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Mitigating and Eliminating EMFs – A Mom’s Guide (part 1)

There is always a list in the back of my mind with what I need to do…  Next steps at detoxifying our lives.  One of the things on my list was EMF remediation.  I knew it was a can of worms but I did not know just how complicated it would be.  Initial research made my head spin and I got nowhere fast.  Months and then years went by with me picking up this task but never finishing as it was just too complex.  Determined, I did some brief googling and came across Ray Pealer of EMR Safety.  It turned out that he serviced my area so I made a call.  Our lives will never be the same.

house before and after emf mitigation electromagnetic fields remediation

 

Ray came over with over $7,000 in professional grade equipment and spent the day getting the EMFs out of my house.  When we first sat down, I asked him about a picture of a ‘before’ and ‘after’ he had on his website and if it was even possible to achieve such an effect.  I was doubtful – we are fairly modern people, my husband works in technology sector so giving up these modern conveniences was not an option.   Ray reassured me that he can make a significant difference with my EMF right that day and he definitely delivered.

The day was overwhelming but very educational.  If you are here, you probably already know that EMFs are dangerous; do affect our health and most importantly the health of our children so I will skip the convincing.  Let’s talk about what can be done.

In case you do need some convincing, the most famous EMF, WiFi has been in the news lately.  More and more doctors are speaking out…

Read what Martha R Herbert, PhD, MD had to say on just how dangerous WiFi EMFs are.  Dr. Herbert is a neurologist and neuroscientist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and on staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital; Board Certified in Neurology with Special Competency in Child Neurology, and Subspecialty Certification in Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Read what Martin Blank, PhD has to say.  Dr. Blank, a researcher on biological effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) for over twenty five years.

Read what Magda Havas, B.SC, PhD has to say.  Dr. Havas is a professor in a Canadian University where she does research on the biological effects of radio frequency radiation.

Read what Jeremiah M. Echaus, MD, ABHM has to say.  Dr. Echaus is a family physician and medical director at the Montpelier Integrative Family Health Center in Vermont.

These doctors are not alone; click here for six pages of medical doctors that are speaking out,  trying to warn the public and parents about harmful effects of WiFi specifically.

Ray’s website EMRsafety.net has great starting information on dangers of all EMFs.  Another great resource is the Bioinitiative Report.

The BioInitiative 2012 Report has been prepared by 29 authors from ten countries; ten holding medical degrees (MDs), 21 PhDs, and three MsC, MA or MPHs.  The great strength of the BioInitiative Report is that it has been done independent of governments, existing bodies and industry professional societies that have clung to old standards. Precisely because of this, the BioInitiative Report presents a solid scientific and public health policy assessment that is evidence-based.  –Ray Pealer

 

 

Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF/EMF) is starting to look more and more like cigarettes of our time.  Some say it is dangerous, but more say it is not…   Just recently, remember this?
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The very basics

An electromagnetic field (EMF) is produced by an object that is electrically charged.  Everything electronic produces an electromagnetic field.  These fields vary in strength and type.  Some are strong enough to penetrate walls; some of them penetrate a few inches into our body and some pass right through our bones.

There are natural EMF’s like earth’s magnetic field or lightning strikes during a thunder storm…  However, in the recent years the exposure to man made EMFs has increased dramatically.  There are studies that shed a little bit of light on what effects we may experience.  And what is in store for our developing children. (additional reading)

Our brain neurons communicate by converting chemical signals into electrical signals.  Exposure to unnatural, man made EMFs interferes with this important task and has the potential to alter our brains.  A little bit of WiFi here and there will not hurt, but what about the cumulative effect throughout one’s life.  From conception to adulthood?  And WiFi is only the tip of the iceberg, we need to worry about extremely low frequency (ELF) electric, magnetic and dirty electricity radiation too.  How all of these interact and affect each other and the developing brains of our children.

To eliminate ALL electromagnetic fields, one can simply turn off the main electrical box at night.  Aside from nearby powerlines, neighborhood distribution lines, cell phone towers or other antenna’s, you would eliminate all fields internally.  Turning off the whole house, however is not an option for most.  We have our furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators and other necessary appliances.  There are ways to drastically reduce the burden of electromagnetic fields inside a home.

 

The breakdown

RFR Radiofrequency radiation – very simply put: WiFi and microwaves.  Anything that transmits information through the air without wires will emit RF radiation.  Cell phone towers, cordless phones, anything ‘smart’ or anything that receives information through air…

ELF Electric Field – These are present wherever voltage is present.  Usually projected by electrical wiring within walls, power cords, some power lines.  If the device is plugged in (even when off), it is emitting an electric field.  These can be measured on the skin as your body is absorbing the electricity.

ELF Magnetic Fields –  Most common sources are power lines, electrical wiring and appliances.    Wiring errors and any electrical device may be an offender.  These are strong and are able to penetrate windows, walls etc.

  • Electric and magnetic fields go hand in hand with each other and are often produced by the same object.  For example, lamp plugged into a wall socket will generate an electric field at all times, including when it is “off”.  It will also generate a magnetic field when it is “on”.

Dirty Electricity – “Electrical pollution” produced by dimmers, fluorescent lighting, computers and others. It is a type of electrical “noise” that is always present.

 

EMF Mitigation

In order to do proper EMF remediation, you really need good meters.  GOOD meters.  Your first option is to look for local EMF expert, I found Ray Pealer here.  Ray services Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.   There are several directories online, with the most reputable being Institute for Building Biology, although not everyone on the list does EMF consulting.  Make sure the person you find is credible and has professional grade equipment.

Another option is to buy your own meters.  There are a variety of meters available online ranging from $20 to tens of thousands of dollars.  A descent set will run $800 – $1,000 but you will still need consulting services to determine how to mitigate properly.  Third option is to rent.  Ray does have a program where you can rent meters and the pricing is very affordable considering the amount of work involved.

I was utterly surprised at what items emitted fields and with select few we spent some time looking for the sources.  For example, my two thermostats had WiFi capabilities but were not connected to WiFi.  Those thermostats were continually sending out radiation ‘looking to connect’.  I also had a baby sound-only monitor that was plugged in and turned on upstairs; we haven’t used it in months so I completely forgot about it.  It was emitting a very strong signal that Ray’s meter was picking up almost 30 feet away in my downstairs kitchen.  In addition, some of these ‘smart’ electronics, even when in an ‘off’ position may turn themselves ‘on’ with an update or by accident…  The danger with magnetic fields in major appliances turned out to be in the control board.  I was shocked to see just how terrible my dishwasher was and surprised that the microwave, even in an “Off” position, still created a field.  A metal bed rail we had intensified electric field to extreme levels – shocking as most parents opt for bed rails for their toddlers.  And t his is to just name a few.

Without further adieu – here is what I learned while mitigating EMF at my home.

Mitigating and Eliminating Radiofrequency (WiFi) EMFs – A Mom’s Guide (part 2)

Mitigating and Eliminating Electric EMFs – A Mom’s Guide (part 3)

Mitigating and Eliminating Magnetic EMFs – A Mom’s Guide (part 4)

Mitigating and Eliminating Dirty Electricity – A Mom’s Guide (part 5)

 

Conclusion

Is your head spinning yet?  Mine sure is and this is just the tip of the iceberg.  This could not have been done without an EMF consultant.  While renting equipment and doing phone consultations is do-able, having someone actually come in and connect the dots is very valuable.

With only a few changes in place, we do notice a difference.  With the wireless devices eliminated (or only ‘on’ when in use like TV) and the nightly shut off of specific electrical circuits, I notice a dramatic change in our dreams.  Within a week, my son started telling me what he was dreaming about, for example one morning he was upset I did let him play on the Jolly Roger (Captain Hook’s ship) that was outside.  He is only three so one may argue that it is simply a new development, however my dreams are much more vivid.  Every emotion in my dream is so profoundly felt. If it is fear, I wake up with my heart racing, etc..  My husband (who is SO conventional, I don’t know how he tolerates me) also says his dreams are very vivid and happily goes downstairs every night to shut off the circuits.

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