermeable cover made from high-grade polyethylene can prevent exposure to these gases plus insuring that bedding used on top of a covered mattress does not contain any phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.

Dr. Sprott specifies a fleecy, pure cotton (flannelette) under blanket, with only cotton or poly-cotton sheets and woolen or cotton blankets over the baby. No other bedding should be used in the baby’s crib. In particular, do not use any synthetic sheets or blankets, duvet, sleeping bag, or sheepskin (Sprott 1996).

The meaning of a 100% successful, seven year New Zealand crib death prevention campaign can be appreciated when one considers that there has not been a single SIDS death reported among the over 100,000 New Zealand babies who have slept on mattresses in the specially formulated polyethylene cover. The number of expected crib deaths during this period would have been 210 based on New Zealand’s historical crib death rate of 2.1 deaths per 1000 live births. During this same period the number of crib deaths involving uncovered mattresses were about 520.

Prior to the start of mattress covering, New Zealand had the highest crib death rate in the world. Following the adoption of mattress covering this rate fell by 48%. “These reductions cannot be attributed to orthodox crib death prevention advice,” said Dr Sprott. “There has been no material change in that advice since 1992. The only significant change in crib death prevention advice since 1994 is the dissemination of my recommendations to wrap babies’ mattresses and to stop using sheepskins as baby bedding.”

Parents Are Denied Findings
So why isn’t this profound and critically important information making the headlines of major newspapers or all over the evening news? There are various reasons, but one possible reason is that mattress manufacturers are required to use fire retardants through government regulations. Admitting that these chemicals are causing deaths could mean admitting to major liability. Furthermore, crib death research has been a significant source of funding for medical researchers in the U.S. Crib death research funding in New Zealand has nearly stopped as people became aware that mattress wrapping is easy, cheap and 100% successful in preventing this tragedy. Unfortunately, useless research continues in the U.S., as other considerations seem to be more important.

Used Mattresses are Worse
The risk of death increases when uncovered mattresses are re-used from one baby to the next. The fungus has already had a chance to establish itself and spread in the used mattress. When the next baby uses the same mattress, a larger quantity of the fungus becomes active. Toxic gas production begins sooner and is generated in greater volume. It is known that crib death rates increase markedly from the first baby in a family to the second, and from the second to the third, (Mitchell 2001).
From HealthyChild.com by Jane Sheppard.

Mattress Covers: Harlow’s Earth
Research? See: www.cotlife2000.co.nz

Unfortunately, with dirty electricity, turning it off is not possible. Dirty electricity is everywhere in our environment. You are generating this dirt in your very own house, as are your neighbors and the office down the block and the factory in the industrial part of town.

The dirt is produced by the workings of all of our electronic equipment like, computers, TVs, radios, microwaves, light dimmers, digital clocks and cell phone chargers, variable speed motors (pool motors and HVAC motors).

The dirt (MEP) follows the electrical lines around your house and out of your house following the wires that supply electricity to your house. The neighbor’s dirt and the office’s dirt, and the factory’s dirt follows the same paths and ends up in every house, office and factory. The dirty is also projected into space as electromagnetic waves by any MEP producing device. So if you are near a lamp with a CFL and older LED light bulb you are in this dirty energy field.

We have assumed in the past that this form of energy is not biologically active. However, recent research tells us that this dirty electricity is biologically active. When dirty electricity reduction filters were installed in homes and schools, symptoms such as chronic fatigue, depression, headaches, body aches and pains, ringing in the ears, dizziness, diabetes, impaired sleep, memory loss, and confusion were reduced. See below.

There are several manufactures of simple plug in filters– Stetzer and Greenwave.

Based on this research it is estimated that as much as 50% of the population may be sensitive to dirty electricity; children may be more sensitive than adults and dirty electricity in schools may be interfering with education and possibly contributing to disruptive behavior associated with attention deficit disorder (ADD); dirty electricity may elevate plasma glucose levels among diabetics, and exacerbate symptoms for those with multiple sclerosis and tinnitus.

Exposure Standards
Work in this area is in the early stages, however, measurements of MEP (dirty electricity) using special meters sensitive to MEP show the following:

Stetzer Meter Reading (GS units) 

• Less than 20 – Ideal
• 20 to 30 – Acceptable
• Over 30 – Unacceptable

Greenwave Meter Readings (mV)

• Less than 25 – Best
• more than 50 – Undesirable

The first thing to do is to remove as many MEP generating source from our house as possible. Replace CFL and older LED bulbs with ones that don’t produce MEP.  Replace a variable speed pool motor with fixed speed squirrel cage motor. For the remaining MEP producers you can’t or won’t remove, MEP filters can be installed in electrical outlets following the manufacturers protocol to clean up the dirty electricity from these remaining producing devices.  Filters should not be installed before the house is checked for wiring errors (electrical code violations) and errors found are fixed This is because the high magnetic fields associated with wiring errors. MEP filters will make the fields worse. Additionally,  MEP filters are often needed at the electrical service entrance to clean up the power being delivered to the house even with no MEP producing devices in the house.

Download Dirty Electricity Studies – PDF Format

Reduce Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetics, Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms, and Headaches
Graham/Stetzer filters significantly reduce radio frequency electrical noise on indoor wiring generated by computers, energy efficient lighting, dimmer switches, and entertainment units within the home or workplace and transported into buildings by power lines from neighbouring property. The resultant improvements in power quality in homes and in schools are associated with fewer and less severe headaches, more energy, lower blood sugar levels for diabetics, and improved balance for those with multiple sclerosis.

The health effects of electrical pollution
Americans are surrounded by electrical devices – computers , VCRs and a plethora of household gadgets and consumer appliances. There is also the assumption that the electricity (and associated electrical phenomena) are safely confined to the wires carrying electricity and to the electrical devices themselves.

Historical evidence that residential electrification caused the emergence of the childhood leukemia peak
A peak in childhood leukemia, ages two through four, emerged de novo in the 1920s in the United Kingdom and slightly later in the United States (US). Electrification in US farm and rural areas lagged behind urban areas until 1956. In recent years, childhood leukemia has been associated with residential electromagnetic fields.

Dirty Electricity and Electrical Hypersensitivity: Five Case Studies
Deteriorating power quality is becoming increasingly common in developed countries. Poor power quality, also known as dirty electricity, refers to a combination of harmonics and transients generated primarily by electronic devices and by non-linear loads. We have assumed, until recently, that this form of energy is not biologically active. However, when Graham/Stetzer filters were installed in homes and schools, symptoms associated with electrical hypersensitivity were reduced.

Symptoms of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS)

Neurological:
Headaches, dizziness, nausea, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, irritability, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, weakness, tremors, muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, altered reflexes, muscle and joint pain, leg/foot pain, “Flu-like” symptoms, fever. More severe reactions can include seizures, paralysis, psychosis and stroke.

Cardiac:
Palpitations, arrhythmias, pain or pressure in the chest, low or high blood pressure, slow or fast heart rate, shortness of breath.

Respiratory:
Sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma.

Dermatological:
Skin rash, itching, burning, facial flushing.

Ophthalmologic:
Pain or burning in the eyes, pressure in/behind the eyes, deteriorating vision, floaters, cataracts.

Others:
Digestive problems, abdominal pain, enlarged thyroid, testicular/ovarian pain, dryness of lips, tongue, mouth, eyes, great thirst, dehydration, nosebleeds, internal bleeding, altered sugar metabolism, immune abnormalities, redistribution of metals within the body, hair loss, pain in the teeth, deteriorating fillings, impaired sense of smell, ringing in the ears.

Long Term Effects

Adult cancer, tumors, childhood leukemia, breast cancer, DNA strand breakage, abnormal cell division, nerve damage, MS, ALS, Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, brain damage, melatonin reduction, miscarriages.

Biological Mechanisms:
Some suggest that these epidemiological studies should be rejected because they claim that there are no known biological mechanisms. This is wrong on two counts. Firstly, epidemiological evidence is the strongest evidence of human health effects and dose-response relationships are indicative of a causal effect, Hill (1965). Biological mechanisms are limited by current knowledge and therefore should not diminish the epidemiological conclusions. Secondly, there is a large and coherent body of evidence of biological mechanisms that support the conclusion of a plausible, logical and causal relationship between EMR exposure and cancer, cardiac, neurological and reproductive health effects.

Neurological Interactions:
König (1974) and Wever (1974) prove that ELF EMR interacts with and interferes with human brains at extremely low field intensities.

Calcium Ion Homeostasis:
Blackman (1990) concludes that there is overwhelming evidence that EMR alters cellular calcium ion homeostasis, down to 0.08 mW/cm2, Schwartz et al. (1990).

Chromosome Aberrations:
Fourteen studies show that RF/MW causes significant chromosome damage, four with dose response relationships and one recorded a dose related cell death rate; Heller and Teixeira-Pinto (1959), Tonascia and Tonascia (1996) [cited in Goldsmith (1997b)], Sagripanti and Swicord (1986), Garaj-Vrhovac et al. (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998), Maes et al. (1993), Timchenko and Ianchevskaia (1995), Balode (1996), Haider et al. (1994), Vijayalaxmi et al. (1997), Tice, Hook and McRee (1999).

DNA strand breakage:
Four independent laboratories observe significant DNA damage, including two for cell phone radiation, down to 1 mW/cm2, Phillips et al. (1998). Lai and Singh (1995, 1996, 1997), Sarkar, Ali and Behari (1994), Verschave et al. (1994), including a dose response relationship, Lai and Singh (1996).

Neoplastic Transformation of Cells:
Balcer-Kubiczek and Harrison (1991) observed a significant dose response in cells exposed to microwaves.

Oncogene Activity:
Two laboratories show that cell phone radiation significantly alters proto oncogene activity; Ivaschuk et al. (1997) and Goswami et al. (1999).

Melatonin Reduction:
Fourteen studies show that EMR across the spectrum from ELF to RF/MW reduces melatonin in people.

Wang (1989) who found that workers who were more highly exposed to RF/MW had a dose-response increase in serotonin, and hence indicates a reduction in melatonin. Abelin (1999) reported significant reductions from SW radio exposure, Burch et al. (1997) with a combination of 60 Hz fields and cell phone use and Arnetz et al. (1996) with VDTs.

ELF exposure reduced melatonin in Wilson et al. (1990), Graham et al. (1994), Wood et al. (1998), Karasek et al. (1998), and Burch et al. (1997, 1998, 1999a), Juutilainen et al. (2000) and Graham et al. (2000); Pfluger et al. (1996)[16.7 Hz] and geomagnetic activity, Burch et al. (1999b).

Immune system impairment by EMR:
Impairment of the immune system is related to calcium ion efflux, Walleczek (1992) and to reduced melatonin, Reiter and Robinson (1995). Cossarizza et al. (1993) showed that ELF fields increased both the spontaneous and PHA and TPA- induced production of interleukin-1 and IL-6 in human peripheral blood. Rats exposed to microwaves showed a significant reduction in splenic activity of natural killer (NK) cells, Nakamura et al. (1997).

Quan et al. (1992) showed that microwave heating of human breast milk highly significantly suppressed the specific immune system factors for E. Coli bacteria compared with conventional heating. Dmoch and Moszczynski (1998) found that microwave exposed workers had decreased NK cells and a lower value of the T-helper/T-suppressor ratio was found. Moszczynski et al. (1999) observed increased IgG and IgA and decreased lymphocytes and T8 cells in TV signal exposed workers.

Chronic, 25 year, exposure to an extremely low intensity (<0.1 mW/cm2) 156-162 MHz, 24.4 Hz pulse frequency, radar signal in Latvia produced significant alterations in the immune system factors of exposed villagers, Bruvere et al. (1998).

Biological Mechanism Conclusions:
EMR is shown to alter cellular calcium ions, significantly increase chromosome aberrations, DNA strand breakage, neoplastic transformation of cells, reduce melatonin, enhance oncogene activity and impair the immune system. This is a coherent, consistent and overwhelming set of evidence to show that EMR is genotoxic. When coupled with the epidemiological evidence of cancer, there is compelling evidence that EMR is genotoxic, and, hence, is carcinogenic and teratogenic.

Work done by Robert. O. Becker, MD, research professor at the Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse, NY, suggests that this enormous sea of EMR may be producing stress and disease by interfering at the most basic levels of body functioning. Martin Pall, PhD, professor emeritus, University of Washington noted researcher into multiple chemical sensitivity and more recently into electrical hypersensitivity syndrome tell us that:

• Thousands of papers show biological effects above international standards
• Substantial literature shows (all) EMF’s activate the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCC) in the cell membrane & increase intercellular Calcium ions
• Thirty years of research shows Pulsed EMF’s are much more bio-active than non-pulsed fields

The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Evolution

The electromagnetic spectrum consists of energy vibrating at various rates from a single vibration per second to billions of vibrations per second. The term frequency is used to describe this vibration and is measured in cycles per second or Hertz. In the USA the frequency of electricity used for lights and power is 60 Hertz. AM radio frequencies are 55,000 to 160,000 Hertz. FM radio runs from 88 million (mega) Hertz to 180 mega Hertz. Television is higher. Cellular phones are 900 million to 1.9 billion Hertz and increasing. Wireless Internet connections are 2.4 Billion Hertz (GHz) and 5 GHz. Microwave ovens are 2.5 GHz.

Before man, the electromagnetic spectrum was nearly empty of energy. The Extra Low Frequencies (ELF) part of the electromagnetic spectrum was filled by resonant vibrations between the Earth’s surface, its magnetic field and the ionosphere (1 to 30 Hertz). The only other energy in this low range of the spectrum was produced by lightning (1000 Hertz).

All life began and evolved in this relatively constant and low level radiation environment over the past 3 billion years. It is significant that major body organs and brain wave vibration patterns of all animals and humans lie in the 1 to 30 Hertz ELF range, as do the resonant frequencies of the Earth.

It seems reasonable to assume that basic body and brain functions are likely regulated by naturally occurring ELF radiations. How might these functions be affected by man’s more re-cent introduction of much stronger ELF energies?

New York Upstate Medical Center
The New York Upstate Medical Center where Robert O. Becker did his research has concentrated research on the effect of man-made 60 Hertz EMR using field strengths similar to those found near high voltage transmission lines, in buildings with wiring errors, and near many appliances.

This work with mice has shown a pattern of changes in hormones, body weight, and blood chemistry similar to those found in animals under stress. Three generations of mice were raised with similar results. Additionally, the infant mortality rate in the third generation was 50% greater than the expected 5%.

A recent pilot study into the effects of grounding humans showed that most subjects produced too much cortisol at night and too little during the day. It also showed that in most subjects the sympathetic nervous system was over energized and para-sympathetic nervous system was under-energized. Normalization of cortisol production and balancing of the nervous system occurred after sleeping grounded for 60 days.

The stress adaptation mechanism described by stress authority Hans Selye activates certain brain areas in preparation for maximum effort to meet the challenge at hand. This is designed to be temporary. If it is constant, the body’s defense mechanisms become exhaust-ed. The body is less able to defend against disease and less able to heal itself.

In mice or humans the continuation of such stress could be expected to yield an increase in conditions like hypertension and behavioral abnormalities. The degenerative diseases related to poorer immune function (cancer) would steadily increase. Previously non-pathogenic organisms would begin to produce new maladies- Legionnaire’s Disease and Reye’s Syndrome maybe examples.

The pragmatic response to these and other findings should be to methodically search for and reduce sources of stress. Likely sources are polluted indoor air due to chemicals and molds, polluted drinking, cooking and bathing water, processed and other devitalized foods and electromagnetic radiation particularly in the bedroom.

Bedroom a Healing Place
The bedroom should designed to be a healing place because sleep is when the greatest healing and rejuvenation of the body takes place. Over a period of years, allowing your immune system to repair the body at night keeps you healthier, and helps you fight off problems. However, if your bedroom interferes with your immune system’s repair and rebuilding process, sooner or later it will catch up with you. If you want to have a healthier immune system, your bedroom needs to be safe.

What’s a “Safe Bedroom”?
A safe bedroom is a room that does not have major environmental irritants. There are numerous studies on how these interfere with the immune system — from chemicals, to molds, to electric fields. If you are exposed to any of these (and you probably are), your immune system is affected at some level — particularly at times of personal stress, environmental stress, or illness.

What is the Primary Irritant in the Bedroom
Building Biologists in the US and Europe have been investigating homes for environmental health problems for over 40 years. Over 90% of the time, the investigation leads to the bedroom. In the bedroom over 90% of the time the investigators find that the house electrical system is the primary environmental irritant. In 95% of the cases the Electric Field component of the radiation from the house electrical system is the most important factor.

House Electrical System Radiations
The house electrical system vibrates at 60 cycles per second in the Extra Low Frequency (ELF) part of the electromagnetic spectrum. We describe house electricity as being AC (alternating Current). Electricity produces both an AC Magnetic and an AC Electric field. These together alone with radio frequency radiation are termed electromagnetic radiation or EMR. Since EMR cannot be sensed by most people, instruments must be used to find and reduce the fields.

Magnetic fields are produced when current flows in wires to power appliances and lights and by transformers, the little boxes you plug into the wall to power certain types of equipment. All electronic equipment uses a transformer either internally or externally. So long as a transformer or the equipment is plugged in it produces dirty electricity that is fed into the wires throughout the building (see article on Dirty Electricity). For old fashioned wire-wound type of transformers, the device produces very strong, localized magnetic field, but no dirty electricity. This magnetic field decreases rapidly as you move away from the transformer. At four feet the field is 1/16th as strong as it is next to the device.

Electric fields emanates from wires at all times so long as a wire is energized. Electric fields are emitted by the wiring in the walls, floors and ceilings and by the cords to appliances, lamps, clocks, and electronic equipment. As soon as the device is unplugged the electric field from the wire disappears. However, for all wiring in the wall, ceiling and floor that is still energized- and this is most of the wiring in the house- the electric field output is continuous.

Voltage on Your Body at Night is Bad
The electric field strength in a room is very difficult to measure. Rather than measure the electric field directly, The Building Biology Institute (BBI), educator for U.S. Building Biologists, has another approach. This approach is based on the fact that the electric field generates an AC Voltage on the external and internal parts of the body that vibrates 60 times per second. This condition never existed before electrification of houses.

Is body voltage interfering with our need to get some well deserved sleep? Yes, Building Biologists have found through thousands of home assessments that this is, unfortuenately, the case. The physical issues found include:

• Heart palpitations
• Waking up and feeling like you haven’t slept
• Increased daytime allergy response
• Daytime irritability
• Muscle tightness
• Muscle cramping and pain
• Frequent waking
• Frequent urination
• Tossing and turning
• Bed wetting in children

The thousands of measurements have shown that people are sleeping with a body voltage of 2000 to 10,000 milliVolts AC. A milliVolt is 1/1000 of a volt. The average Body Voltage level is about 3000 milliVolts or 3 Volts.

Sleeping Room Guidelines for Body Voltage
The International Institute for Baubiologie and Ecology (IBE) has developed sleeping room guidelines. These guidelines have been refined over 30 years of work with medical practitioners in Germany and in the US. The guidelines are divided into four concern levels:

No Concern
Less than 10 milliVolts
This category provides the highest degree of precaution. It reflects the unexposed natural conditions or the common and nearly inevitable background level of our modern living environment.

Slight Concern
10 to 100 milliVolts
As a precaution and especially with regard to sensitive and ill people, remediation should be carried out whenever it is possible.

Severe Concern
100 to 1000 milliVolts
Values in this category are not acceptable from a building biology point of view. They call for action. Remediation should be carried out soon. In addition to numerous case histories, scientific studies indicate biological effects and health problems within this range.

Extreme Concern
Over 1000 milliVolts
These values call for immediate and rigorous action. In this category international guidelines and recommendations for public and occupational exposures may be reached or even exceeded.

As you can see in almost all cases people are sleeping with a body voltage above 1000 milliVolts in Extreme Concern range. Such situations require immediate resolution.

Dirty Electricity
Dirty Electricity is produced by every one of the billions of electronic devices that are plugged into the wall outlets of or homes, offices and factories. Recent studies seem to indicate that this pollution is biologically active and may be causing health issues.

Radiations from Communications Devices
The principle pollutants of interest here are:

• Cellular phone system radiation
• Cordless phone radiation
• Wireless Internet connection radiation

These pollutants radiate from their source through the air. They are in the frequency range of 800 MHz to 5.8 GHz. These pollutants differ from AM and FM radio and old style analog TV because they all use digital or pulsing signals. Unfortunately, these man-made signals are nothing like the electromagnetic radiation from the Cosmos or the Earth. Our cells interpret the radiation as a threat. The evasive action taken by our cells causes many things to happen, but the distressed cells first produce of heat shock proteins.  This shows the cells are in a hostile environment that is likely to result in cellular damage.

Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Sickness is Growing
One of the unfortunate results of the unprecedented, monumental increase in man-made radiations that surround us is the development of electromagnetic hypersensitivity syndrome. This terrible affliction is increasing at a disturbing rate and is now responsible for much pain and suffering.

What is to be Done?
You can take immediate steps to reduce your exposure to AC Electric and Magnetic Fields and RF. See 14 Ways to Better Health.