Mese: Novembre 2015

Parents of schoolgirl Jenny Fry are campaigning to have WiFi restricted in schools following her death

[Quanti altri ancora dovranno arrivare ad uccidersi pur di porre fine alle proprie sofferenze, prima che si prendano seri provvedimenti atti non solo a tutelare chi soffre di Elettrosensibilità (e dunque ha la vita distrutta dalla malattia), ma anche chi ancora non si è ammalato?
Perché dobbiamo ricordarci che la tecnologia Wireless è un possibile cancerogeno per l’uomo, in aggiunta in grado di causare un notevole stress ossidativo in praticamente tutti i soggetti esposti, cosa che provoca un invecchiamento accelerato.

Article shared on the Facebook page “UK Electrosensitives”/ Articolo condiviso sulla pagina Facebook “UK Electrosensitives”.]

25 November, 2015 – “Cotswold Journal (UK)”, by Vivien Mason

jenny camera.jpg-pwrt3
The parents of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who hanged herself in woods near her home in June this year say her school could have done more to listen to her cries for help.

Jenny Fry, a pupil at Chipping Norton School, was found by her mother, Debra Fry, hanging from a tree at Brooke Woods at 4.20pm on June 11.

The inquest at Oxfordshire Coroners’ Court on November 19 heard how Jenny, who was described as intelligent, non-judgemental and organised, had not been seen since leaving home to go to school on the morning of Thursday, June 11, although she did not get on her bus to school.
A police statement said at 9.36am and 10.05am she sent a text to a friend about her intentions and stating where she was. Her friend did not have her phone with her that day.

Now Mrs Fry and Jenny’s father, Charles Newman, say they will continue their campaign to have the dangers of WiFi in schools addressed.

During the inquest, Mrs Fry said Jenny had first started showing symptoms of electro-hypersensitivity (EHS) around November 2012, including tiredness, nausea, headaches and bladder problems. It was the time Jenny’s parents briefly had WiFi connected to their home and, said Mrs Fry, that Chipping Norton School had WiFi installed.

“Jenny was getting ill and so was I. I did some research and found how dangerous WiFi could be so I had it taken out of the house. Both Jenny and I were fine at home but Jenny continued to be ill at school in certain areas. She was receiving lots of detentions, not for being disruptive in class or misbehaving, but often because she used to take herself out of the classroom to find another where she was able to work. She took her schoolwork seriously.

“I took lots of information into school to show the headteacher, Simon Duffy, but he said there was equally the same information available claiming WiFi was safe. I also had a heated exchange with teachers telling them Jenny was allergic to WiFi and that it made no sense making her take detentions in rooms that were making her ill. The least they could do was allow her to take them in rooms where she felt able to concentrate, but they wouldn’t listen,” she said.
“I intend to carry on my campaign to highlight the dangers of WiFi. I am not against a bit of technology but I do feel schools should be aware that some children are going to be sensitive to it and reduce its use.

“I think some technology is very useful. I am glad I had a mobile phone with me when I found Jenny so I was able to ring for help.” Mrs Fry said a lot of countries are taking note of its dangers now. France and Germany have acted to remove WiFi in nursery schools and reduce its use elsewhere. A campaign to offset and reduce radiation exposure in schools has been endorsed by many professionals including Professor Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency and Dr Erica Mallery-Blythe, medical advisor for Electrosensitivity UK.

“I fully believe Jenny did not intend to take her own life. I think she was frustrated with school. She would not see a doctor but was seeing a counsellor at school who was helping her. She had not made any suggestions she was thinking of suicide and I believe it was a cry for help.”

Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter said he was unable to rule out it was a possible cry for help because of the texts she sent to a friend.

He said there was not enough proof to suggest Jenny intended to take her own life and recorded a narrative verdict: “It can’t be demonstrated to the required standard of proof that it is certain she intended to take her own life.”

He also did not include the factors relating to EHS as he said there were no medical notes to prove Jenny did suffer from it.

EHS continues not be to recognised as a medical diagnosis in the UK.

She said the problem she is facing is getting UK GPs to recognise EHS. She is also directing people to websites dedicated to radiation sensitivity. They include ssita.org.uk (Safe Schools Information Technology Alliance) where there is a section in ‘videos’ by Dr Mallery-Blythe. There is also wiredchild.org/home and wifiinschools.org.uk

Source/Fonte:

Parents_of_schoolgirl_Jenny_Fry_are_campaigning_to_have_WiFi_restricted_in_schools

The Alarming Ways EMFs Are Changing Your Brain

October 20, 2015 – by Deane Alban

Currently there are 7.3 billion people on the planet and 6. 9 billion mobile phone subscriptions — almost one phone for every person! Few of us can even imagine living without our electronic devices like smartphones and computers. But what is living in a sea of electronics doing to our brains? There’s evidence that our electronic devices may be hazardous to both our physical and mental health.

The most obvious concern is whether mobile phones might cause brain cancer. But this isn’t the only way our electronic gadgets might be affecting us. Let’s examine what the latest science says about the safety of our electronic devices and their effects on our brains.

When researching the hazards of cell phones or other electronics, you’ll come across the term electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Obvious sources of EMFs include power lines, mobile phones, and WiFi. But electromagnetic fields are created any time an electric current flows through a wire, meaning you are exposed to EMFs from seemingly innocuous appliances like your hairdryer, dimmer switches, and coffee makers.

One thing that sets our computers, iPads, mobile phones, and fitness trackers apart is that we use them so much of the time in close proximity to our brains and bodies. More than two-thirds of adults sleep with their mobile phone next to their head and alarmingly, this figure rises to 90 percent in the 18 to 29 year old age bracket.

EMF
Via: nenetus | Shutterstock

How EMFs Affect Your Brain

Unsurprisingly, the number one fear of mobile phone usage  is brain cancer. TheWorld Health Organization (WHO) classifies electromagnetic fields as a Group 2B carcinogen and recommends that consumers find ways to reduce their EMF exposure. By definition, a Group 2B carcinogen means it’s suspected of causing cancer. While that might not sound too serious, keep in mind that this carcinogenic group also includes lead, engine exhaust, DDT, and chloroform.

In a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Oncology, Swedish researchers found significant associations between long-term cell phone use and brain tumor risk. Cell phone use is linked to both malignant and benign brain tumors after ten years of cell phone use.

But brain cancer isn’t the only concern. Other reported side effects of EMFsinclude headaches, dizziness, sleep disorders, benign tumors, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Here are some of the known mechanisms by which EMFs affect the brain.

The blood-brain barrier is a group of specialized cells that acts as a filter to keep the brain safe from toxins, heavy metals, pathogens, drugs, and other foreign substances. Many neurological diseases are linked to a compromised blood-brain barrier, including meningitis, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. EMFs increase permeability of the brain-blood barrier, making it leaky and allowing things like mercury, aluminum, and viruses to more readily enter the brain.

Long-term EMF exposure leads to a chronically increased level of free radicals. Free radicals are unattached oxygen molecules that attack cells much in the same way that they cause metal to rust. The brain is highly susceptible to free radical damage because it’s a heavy oxygen user — using 20 percent of the body’s total. Free radicals cause brain cell damage and aging down to the level of your DNA.

Brain cells communicate with each other via chemicals known as neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters regulate mood, sleep, motivation, ability to learn, addictions, and more. Long-term exposure to EMFs alters the expression of 143 proteins in the brain. EMFs cause significant disruption in levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine causing adverse effects on mood, memory, learning, and stress.

EMF
The increase in accidents among cell phone users may be caused by the flood of calcium ions into brain cells. Via: SpeedKingz | Shutterstock.

Another way EMFs disrupt brain cell communication is by rupturing brain cell membranes. This causes them to leak calcium ions needed for communication between brain cells. Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy of the Imperial College of London believes that an increase in accidents among cell phone users has less to do with distraction than with delayed reactions caused by the flood of calcium ions into brain cells.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that 50 minutes spent on a cell phone disrupts brain glucose metabolism. This is important since your brain uses glucose as its main source of energy. Some experts believe that Alzheimer’s disease may occur when areas of the brain can no longer utilize glucose to feed brain cells. These parts of the brain have become insulin resistant, leading some experts to consider Alzheimer’s type 3 diabetes. Living within 150 feet of high voltage power increases the risk of dementia by 24 percent.

Sleep is a critical pillar of good brain health. It’s during sleep that your brain consolidates memories, repairs itself, and clears itself of metabolic debris. Dozens of studies show that low-level EMF exposure disrupts your natural production of melatonin. Melatonin is most commonly known as a natural sleep hormone that regulates circadian rhythm, but it does more than that. It’s also a potent antioxidant, which has been found to aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s, depression, cardiovascular diseases, insomnia, mood disorders, tinnitus, and various cancers.

EMF exposure affects the structure and function of the thyroid. EMFs elevate levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). High levels of TSH are directly linked to hypothyroidism. Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include memory loss, depression, brain fog, fatigue, sensitivity to cold, dry skin, constipation, weight gain, and muscle aches.

One of the most unexpected findings has been that seamstresses have a four-fold increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s. According to research done at the University of Southern California, “Seamstresses seem to be among the individuals with the highest occupational EMF exposure. They sit near motors of sewing machines for hours, and most industrial sewing machines are always on, and always produce magnetic fields.” This illustrates that it’s not only high-tech devices that emit substantial amounts of EMFs.

The Dangers Of Mobile Phones On Young Brains

In the United States, 46 percent of children between ages 8 and 12 use a mobile phone, and this is bad news for their developing brains. Dr. Ronald B. Herberman was the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Before that he was a senior investigator at the National Cancer Institute. He testified in a Congressional hearing on Tumors and Cell Phone Use that EMF absorption rates are higher in a child’s brain than in an adult’s since their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner, and their relative size is smaller. A child’s brain may absorb twice as many EMFs as an adult brain. Electromagnetic radiation penetrates almost straight through the entire brain of a 5-year-old child.

Some common sense steps for reducing children’s exposure to EMFs include making their bedrooms electronic-free zones and not allowing kids to have their own mobile phone or wireless devices. If this sounds too difficult, keep in mind that Steve Jobs did not let his children have iPads! If he chose to limit his kids’ use of electronic devices, it’s something you may want to consider too.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/123468632

Protect Yourself From EMFs

Mobile phone manufacturers will tell you their products are safe and, in fact, they must meet government guidelines set by the Federal Communications Commission in the United States. But not every one is convinced that enough is being done to protect consumers. In May 2015, a letter signed by 195 scientists from around the world called on the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and governments to develop stricter controls on devices that create EMFs. Collectively these scientists have published more than 2,000 peer-reviewed papers on the hazards of EMFs.

This letter, which can be found on EMFScientist.org, states that, “Numerous recent scientific publications have shown that EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines. Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans. Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plant and animal life.” This letter goes on to accuse WHO of failing to impose sufficient guidelines to protect the general public, particularly children who are at greater risk.

You can’t trust the manufacturers of electronic devices or the government to keep you safe from EMFs. And, unfortunately, a lot of information on how to avoid EMF exposure is dispensed by people trying to sell you something that creates electromagnetic fields — and some of it is hype.

EMF
Use a headset or speaker when talking on your cell phone. Via: Antonio Guillem.

The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization, shares these common sense tips for using your cell phone safely: talk less and text more, use a headset or speaker when you do talk, and don’t carry your phone close to your body. Of course, don’t sleep with your phone next to you. Better yet, make your bedroom an electronics-free zone. Use your phone when your signal is strong — EMF exposure increases dramatically when signals are weak.

To find more ways to reduce EMF exposure, I highly recommend Ann Louise Gittleman’s book Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock And 1,268 Ways To Outsmart The Hazards Of Electronic Pollution. You’ll find plenty of common sense actionable steps to minimize EMFs throughout your home, without giving up the electronic devices you’ve come to rely on.

deane-2e
This article was brought to you by Deane Alban, a health information researcher, writer and teacher for over 25 years. For more helpful articles about improving your cognitive and mental health, visit BeBrainFit.comtoday.

Source/Fonte:

http://reset.me/story/the-alarming-ways-emfs-are-changing-your-brain/

 

Italy: The Electrosmog Bomb: 1.8 Million Patients

[An interview made in 2013 to our vice president Paolo Orio, translated into English by a foreign site.

Una intervista del 2013 fatta al nostro vicepresidente Paolo Orio, tradotta in Inglese da un sito estero.]

22 novembre 2013, “Towards Better Health”

The electrosmog bomb : In Italy 1.8 million patients
by Alessandro Barcella, La Notizia, 21 March 2013 (translated from Italian by the Google and the Editor of this blog)

The government ignores its own research. At stake, the interests of telephone companies

For the World Health Organization, it represents 1 to 3% of the world population. The data are actually understated because the most recent statistics show 10%. And in Italy? Statistics do not officially exist, although according to the most optimistic ones, the rate should be about 1.8 million. We are talking about so-called “electrosensitive” people, those with a real disease attributed to exposure to electromagnetic fields (both high and low frequency) emitted from a variety of sources. Their “mortal enemies” are everywhere: mobile and cordless phones, mobile phone base stations and power lines, Wi-Fi and laptops. And also civil and industrial radar, iPads or microwave ovens.

A sentence with no escape for some, who, in many countries of the world, are forced to live in caves or in the open countryside.

Paolo Orio, Vice President of the Italian electrosensitivity association [http://www.elettrosensibili.it/], is one of those who is sick. “The symptoms can vary in intensity, duration and location,” he tells us. “These include headache, sleep and memory disturbances, nausea and burning along the whole trunk of the body, or reddening of the skin, changes in heart rate and mood. An “ordeal” for him, which began with the first symptoms back in 1999, after three years of intensive cell phone use. “It all started with a headache, pain in the ear against which I held the phone, even intense itching in the ear canal. I went to the doctor but found no answers because the disease is not yet recognized, that is, included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) of the World Health Organization. This is because electrosensitivity is the victim of strong conflicts of interest, gigantic, if we consider only the role of the mobile phone industry.

This illness, which concerns a small segment of the population, is neglected, without any minimum guarantee of health care in terms of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

“For us, it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to go to the movies, to the theater, in public places like libraries where Wi-Fi is now everywhere, or on main means of transport,” says Paolo Orio. “I have not used a cell phone for 14 years. The car has electronic control unit shielding which immediately warns me of electromagnetic fields, and I switch off the power behind my bed.

Threshholds of danger are arriving much later in our country than demonstrated by international scientific studies.

In Italy, the limit values for “exposure to electromagnetic fields” are 6 volts / meter for high frequencies and, values of 10 and 3 microtesla for low frequencies.

There is a vast body of scientific evidence, with thousands of published studies, however, which show that very low electromagnetic field levels can have biological/health effects on humans and animals – even levels on the order of 0.4 microtesla for low frequencies and 0.2 volts / meter for high frequencies.

There is an urgent need for an “immediate modification of the law as called for by the European Parliament with the historic Council of Europe resolution of 2009”.

What risks does the “exposed” population incur? There are three stages of the disease, and all three are irreversible. The last one, according to research by Professor Belpomme (internationally renowned Paris oncologist) is a pre-Alzheimer’s stage, causing irreversible damage to the neuronal level and from cerebral blood perfusion. This may be compounded by the fact that cell phones are being used at a younger and younger age.

Recently, Belgium decreed a ban on cell phones for children under the age of 7 and Israel has imposed labeling on telecoms operators with the words, “attention, this can cause cancer.”

But Italy is a country where commissioned scientific research has suddenly disappeared. Paolo Orio says, “A few years ago, the National Institute of Health did start a study to assess people with this syndrome. The aims of the study were the evaluation of some parameters that could change in electrosensitive subjects.

The study undoubtedly began with good intentions, but was mysteriously not published. Then recently, came some kind of “joke”. “The decree relating to implementation of 4G or LTE technology has, under Article 14, surreptitiously increased the exposure limits of the law. The decree says that the electrosmog produced by a mobile phone antenna located near a home, courtyard or school should be calculated as the average of the emissions over 24 hours and no more than 6 minutes in daily peak times (as a rule, 13 or 20 minutes for telephone traffic in urban centers). This will widen the basis of calculation and the average daily highs will be offset by the minimum at night when there is less traffic and therefore less electrosmog. A good move, no doubt about it.”

What can one do individually, then, to reduce the risks? “For we who are sick,” said Orio, “avoid using cell or cordless phones (replace them with landlines), get rid of Wi-Fi, replace low energy consumption light bulbs.

The healthy use of your mobile phone is with a headset. If you have Wi-Fi, at least turn it off at night, replace the handset with a fixed phone and do not place the laptop on your lap when using Wi-Fi, because it is proven to reduce male fertility.

At the legislative level, Associations should demand policy changes: the rapid recognition of electrosensitivity as a pathology, which in Sweden is even classified as a disability. Secondly, a reduction in exposure limits, as international agencies and groups of independent scientists free from conflicts of interest have requested.

And maybe the example of elsewhere in Europe of “electrosmog-free areas” where you can rest for a few moments. And finally, prevent new segments of the population (especially children and adolescents) from getting sick. A pious wish perhaps, in a country where new mobile phone masts are defined by the policy “primary infrastructure works.”

Original article in Italian:
http://www.lanotiziagiornale.it/la-bomba-dellelettrosmog-in-italia-18-milioni-di-malati/

Source/Fonte:

http://mieuxprevenir.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/italy-electrosmog-bomb-18-million.html

Smart phone radiation concerns – Devra Davis speaks about the health risks associated with mobile phone use in a television interview

November 24, 2015

http://www.9jumpin.com.au/show/today/today-takeaway/2015/november/mobile-phone-radiation/

HEALTH CONCERNS
Experts say chronic mobile phone use increases cancer risks.

Electrical Sensitivity & Hypersensitivity – Sensibilità ed Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica

[Interessante articolo che consente di capire qualcosa di più sulla Elettrosensibilità/Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica.
La traduzione in Italiano segue la versione in lingua originale.]

Tuesday, 03 November 2015, “www.ei-resource.org”

Information kindly provided by www.powerwatch.org.uk

What is Electrical Hypersensitivity (EHS)?

Electrical hypersensitivity (EHS) is a combination of up to three factors:

1. a natural sensitivity, similar to other idiopathic or allergic reactions, which is not typical of the general population.

2. sensitisation by some trigger, which could be one, or more, of a variety of commonly encountered substances.

3. sensitisation by some incident, which has the capability of damaging the bioelectrochemical communication within the body.

Some people are electrically sensitive, that is they are aware of the presence of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), but are not adversely affected by them. Other people may or may not be aware of the presence of EMFs, but can become seriously ill in their presence. These people we refer to as electrically hypersensitive (EHS). People who have developed EHS have a physiological disorder, characterized by neurological and idiopathic reactions, that noticeably appear or intensify near sources of EMFs such as electrical appliances, especially VDUs (computer monitors), power lines, fluorescent lights, mobile phones, cordless phones, wireless computers (wLANs), mobile phone base stations, etc.

Being EHS means experiencing recurring feelings of stress or illness when near an EMF source. Any noticeable, recurring ill health that is triggered by an electromagnetic field, and that diminishes or disappears away from the EMF source, constitutes a case of electrical hypersensitivity. While symptoms may diminish quickly after the exposure is reduced, it can take several days, weeks or occasionally months if the person has become severely sensitised, for the effects to disappear.

It is not yet known whether EHS is an independent condition, or a kind of Multiple Environmental Sensitivity Syndrome, linked possibly also to Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.

For EHS sufferers living in a high EMF environment, it is like a person with auditory sensitivity trying to carry on normal life with someone shouting in both ears all the time.

Many electrically sensitive people seem to have quite dry skin and can carry high electrostatic charges on their body. Not only can other people experience a ‘zap’ when touching the person, but the electrostatic charges can also be transferred to electronic equipment causing equipment to malfunction. This can sometimes give an appearance of clumsiness or ineptitude, which can lead to a lack of confidence in using electrical equipment. This is quite concerning when young people, even in pre-school nurseries, are being exposed to computers, and they may develop this sensitivity, which can lead to a lifelong lack of confidence and self-esteem problems.

How many people does EHS affect?

People who have EHS develop different symptoms, for reasons that are poorly understood. Some people will react to power-frequency electric fields, some to magnetic fields and some to both. They may (or they may not) also react to radiofrequency fields such as those transmitted by the mobile phone networks, some reacting to the phones, some to the masts, and some to both. Some people will onlyreact to radiofrequency fields and not to power-frequency fields. Some people will even react to sunlight, another part of the EMF spectrum.

Because of this the condition is not an easy one to diagnose. People with EHS often cannot go into hospital, even to visit. Hospitals are full of electrically powered equipment, some giving off very high EMFs, and hospitals have fluorescent lights, a common trigger for EHS and intolerable to most EHS people.

The incidence of EHS seems to be slightly higher in women than in men, and there appear to be significant day to day variations in their sensitivity. Many people with EHS have lower incomes and may be unemployed. These variations may be explained, at least in part, by difference in Health and Safety practices, especially with regard to chemical (and other) exposures in lower paid jobs, and the fact that EHS can lead to the inability to work in a ‘normal’ environment.

The social, work and financial lives of EHS sufferers are likely to be affected by the fact that fluorescent lights are used in public offices (making it hard to make claims for, or to draw, Social Security benefits), shops, libraries, theatres, cinemas, concert halls, restaurants, churches, trains, trams and buses.

A study by the Irish Doctors Environmental Association reported that half the people reporting ill-health effects as a result of living near to mobile phone base stations were unable to work due to the severity of the symptoms. They also led a very restricted social life, feeling like ‘prisoners’ in their own homes, which were not always comfortable places for them to be either.

Even cars have electrical and electronic equipment (power wiring, fan motors, computerised controls and dashboards) that can disturb electrically hypersensitive people, especially in the front seat.

Many trains, railway stations and planes now contain wireless computing systems, so that passengers can access the internet ‘on the move’. City centres are being covered by WiMAX systems, making access for EHS sufferers ever more difficult. Neighbours who are ‘ham’ radio operators can, even unwittingly, make an EHS neighbour’s life almost unbearable. A nearby lamp-post height mobile phone mast can make a house uninhabitable by an EHS person. They may not even be able to go down a road where one of these masts is situated. This makes living a ‘normal’ life almost impossible in severe cases of EHS.

It is generally accepted that probably between 3% and 7% of the population are EHS to some degree and maybe up to 35% show some mild indications of electro-stress.

What are the initiators of EHS?

Electrical hypersensitivity can have a variety of causes; computer monitors (VDUs), fluorescent lights, mobile and cordless phones are believed to be among the most common initiators of the problem; working in high magnetic fields, MRI scans, wireless computing systems, chemical overload, ‘closed head’ injury, allergy, low energy lamps, trauma, electric shock, metallic implants, even lightning strikes are other initiators. Many people experience an abrupt onset of symptoms following exposure to a novel EMF such as fields associated with a new computer, a new phone or new fluorescent lights.

Working in high electromagnetic fields can produce sensitivity. Drivers of electric trains are members of a group in which hypersensitivity can lead to very dangerous consequences. 10 – 25% of UK train drivers report ‘missing time’, time in which they were unaware of their surroundings. However brief this ‘absence’ may be, if it is at a critical place, e.g. coming up to a red light, it is possible that this could lead to fatal accidents.

British biophysicist Peter Alexander said, “Once the individual is sensitized to an agent the initial aggressor is immaterial. The biological reaction will be the same to all agents.” EHS commonly also develops with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Computer monitors, and many other electronic items, give off quite toxic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) when the cases and electronic components ‘burn in’ from new.

According to the UK’s Building Research Establishment, and a separate Australian study, new houses 1-2 years old can emit many times the level of potentially carcinogenic volatile organic compounds as houses built just 10 years ago. The sources include formaldehyde from treated wooden floors and furniture, toxic compounds from fresh paints and solvents, and hormone disrupting chemicals from carpets and vinyl flooring.

 

Symptoms

Try the questionnaire at the end which includes most of the symptoms experienced by people with electrical hypersensitivity.

 

Tips for avoiding electrical hypersensitivity

Reduction of exposure in the house

There are two main sources of EMFs inside the home. The house wiring, and electrical appliances. Check your house wiring to ensure that field levels where you sleep and sit for extended periods, the two places where your biological systems are at their most vulnerable, are low.

Check the levels from all electrical appliance, especially near the bed and those which have a motor and heater. If you are unsure keep all electrical appliances at least a meter away from your pillow (including un-earthed bedside lights), clock radios, TVs, etc. Cordless phones and mobile phones should not be in the bedroom as they both give off high fields. Cordless phones emit microwave radiation all the time, mobile phones emit at maximum strength intermittently when on standby, and the re-charging unit gives off power-frequency fields as well.

Do not use an induction hob in the kitchen, and keep your distance from all electrical appliances when in use, especially if you are pregnant, are attempting to conceive (men and women) or if you have a compromised immune system due to ill-health or age.

Reduction of exposure at work

Many offices are full of electronic and electric appliances, computers, faxes, printers, photocopiers, air conditioners, de-humidifiers, electric fans, etc. Phones and burglar alarms can use microwaves. Computers are increasingly networked using microwaves. All these can make working life unbearable for the EHS office worker.

In the community

Schools, hospitals, residential homes, shops are all full of fluorescent lighting and other equipment that can provoke idiopathic reactions in the EHS person, making their tolerance level even more sensitised. Most shops have electronic tills, and security tagging devices, for stock control and to prevent theft. All these can produce symptoms for the person with EHS.

Mobile phone street masts are springing up everywhere, in residential areas, city centres, shopping malls, train and bus stations. These can produce very severe symptoms in people with EHS.

Transport

All modern forms of transport (Cars, trains, trams, planes, buses and coaches) can have high levels of electromagnetic fields. Older cars, more basic planes are usually less of a problem. Trains are becoming more of a problem with the addition of wireless computing facilities on board and in stations.

 

Other things you might consider doing to keep as healthy as possible

People with EHS should wear clothes and shoes made of natural materials or even special conductive clothing and footwear that is made for workers in the electronics semiconductor industry. You need to have flooring that is made of natural material, as you build up static charges every time you move your feet. You should ‘earth’ yourself frequently, by touching metal objects, or walking barefoot on the earth. Drink plenty of ‘good’ water, extra to what you take in tea and coffee, which are diuretic. People in general suffer from sub-clinical de-hydration, and it seems to be more of a problem for people with EHS.

Some people with EHS benefit from many complementary health treatments. These have not had a lot of researched done, but there is some information in the book on EHS (below).

For further information see the EMFields website www.emfields.org for the range of Powerwatch publications, ‘Electrical Hypersensitivity, a Modern Illness’ which contains detailed references to the research mentioned in this article, and ‘The Powerwatch Handbook’ which has a chapter on avoiding EHS, and plenty of practical advice on reducing your exposure to potentially damaging electromagnetic fields.

 

Do EMF Shielding Products Really Work?

Many people have brought our attention to adverts for pendants, buttons, towers, etc. that claim they protect the wearer, or the house, from EMFs.

We have tested some of these, and our extensive range of instrumentation show no change whatsoever in electromagnetic fields as a consequence of wearing the item, putting it on a mobile phone or computer or putting it in a room where the electrically sensitive person sits. In fact some mains-driven towers can make the situation worse.

Most companies wrap up their claims in pseudo-scientific jargon, claiming research in some unrecognised ‘scientific’ institution, by some unheard of authority, with poor, to non-existent, research protocols, using units of scale or measurement that have been devised specially for the task. Pictures showing dramatic changes in blood composition, etc. may be on different scales and/or taken in different situations, making them impossible to compare. Unfortunately, the documentation can look quite convincing to somebody without the experience of making sense of scientific research, which we spend most of our working time doing.

Having said that, we freely admit that we are unable as yet to test any very subtle effects on the human immune system that many claim their item makes. Unfortunately the scientifically validatable instrumentation does not exist in most parts of the world to do this, whatever the claims may be.

Russia has a history of making some really major scientific breakthroughs in areas of the subtle sciences, as for a long time they were unable to match the financial inputs of many Western health services. It is certainly an interesting place to watch for new, very genuine, additions to our biological knowledge.

Meanwhile, we suggest two things. Whatever may (or may not) work at a subtle level, is less likely to be effective if you do not also address the gross infliction of EMFs on the human body. You need to remove these before the subtle energies of the body can have a chance at putting right any damage done. Then only buy gadgets with a money-back guarantee. If it works for you, keep it, if it doesn’t return it and get your money back.

We realise that the person with EHS may need sveral weeks, even months, to feel the benfits of EMF reduction. We have no answer for that.

On the Powerwatch website FAQ section (on the menu on the left hand side of the homepage), Q11 (below) is a useful tool for evaluating the claims made by companies. This was a real-life promotion that was brought to our awareness.

11. How do I know whether I can trust the research done to support mobile phone EMF safety microchips?

 

Electrical Hypersensitivity Questionnaire

Do you suffer from electrical hypersensitivity?

 

Score as follows:

If you have the symptom described:

Frequently – score 2
Occasionally – score 1
Never – score 0

 

Do you suffer from:

  1. Numbness, weakness or prickling sensations in your joints or limbs
  2. Feelings of abnormal tiredness or weakness that cannot be explained by your life commitments
  3. Changes in your ability to think clearly or finding it difficult to concentrate, depending on where you are
  4. Aches and pains, cramps or muscle spasms in your joints, bones and muscles in your shoulders, arms, legs, feet, wrists, ankles, elbows and pelvis. Fibromyalgia
  5. Headaches
  6. Tenseness
  7. Restlessness, anxiety
  8. Memory loss
  9. Sleep disturbance, insomnia
  10. Feebleness, dizziness, tremors
  11. A tendency to skin redness, itchiness, rashes, tingling or dry skin
  12. Abdominal pain, digestive problems, irregular bowel movements, sickness
  13. Feeling too hot, fever
  14. A smarting, irritating sensation, a pain, or a feeling as if there is grit in your eyes. Blurred vision or flickering before the eyes
  15. Nosebleeds or blood pressure changes
  16. Heart arrhythmias or irregularities, palpitations or chest pain
  17. Toothache or neuralgia
  18. Hair loss
  19. Hearing clicks, humming, buzzing, hissing or a high-pitched whine
  20. Sensitivity to light, especially fluorescent lights or computer screens (sometimes, though rarer, even daylight)
  21. Bouts of unusual irritability, rage, violence, destructiveness, feeling hostile
  22. Thyroid problems
  23. A generalised feeling of impending influenza that never quite breaks out
  24. Depression
  25. ‘Missing time’, blackouts or convulsions.

If you scored 15 to 25 out of 50, you may be one of the 35 per cent of people suffering from some degree of electro-stress. If you scored more than 25, you may have developed EHS.

» Learn about the associated problem of “dirty electricity

 

Discuss:

Electrical Sensitivity/Hypersensitivity Forums

[IT]

Cosa è la Sindrome da Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica (EHS)?
La Sindrome da Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica (EHS) è una combinazione di almeno tre fattori:

  1. una sensibilità naturale, simile a quella di altre reazioni idiopatiche o allergiche, che non è tipica della popolazione generale.
  2. una sensibilizzazione innescata da una varietà di sostanze con le quali si viene comunemente in contatto, che possono essere una o più.
  3. una sensibilizzazione per un qualche incidente che abbia la capacità di danneggiare le comunicazioni bioelettrochimiche all’interno del corpo.

Alcune persone sono Elettricamente Sensibili, cioè possono percepire la presenza dei Campi Elettromagnetici (CEM), ma non sono da questi influenzate negativamente.
Altre persone possono percepire oppure no la presenza dei Campi Elettromagnetici, ma possono diventare gravemente malate in loro presenza [ATTENZIONE! E’ per questo che i test effettuati sui soggetti affetti da EHS, aspettandosi che questi percepiscano la presenza dei CEM come prova della loro Elettrosensibilità, sono assolutamente fuorvianti!]. Ci si riferisce a queste persone come Elettromagneticamente Ipersensibili (EHS).
Le persone che hanno sviluppato la EHS hanno un disturbo fisiologico, caratterizzato da reazioni neurologiche e idiopatiche, che chiaramente appaiono o si intensificano vicino a fonti di Campi Elettromagnetici, quali elettrodomestici, soprattutto videoterminali (monitor di computer), linee elettriche, luci fluorescenti, telefoni cellulari, telefoni cordless, computer wireless (WLAN), stazioni radio base di telefonia mobile, ecc.

Essere EHS significa sperimentare sensazioni ricorrenti di stress o malattia, quando si è in prossimità di una fonte di CEM.
Ogni evidente e ricorrente problema di salute che venga provocato da un Campo Elettromagnetico e che diminuisca o scompaia lontano dalla fonte di CEM, costituisce un caso di Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica. Sebbene i sintomi possano diminuire rapidamente dopo che l’esposizione venga ridotta, possono essere necessari diversi giorni, settimane o talvolta mesi affinché gli effetti scompaiano, se la persona è diventata gravemente sensibilizzata.

Non è ancora noto se l’EHS sia una condizione autonoma, o una sorta di sindrome da sensibilità multipla ambientale, legata forse anche alla Sindrome da Sensibilità Chimica Multipla.

Per chi soffre di EHS vivere in un ambiente ad alti livelli di CEM, è come per una persona con una sensibilità uditiva cercare di condurre una vita normale con qualcuno che le gridi in entrambe le orecchie per tutto il tempo.

Sembra che molte persone Elettricamente Sensibili abbiano la pelle molto secca e possano trasportare alte cariche elettrostatiche sul loro corpo. Non solo le altre persone possono sperimentare uno “zapping” quando toccano la persona Elettrosensibile, ma le cariche elettrostatiche possono anche essere trasferite alle apparecchiature elettroniche provocando in queste dei malfunzionamenti. Questo a volte può dare una parvenza di goffaggine o inettitudine, che può portare ad una mancanza di fiducia nell’uso di apparecchiature elettriche. Tutto ciò è abbastanza preoccupante quando i soggetti giovani, anche in asili nido, sono esposti ai computer e possono sviluppare questa sensibilità, che può portare ad una mancanza di fiducia e a problemi di autostima per il resto della loro vita.

Quante persone sono ammalate di EHS?

Le persone che hanno l’EHS sviluppano sintomi differenti per ragioni che sono poco conosciute.
Alcune persone reagiscono ai Campi Elettrici delle linee elettriche [nota: in bassa frequenza], alcune ai Campi Magnetici e altre ad entrambi.

Essi possono (oppure no) reagire anche ai Campi a Radiofrequenza [nota: in alta frequenza]  come quelli trasmessi dalle reti di telefonia mobile, alcuni reagire ai telefoni, alcuni alle stazioni radio base (SRB) e alcuni ad entrambi.
Alcune persone reagiscono solo ai Campi a Radiofrequenza e non a Campi delle linee elettriche. Alcune persone reagiscono anche alla luce del sole, un’altra parte dello spettro Elettromagnetico.

A causa di ciò, la condizione non è facile da diagnosticare.
Le persone con l’EHS spesso non possono andare in ospedale, anche solo per una visita.
Gli ospedali sono pieni di apparecchiature ad alimentazione elettrica, alcune delle quali emanano campi elettromagnetici molto alti, e gli ospedali hanno luci fluorescenti, un “trigger” comune della EHS ed intollerabili per la maggior parte delle persone affette da questa condizione.

L’incidenza della EHS sembra essere leggermente superiore nelle donne rispetto agli uomini e sembrano esserci significative variazioni giornaliere nella sensibilità.
Molte persone con l’EHS hanno redditi più bassi e possono essere disoccupate. Queste variazioni possono essere spiegate, almeno in parte, da differenze nelle prassi di Salute e Sicurezza [sul lavoro] specialmente per quanto riguarda le esposizioni chimiche (e altre) nei lavori meno retribuiti, e dal fatto che l’EHS può comportare l’impossibilità di lavorare in un ambiente lavorativo “normale”.

La vita sociale, lavorativa e finanziaria dei malati EHS è suscettibile di essere colpita dal fatto che le luci fluorescenti sono utilizzate in uffici pubblici (il che rende difficile fare richieste per, o attingere a, benefit di Sicurezza Sociale), negozi, biblioteche, teatri, cinema, sale da concerto, ristoranti, chiese, treni, tram e autobus.

Uno studio condotto dalla Associazione per l’Ambiente dei Medici Irlandesi ha riportato che la metà delle persone le quali hanno riferito effetti nocivi alla salute per il fatto di vivere vicino alle Stazioni Radio Base della telefonia mobile, non sono state in grado di lavorare a causa della gravità dei sintomi.
Hanno anche condotto una vita sociale molto limitata, sentendosi come “prigionieri” nelle loro case, che in aggiunta non erano sempre posti confortevoli nei quali vivere [nota: a causa dell’inquinamento indoor e di quello proveniente da fonti esterne, appartamenti/case dei vicini inclusi].

Anche le auto hanno apparecchiature elettriche ed elettroniche (cavi di alimentazione, motori del ventilatore, controlli computerizzati e cruscotti), che possono disturbare le persone Ipersensibili Elettricamente, soprattutto sul sedile anteriore.

Molti treni, stazioni ferroviarie e aerei ora sono dotati di sistemi informatici senza fili, cosicché i passeggeri possano accedere a internet mentre sono in movimento.
I centri urbani sono coperti da sistemi di trasmissione WiMAX, rendendo l’accesso per chi soffre di EHS sempre più difficile.
I vicini che siano radioamatori possono, anche inconsapevolmente, rendere la vita di un vicino con l’EHS quasi insopportabile [nota: ma attenzione, anche i vicini che banalmente  usino il Wi-Fi in casa possono rovinare la vita di un soggetto con l’EHS, costringendolo ad abbandonare la propria abitazione per smettere di soffrire! E ci si chiede se questa sia una cosa accettabile.].
Una vicina Stazione Radio Base della telefonia mobile all’altezza di un lampione può rendere una casa inabitabile per una persona con l’EHS. Essi possono anche non essere in grado di transitare in una strada dove si trovi uno di questi ripetitori. Questo rende quasi impossibile vivere una vita “normale” nei casi di EHS severa.

E’ generalmente accettato che tra il 3% ed il 7% circa della popolazione sia EHS ad un vario livello di gravità e forse fino al 35% mostra alcuni lievi segni di elettro-stress.

Cosa scatena la EHS?

L’Ipersensibilità Elettrica può avere una varietà di cause; monitor per computer (VDT), luci fluorescenti, telefoni cellulari e cordless si ritiene siano tra i promotori più comuni del problema; lavorare in elevati campi magnetici, scansioni con la RM [nota: le Risonanze Magnetiche sono un riscontro anamnestico comune fra gli Elettrosensibili!], sistemi informatici wireless, sovraccarico chimico, traumi cranici chiusi, allergia, lampadine a risparmio energetico, traumi, shock elettrici, impianti metallici, anche fulmini sono altri iniziatori. Molte persone sperimentano un inizio brusco dei sintomi in seguito all’esposizione ad un nuovo CEM come i campi associati ad un nuovo computer, un nuovo telefono o nuove luci fluorescenti.

Lavorare in forti campi elettromagnetici può produrre la sensibilità. I conducenti di treni elettrici appartengono ad un gruppo nel quale l’ipersensibilità può portare a conseguenze molto pericolose. Il  10-25% dei macchinisti britannici riportano un “vuoto temporale”, periodo in cui non erano coscienti dell’ambiente che li circondava. In ogni caso, per quanto questa “assenza” possa essere breve, se è in un luogo critico, ad esempio nell’avvicinamento ad un semaforo rosso, è possibile che possa portare ad incidenti mortali.

Il biofisico britannico Peter Alexander ha detto: “Una volta che l’individuo è sensibilizzato ad un agente, l’aggressore iniziale è irrilevante. La reazione biologica sarà la stessa per tutti gli agenti.”
L’EHS si sviluppa comunemente anche insieme alla sensibilità chimica multipla (MCS).
I monitor dei computer, e molti altri articoli elettronici, emettono sostanze chimiche organiche volatili molto tossiche (VOCs), quando gli involucri e le componenti elettroniche “bruciano” da nuovi.

Secondo il Building Research Establishment del Regno Unito, e uno studio Australiano separato, le case nuove di 1-2 anni possono emettere diverse volte il livello di composti organici volatili potenzialmente cancerogeni rispetto a case costruite solo 10 anni fa. Le fonti comprendono formaldeide da pavimenti in legno trattati e mobili, composti tossici da vernici fresche, e solventi e sostanze chimiche in grado di alterare gli ormoni da tappeti e pavimenti in vinile.

Sintomi

Provate il questionario alla fine, che comprende la maggior parte dei sintomi sperimentati da persone con Ipersensibilità Elettrica.

Suggerimenti per evitare l’Ipersensibilità Elettrica

Riduzione dell’esposizione in casa

Ci sono due principali fonti di Campi Elettromagnetici all’interno della casa. Il cablaggio nella casa [nota: ovvero le linee elettriche] e gli apparecchi elettrici. Controllate il cablaggio della vostra casa per assicurarvi che i livelli di campo in cui dormite e vi sedete per lunghi periodi ti tempo, i due luoghi in cui i sistemi biologici sono maggiormente vulnerabili, siano bassi.

Controllate i livelli [nota: di emissione in bassa frequenza] da tutte le apparecchiature elettriche, in particolare vicino al letto e quelle che abbiano motore e impianto riscaldante. Se non siete sicuri, mantenete tutti gli apparecchi elettrici ad almeno un metro di distanza dal vostro cuscino (comprese lampade da comodino non messe a terra), radiosveglie, TV, ecc.

Telefoni cordless e cellulari non dovrebbero stare in camera da letto poichè entrambi emanano alti Campi [nota: in alta frequenza]. I telefoni cordless emettono radiazioni a microonde per tutto il tempo, i telefoni cellulari emettono ad intermittenza al massimo della potenza quando sono in standby, ed in aggiunta l’unità di ricarica emana Campi in bassa frequenza.

Non utilizzate un piano di cottura a induzione in cucina e mantenetevi a distanza da tutti gli apparecchi elettrici quando sono in uso, soprattutto se siete incinte, state tentando di concepire (uomini e donne) o se disponete di un sistema immunitario compromesso a causa di problemi di salute o età.

Riduzione dell’esposizione sul luogo di lavoro

Molti uffici sono pieni di apparecchi elettronici ed elettrici, computer, fax, stampanti, fotocopiatrici, condizionatori d’aria, de-umidificatori, ventilatori elettrici, ecc.
Telefoni e allarmi antifurto possono utilizzare Microonde.
I computer sono sempre più collegati in rete con le Microonde [nota: Wi-Fi]. Tutto ciò può rendere la vita lavorativa insopportabile per un impiegato d’ufficio che abbia l’EHS.

Nella comunità

Scuole, ospedali, case di riposo, negozi sono tutti pieni di lampade fluorescenti e altre attrezzature che possono provocare reazioni idiopatiche nelle persone affette da EHS, rendendo il loro livello di tolleranza ancora più sensibilizzato. La maggior parte dei negozi hanno casse elettroniche e dispositivi per l’etichettatura di sicurezza, per il controllo delle scorte e per prevenire il furto. Tutto ciò può produrre sintomi alla persona con EHS.

Ripetitori di telefonia mobile stradali stanno spuntando ovunque, in zone residenziali, centri urbani, centri commerciali, stazioni dei treni e degli autobus. Questi possono produrre sintomi molto gravi nelle persone con EHS.

Trasporto

Tutte le moderne forme di trasporto (automobili, treni, tram, aerei, autobus e pullman) possono avere alti livelli di Campi Elettromagnetici.
Le auto vecchie, gli aerei più essenziali sono di solito meno problematici.
I treni sono sempre più problematici per l’aggiunta di servizi di computing wireless a bordo e nelle stazioni.

Altre cose che potreste considerare di fare per mantenervi il più sani possibile

Le persone con EHS devono indossare abiti e scarpe fatte di materiali naturali o anche speciali indumenti e calzature conduttivi fatti per i lavoratori nel settore dei semiconduttori  per l’elettronica.
È necessario disporre di pavimentazione fatta di materiale naturale, poiché voi create cariche statiche ogni volta che muovete i piedi.
Dovreste “mettere a terra” voi stessi frequentemente, toccando oggetti metallici, o camminando a piedi nudi per terra.
Bevete molta acqua “buona”, in aggiunta a quella che assumete bevendo tè e caffè, che sono diuretici.
Le persone in generale soffrono di disidratazione sub-clinica e questo sembra essere un grosso problema per le persone con EHS.

Alcune persone con l’EHS beneficiano di molti trattamenti sanitari complementari.
Non c’è stato un gran lavoro di ricerca al riguardo, ma c’è qualche informazione nel libro sulla EHS (in basso).

Per ulteriori informazioni consultate il sito web EMFields www.emfields.org per la serie di pubblicazioni di Powerwatch, “Electrical Hypersensitivity, a Modern Illness” (“Ipersensibilità Elettrica, una Malattia Moderna”) che contiene riferimenti dettagliati alla ricerca menzionata nel presente articolo, e “The Powerwatch Handbook” (“Il Manuale di Powerwatch”) che ha un capitolo su come evitare l’EHS, e un sacco di consigli pratici per ridurre la vostra esposizione ai Campi Elettromagnetici potenzialmente dannosi.

I prodotti per schermare i CEM funzionano veramente?

Molte persone hanno portato la nostra attenzione a pubblicità per ciondoli, bottoni, torri, ecc. che affermano di proteggere dai Campi Elettromagnetici chi li indossa o la casa.

Abbiamo testato alcuni di questi, e la nostra vasta gamma di strumenti non ha mostrato alcun cambiamento nei Campi Elettromagnetici in seguito all’aver indossato l’oggetto, all’averlo messo su un telefono cellulare o un computer o all’averlo messo in una stanza dove si siede la persona elettricamente sensibile. Di fatto alcune torri con alimentazione [elettrica] possono peggiorare la situazione.

La maggior parte delle aziende imbelletta le proprie affermazioni con gergo pseudo-scientifico, sostenendo di aver fatto svolgere la ricerca in qualche istituzione “scientifica” non riconosciuta, da alcune autorità mai sentite prima, con protocolli di ricerca da poveri ad inesistenti, utilizzando unità di scala o di misurazione che sono state messe a punto appositamente per l’attività.
Immagini che mostrano drammatici cambiamenti nella composizione del sangue, ecc. possono essere su scale diverse e/o prese in situazioni diverse, rendendole impossibili da confrontare.
Purtroppo, la documentazione può apparire abbastanza convincente a qualcuno che manchi di esperienza nel dare un senso alla ricerca scientifica, cosa che noi facciamo la maggior parte del nostro tempo lavorativo.

Detto questo, noi francamente ammettiamo che non siamo ancora in grado di testare gli effetti molto fini sul sistema immunitario umano che molti sostengono riesca ad avere il loro oggetto. Purtroppo la strumentazione scientificamente validabile per fare questo non esiste nella maggior parte del mondo, qualsiasi cosa venga affermata.

La Russia ha una storia nel fare alcune scoperte scientifiche davvero importanti  nei settori delle scienze sottili, poichè per lungo tempo non è stata in grado di uguagliare gli ingressi finanziari di molti Servizi Sanitari Occidentali. E’ sicuramente un posto interessante dove guardare per nuove, molto genuine, aggiunte alla nostra conoscenza biologica.

Nel frattempo, vi suggeriamo due cose. Qualunque cosa possa (o non possa) lavorare a un livello sottile, ha meno probabilità di essere efficace se non si affronta anche la grossa inflizione dei Campi Elettromagnetici sul corpo umano. È necessario rimuovere questi prima che le energie sottili del corpo possano avere la possibilità di mettere a posto qualsiasi danno fatto. Quindi acquistate solo gadget con una garanzia di rimborso. Se funziona per voi tenetevelo, se non funziona restituitelo e fatevi dare indietro i soldi.

Ci rendiamo conto che la persona con l’EHS può avere bisogno di diverse settimane, addirittura mesi, per sentire i benefici della riduzione dei campi elettromagnetici. Non abbiamo alcuna risposta in merito a questo.

Nella sezione FAQ del sito Powerwatch (nel menu sul lato sinistro della home page), Q11 (sotto) è uno strumento utile per valutare le affermazioni fatte dalle aziende. Questa è stata una promozione di vita reale portata alla nostra consapevolezza.

11. Come faccio a sapere se posso fidarmi della ricerca fatta per sostenere la sicurezza elettromagnetica dei microchip del cellulare?

Questionario sulla Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica

Soffrite di Ipersensibilità Elettromagnetica?

I punteggi sono i seguenti:

Se avete il sintomo descritto:

Frequentemente – segnate 2
Occasionalmente – segnate 1
Mai – segnate 0

Soffrite di:

– Sensazioni di intorpidimento, debolezza o formicolio nelle articolazioni o agli arti

– Sensazione di stanchezza anormale o debolezza che non possono essere spiegate dai vostri impegni di vita

– Cambiamenti nella vostra capacità di pensare con lucidità o difficoltà a concentrarvi, a seconda di dove vi trovate

– Dololenzia o dolorabilità, crampi o spasmi muscolari nelle vostre articolazioni, ossa e muscoli di spalle, braccia, gambe, piedi, polsi, caviglie, gomiti e pelvi. Fibromialgia

– Mal di testa

– Tensione

– Agitazione, ansia

– Perdita di memoria

– Disturbi del sonno, insonnia

– Debolezza, vertigini, tremori

– Tendenza ad arrossamenti della pelle, pizzicore, eruzioni cutanee, prurito o pelle secca

– Dolore addominale, problemi digestivi, movimenti intestinali irregolari, indisposizione

– Sensazione di essere troppo caldi, febbre

– Sensazione di bruciore o irritazione, dolore, o sensazione come se ci fosse sabbia nei tuoi occhi. Visione offuscata o tremolio davanti agli occhi

– Sangue dal naso o cambiamenti della pressione sanguigna

– Aritmie cardiache o irregolarità, palpitazioni o dolore al petto

– Mal di denti o nevralgie

– Perdita di capelli

– Percezione uditiva di clic, ronzio, brusio, fischio o sibilo acuto

– Sensibilità alla luce, in particolare di lampade fluorescenti o schermi di computer (a volte, seppur più raramente, anche di luce del giorno)

– Eccessi di irritabilità inusuale, rabbia, violenza, distruttività, sentendosi ostili

– Problemi alla tiroide

– Sensazione generalizzata di influenza imminente che mai del tutto si manifesta

– Depressione

– “Vuoti temporali”, black-out o convulsioni.

Se avete totalizzato da 15 a 25 su 50, potreste essere uno del 35 per cento di soggetti che soffrono di un certo grado di elettro-stress.
Se avete totalizzato più di 25, potreste avere sviluppato l’EHS.

Source/Fonte:

http://www.ei-resource.org/illness-information/related-conditions/electrical-sensitivity/

UNDARK AND THE RADIUM GIRLS – LA VERNICE UNDARK E LE RAGAZZE DEL RADIO…La storia è destinata a ripetersi?

[Cambiano le tecnologie, cambiano le abitudini di vita, ma la natura dell’essere umano rimane la stessa, portandolo ad incorrere nei medesimi errori.

A seguire riportiamo la triste vicenda delle “Radium Girls” (“Le Ragazze del Radio”), che circa un secolo fa subirono danni gravissimi in seguito all’esposizione ad una vernice radioattiva.

Leggendola saltano subito all’occhio le inquietanti similitudini con ciò che sta accadendo attualmente con la telefonia mobile e le tecnologie wireless: si sa che fanno male (gli studi che lo hanno dimostrato sono numerosissimi), ma chi fa business con queste tecnologie cerca di fare controinformazione e promuoverne l’uso, l’esposizione delle persone procede inesorabilmente ed alla fine ci si troverà a contare le vittime.

Un secolo fa sono state delle povere operaie indifese a farne le spese, ma loro:
1) avevano necessità di lavorare,
2) sono state colpite in modo circoscritto perché erano le uniche ad aver subìto una esposizione così intensa,
3) non potevano tutelarsi in alcun modo perché all’epoca non era facile reperire informazioni.
Nel caso della tecnologia Wireless la situazione è ben diversa:
1) viene maggiormente utilizzata a scopo ludico,
2) danneggia non solo l’utilizzatore ma anche chi si trovi in prossimità delle onnipresenti fonti di emissione elettromagnetica, configurando quindi il rischio di un danno su scala estremamente ampia,
3) le informazioni sulla sua pericolosità sono reperibili online e, nell’era dell’informazione, essere disinformati può rivelarsi un peccato MORTALE.

La traduzione in Italiano segue la versione in lingua originale.]

Written by Alan Bellows, copyright © 28 December 2006.

RG

 

In 1922, a bank teller named Grace Fryer became concerned when her teeth began to loosen and fall out for no discernible reason. Her troubles were compounded when her jaw became swollen and inflamed, so she sought the assistance of a doctor in diagnosing the inexplicable symptoms. Using a primitive X-ray machine, the physician discovered serious bone decay, the likes of which he had never seen. Her jawbone was honeycombed with small holes, in a random pattern reminiscent of moth-eaten fabric.

As a series of doctors attempted to solve Grace’s mysterious ailment, similar cases began to appear throughout her hometown of New Jersey. One dentist in particular took notice of the unusually high number of deteriorated jawbones among local women, and it took very little investigation to discover a common thread; all of the women had been employed by the same watch-painting factory at one time or another.

In 1902, twenty years prior to Grace’s mysterious ailment, inventor William J. Hammer left Paris with a curious souvenir. The famous scientists Pierre and Marie Curie had provided him with some samples of their radium salt crystals. Radioactivity was somewhat new to science, so its properties and dangers were not well understood; but the radium’s slight blue-green glow and natural warmth indicated that it was clearly a fascinating material. Hammer went on to combine his radium salt with glue and a compound called zinc sulfide which glowed in the presence of radiation. The result was glow-in-the-dark paint.

Hammer’s recipe was used by the US Radium Corporation during the First World War to produce Undark, a high-tech paint which allowed America’s infantrymen to read their wristwatches and instrument panels at night. They also marketed the pigment for non-military products such as house numbers, pistol sights, light switch plates, and glowing eyes for toy dolls. By this time the dangers of radium were better understood, but US Radium assured the public that their paint used the radioactive element in “such minute quantities that it is absolutely harmless.” While this was true of the products themselves, the amount of radium present in the dial-painting factory was much more dangerous, unbeknownst to the workers there.

US Radium employed hundreds of women at their factory in Orange, New Jersey, including Grace Fryer. Few companies at that time were willing to employ women, and the pay was much higher than most alternatives, so the company had little trouble finding employees to occupy the rows and rows of desks. They were required to paint delicate lines with fine-tipped brushes, applying the Undark to the tiny numbers and indicator hands of wristwatches. After a few strokes a brush tended to lose its shape, so the women’s managers encouraged them to use their lips and tongues to keep the tips of the camel hair brushes sharp and clean. The glowing paint was completely flavorless [note: significant is the fact that a woman, similarly to what now happens to EHS people who have problems when exposed to EMF, gave up working with the Undark paint because unlike the others she felt a sour and highly disturbing taste when she sharpened the brush with her mouth , and this saved her life!], and the supervisors assured them that rosy cheeks would be the only physical side effect to swallowing the radium-laced pigment. Cause for concern was further reduced by the fact that radium was being marketed as a medical elixir for treating all manner of ailments [note: at that time touted as a cure-all, it was later on revealed to be one of the worst carcinogens along with cigarette smoke!].

The owners and scientists at US Radium, familiar with the real hazards of radioactivity, naturally took extensive precautions to protect themselves. They knew that Undark’s key ingredient was approximately one million times more active than uranium, so company chemists often used lead screens, masks, and tongs when working with the paint. US Radium had even distributed literature to the medical community describing the “injurious effects” of radium. But inside the factory, where nearly every surface sparkled with radioluminescence, these dangers were unknown. For a lark, some of the women even painted their fingernails and teeth with radium paint on occasion, to surprise their boyfriends when the lights went out.

RG
A US Radium dial painting factory

In 1925, three years after Grace’s health problems began, a doctor suggested that her jaw problems may have had something to do with her former job at US Radium. As she began to explore the possibility, a specialist from Columbia University named Frederick Flynn asked to examine her. Flynn declared her to be in fine health. It would be some time before anyone discovered that Flynn was not a doctor, nor was he licensed to practice medicine, rather he was a toxicologist on the US Radium payroll. A “colleague” who had been present during the examination— and who had confirmed the healthy diagnosis— turned out to be one of the vice-presidents of US Radium. Many of the Undark painters had been developing serious bone-related problems, particularly in the jaw, and the company had begun a concerted effort to conceal the cause of the disease. The mysterious deaths were often blamed on syphilis to undermine the womens’ reputations, and many doctors and dentists inexplicably cooperated with the powerful company’s disinformation campaign.

In the early 1920s, US Radium hired the Harvard physiology professor Cecil Drinker to study the working conditions in the factory. Drinker’s report was grave, indicating a heavily contaminated work force, and unusual blood conditions in virtually everyone who worked there. The report which the company provided to the New Jersey Department of Labor credited Cecil Drinker as the author, however the ominous descriptions of unhealthy conditions were replaced with glowing praise, stating that “every girl is in perfect condition.” Even worse, US Radium’s president disregarded all of the advice in Drinker’s original report, making none of the recommended changes to protect the workers.

The fraudulent report was discovered by a colleague of Drinker’s named Alice Hamilton in 1925. Her letter prompted Drinker to make the information public by publishing his original report in a scientific journal. US Radium executives were furious, and threatened legal action, but Drinker published his findings nonetheless. Among other things, his report stated:

“Dust samples collected in the workroom from various locations and from chairs not used by the workers were all luminous in the dark room. Their hair, faces, hands, arms, necks, the dresses, the underclothes, even the corsets of the dial painters were luminous. One of the girls showed luminous spots on her legs and thighs. The back of another was luminous almost to the waist….”

US Radium was a defense contractor with deep pockets and influential contacts, so it took Grace Fryer two years to find a lawyer willing to take on her former employer. A young attorney from Newark named Raymond Berry filed the suit in 1927, and four other radium-injured dial painters soon joined in. They sought $250,000 each in damages.

As the legal battle ensued, New York dentist Joseph P. Knef examined the jawbone from one of the deceased dial painters named Amelia Maggia. In the last few months of her life the bone had become so decayed that Dr. Knef had been forced to remove it from his patient. Her official cause of death had been listed as syphilis, but Knef suspected otherwise. He exposed the bone to dental film for a time, and then developed it. Patterns on the film indicated an absurd level of radiation, and he confirmed the findings with an electroscope.

RG
A severe instance of “Radium jaw” from 1924

As the weeks and months were consumed by the slow-moving court system, the women’s health rapidly deteriorated. At their first appearance in court in January 1928, two were bedridden, and none could raise their arms to take the oath. Grace Fryer, still described by reporters as “pretty,” was unable to walk, required a back brace to sit up, and had lost all of her teeth. The “Radium Girls” began appearing in headlines nationwide, and the grim descriptions of their hopeless condition reached Marie Curie in Paris. “I would be only too happy to give any aid that I could,” she said, adding, “there is absolutely no means of destroying the substance once it enters the human body.”

The women proved too ill to attend the following hearing, which occurred in April. Despite strenuous objections from the women’s lawyer, the judge adjourned the case until September because several US Radium witnesses were summering in Europe, and would consequently be unavailable. Walter Lippmann, the editor of the influential New York World newspaper, wrote of the judge’s decision, calling it a “damnable travesty of justice… There is no possible excuse for such a delay. The women are dying. If ever a case called for prompt adjudication, it is the case of five crippled women who are fighting for a few miserable dollars to ease their last days on earth.” In a later editorial, he wrote, “This is a heartless proceeding. It is unmanly, unjust and cruel. This is a case which calls not for fine-spun litigation but for simple, quick, direct justice.”

The national outrage over the delay prompted the courts to reschedule the hearing for early June, but days before the trial, Raymond Berry and US Radium agreed to allow U.S. District Court Judge William Clark to mediate an out-of-court settlement. Berry and the Radium Girls accepted their opponent’s offer reluctantly, despite learning that their mediator was a US Radium Corporation stockholder. Their situation was too desperate to refuse; the women were not expected to live much longer. Each woman would receive $10,000— equivalent to about $100,000 today— and have all of their medical and legal expenses paid. They would also receive a $600 per year annuity for as long as they lived. Unsurprisingly, few of the annuity payments were collected.

The last of the famous Radium Girls died in the 1930s, and many other former factory workers died of radium poisoning without finding justice. Later medical research would determine that radium behaves much like calcium inside the body, causing it to concentrate in the teeth and bones. By shaping their brushes with their lips as instructed by their knowledgeable supervisors, the dial painters had ingested anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand microcuries of radium per year. One tenth of a microcurie is now considered to be the maximum safe exposure. Marie Curie herself died of radiation-related ailments in 1934. Because radium has a half-life of 1,600 years, her lab notebooks are said to be too highly contaminated to be safely handled even today. Radium continued to be used to illuminate watches until about 1968, but under much safer conditions.

RG
A US Radium ad for “Undark” paint

It is uncertain how many people were sickened or killed by Undark and similar radioactive pigments over the years, but US Radium alone employed an estimated 4,000 radium dial painters. Though they were not the only radium-painting business in the US, they were arguably the most evil. However one positive development did appear in the wake of the women’s legal struggle and subsequent media attention; In 1949 the US Congress passed a bill making all occupational diseases compensable, and extended the time during which workers could discover illnesses and make a claim. Thanks to the Radium Girls and their success in bringing attention to the deplorable conditions in US factories, industrial safety standards in the US were significantly tightened over the following years, an improvement which definitely spared countless others from similar fates.

[IT]

LA VERNICE UNDARK E LE RAGAZZE DEL RADIO

Nel 1922, una cassiera di banca di nome Grace Fryer si preoccupò quando i suoi denti iniziarono ad allentarsi e cadere senza apparente motivo. I suoi problemi si aggravarono quando la mascella divenne gonfia ed infiammata, così cercò l’aiuto di un medico per avere una diagnosi degli inspiegabili sintomi. Utilizzando un primitivo macchinario a raggi X, il medico scoprì un grave deterioramento delle ossa, ad un livello che non aveva mai visto. La sua mandibola aveva un aspetto a nido d’ape con piccoli fori, secondo un pattern casuale che ricordava il tessuto tarlato.

Mentre una serie di medici cercava di risolvere il misterioso disturbo di Grace, casi simili cominciarono ad apparire in tutta la sua città natale del New Jersey. Un dentista, in particolare, prese atto del numero insolitamente alto di mandibole deteriorate tra le donne locali e gli servì una indagine molto piccola per scoprire un trait d’union; tutte le donne erano state alle dipendenze della stessa fabbrica nella quale si dipingevano i quadranti degli orologi, in un periodo o in un altro.

Nel 1902, 20 anni prima della misteriosa malattia di Grace, l’inventore William J. Hammer lasciò Parigi con un curioso souvenir. I famosi scienziati Pierre e Marie Curie gli avevano fornito alcuni campioni dei loro cristalli di sale di radio. La radioattività era in qualche modo nuova alla scienza, così le sue proprietà ed i suoi pericoli non erano ben compresi; ma il lieve bagliore blu-verde del radio ed il naturale calore, indicavano che era chiaramente un materiale affascinante. Hammer combinò il suo sale di radio con colla ed un composto chiamato solfuro di zinco, che brillava in presenza di radiazioni. Il risultato fu una vernice che brillava al buio.

La ricetta di Hammer venne utilizzata dalla US Radium Corporation durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale per produrre Undark, una vernice ad alta tecnologia che permise ai fanti americani di leggere di notte i loro orologi da polso ed i cruscotti. Essa inoltre commercializzò il pigmento per prodotti non militari, come numeri civici, mirini delle pistole, placche degli interruttori della luce e occhi luminosi per bambole. In questo periodo i pericoli del radio vennero meglio compresi, ma la US Radium rassicurò il pubblico sul fatto che la loro vernice utilizzava l’elemento radioattivo in “quantità così piccole da essere assolutamente innocuo”. Mentre questo era vero per i prodotti stessi, la quantità di radio presente nella fabbrica dove si tingevano i quadranti degli orologi era molto più pericolosa, all’insaputa dei lavoratori.

La US Radium impiegò centinaia di donne nella sua fabbrica a Orange, New Jersey, tra cui Grace Fryer. Poche aziende in quel momento erano disposte ad assumere donne e la paga era molto più elevata rispetto alla maggior parte delle alternative, per cui l’azienda non ebbe grossi problemi a trovare lavoratrici per occupare le file e file di banchi. Ad esse venne chiesto di dipingere linee delicate con pennelli a punta fine, applicando la vernice Undark ai piccoli numeri e indicatori degli orologi da polso. Dopo un paio di colpi un pennello tendeva a perdere la sua forma, così i manager delle donne le incoraggiavano ad utilizzare le labbra e la lingua per mantenere affilate e pulite le punte dei pennelli di pelo di cammello. La vernice brillante era totalmente insapore [nota: significativo è il fatto che una donna, come adesso accade agli Elettrosensibili i quali sono disturbati dai CEM, rinunciò a lavorare con la vernice Undark poichè, a differenza delle altre, percepiva un sapore acre e fortemente disturbante quando arrotava le setole del pennellino con la bocca, e questo le salvò la vita!] ed i supervisori assicuravano che avere guance rosee sarebbe stato l’unico effetto collaterale dell’inghiottire il pigmento unito al radio. Ogni motivo di preoccupazione venne ulteriormente ridotto dal fatto che il radio veniva commercializzato come un elisir medico per il trattamento di tutti i tipi di disturbi [nota: all’epoca spacciato come un toccasana, esattamente come è avvenuto per il fumo di sigaretta è stato poi rivelato essere uno dei peggiori cancerogeni per l’uomo!].

I proprietari e gli scienziati alla US Radium, che avevano familiarità con i reali rischi correlati alla radioattività, naturalmente avevano preso molte precauzioni per proteggersi. Sapevano che l’ingrediente chiave della Undark era di circa un milione di volte più attivo dell’uranio, così i chimici della società spesso usavano schermi di piombo, maschere e pinze quando lavoravano con la vernice. La US Radium aveva anche distribuito letteratura per la comunità medica che descriveva gli “effetti pregiudizievoli” del radio. Ma dentro la fabbrica, dove quasi ogni superficie scintillava per la radioilluminescenza, questi pericoli erano sconosciuti. Per scherzo, alcune delle donne si erano anche occasionalmente dipinte unghie e denti con la vernice al radio, per sorprendere i loro fidanzati quando le luci si spegnevano.

Nel 1925, tre anni dopo che i problemi di salute di Grace erano iniziati, un medico suggerì che i suoi problemi alla mandibola potessero avere a che fare con il suo precedente impiego alla US Radium. Quando lei iniziò ad indagare tale possibilità, uno specialista della Columbia University di nome Frederick Flynn chiese di esaminarla. Flynn dichiarò che la donna era in buona salute. Questo un po’ di tempo prima che qualcuno scoprisse che Flynn non era un medico, né aveva la licenza per esercitare la professione medica, ma piuttosto era un tossicologo sul libro paga della US Radium. Un “collega” che era presente durante la visita– e che aveva confermato la diagnosi di buona salute– si era rivelato essere uno dei vicepresidenti della US Radium. Molte pittrici che avevano ultilizzato la Undark, avevano sviluppato gravi problemi ossei legati in particolare alla mascella e l’azienda aveva iniziato a concentrare gli sforzi per nascondere la causa della malattia. Le morti misteriose vennero spesso imputate alla sifilide per minare la reputazione delle donne e molti medici e dentisti inspiegabilmente collaborarono con la campagna di disinformazione della potente società.

Nei primi anni ’20, la US Radium assunse il fisiologo professore di Harvard Cecil Drinker per studiare le condizioni di lavoro nella fabbrica. La relazione di Drinker era grave, indicando una forza lavoro altamente contaminata ed insolite condizioni del sangue in praticamente tutti coloro che ci avevano lavorato. La relazione che la società fornì al Dipartimento del Lavoro del New Jersey accreditava Cecil Drinker come autore, ma le descrizioni inquietanti di condizioni malsane vennero sostituite con brillanti lodi, affermando che “ogni ragazza è in perfette condizioni”. Ancora peggio, il presidente della US Radium ignorò tutti i consigli nella relazione originaria di Drinker, non attuando alcuna delle modifiche consigliate per proteggere le lavoratrici.

Il rapporto fraudolento venne scoperto nel 1925 da una collega di Drinker di nome Alice Hamilton. La sua lettera spinse Drinker a rendere pubbliche le informazioni, pubblicando il suo rapporto originale in una rivista scientifica. I dirigenti della US Radium erano furiosi e minacciarono azioni legali, ma Drinker pubblicò comunque le sue scoperte. Tra le altre cose, la sua relazione affermava:

“I campioni di polvere raccolti nel laboratorio da varie posizioni e dalle sedie non utilizzate dai lavoratori, erano tutti luminosi nella stanza buia. I loro capelli, volti, mani, braccia, collo, abiti, biancheria, anche i corsetti delle pittrici dei quadranti di orologio erano luminosi. Una delle ragazze ha mostrato punti luminosi sulle sue gambe e cosce. La schiena di un’altra era luminosa quasi fino alla vita…. ”

La US Radium era un appaltatore della difesa con tasche profonde e contatti influenti, quindi servirono due anni a Grace Fryer per trovare un avvocato disposto ad occuparsi del suo ex-datore di lavoro. Un giovane avvocato da Newark di nome Raymond Berry presentò la causa nel 1927 e altre quattro pittrici di quadranti fosforescenti danneggiate dal radio presto si unirono. Chiesero 250 mila dollari ciascuna in danni.

Mentre era in corso la battaglia legale, il dentista di New York Joseph P. Knef esaminò la mandibola di una delle pittrici di quadranti morta di nome Amelia Maggia. Negli ultimi mesi della sua vita, l’osso era diventato così decaduto che il dottor Knef era stato costretto a rimuoverlo dalla sua paziente. La sua causa ufficiale di morte era stata indicata come sifilide, ma Knef sospettava altro. Espose l’osso alla pellicola dentale per una volta e poi la sviluppò. I pattern sul film indicavano un assurdo livello di radiazioni ed egli confermò i risultati con un elettroscopio.

Mentre settimane e mesi venivano dissipati da un sistema giudiziario che lavorava lentamente, la salute delle donne si era rapidamente deteriorata. Alla loro prima apparizione in tribunale nel gennaio 1928, due erano a letto e nessuna poteva alzare le braccia per fare il giuramento. Grace Fryer, descritta dai giornalisti come ancora “carina”, era incapace di camminare, necessitava di un rinforzo posteriore per sedersi e aveva perso tutti i suoi denti. Le “Radium Girls” iniziarono a comparire nei titoli a livello nazionale e le descrizioni cupe della loro condizione disperata raggiunsero Marie Curie a Parigi. “Sarei ben felice di dare qualsiasi aiuto possibile,” disse, aggiungendo, “non c’è assolutamente alcuna possibilità di distruggere la sostanza una volta che entra nel corpo umano.”

Le donne si dimostrarono troppo malate per partecipare alla successiva udienza, che avvenne nel mese di aprile. Nonostante le strenue obiezioni dell’avvocato delle donne, il giudice rinviò il caso a settembre, perché diversi testimoni della US Radium passavano l’estate in Europa e conseguentemente non sarebbero stati disponibili. Walter Lippmann, direttore dell’influente giornale New York World, scrisse della decisione del giudice, definendola una “condannabile parodia della giustizia… Non vi è alcuna possibile giustificazione per un tale ritardo. Le donne stanno morendo. Se mai un caso dovesse andare incontro ad un rapido giudizio, è il caso di cinque donne storpie che lottano per pochi miserabili dollari per facilitare i loro ultimi giorni sulla terra “. In un successivo editoriale egli scrisse: “Si tratta di un procedimento senza cuore. E’ disumano, ingiusto e crudele. Questo è un caso che non richiede un fine contenzioso, ma una semplice, veloce, diretta giustizia”.

L’indignazione nazionale per il ritardo indusse i giudici a riprogrammare l’udienza per l’inizio di giugno, ma giorni prima del processo, Raymond Berry e la US Radium accettarono di consentire al giudice distrettuale William Clark di mediare una soluzione amichevole. Berry e le “Ragazze del Radio” accettarono a malincuore l’offerta dell’avversario, nonostante avessero saputo che il loro mediatore era un azionista della US Radium Corporation. La loro situazione era troppo disperata per rifiutare; non ci si aspettava che le donne vivessero molto più a lungo. Ogni donna avrebbe ricevuto $ 10,000– pari a circa 100.000 dollari oggi– e sarebbero state pagate tutte le spese mediche e legali. Avrebbero anche ricevuto $ 600 all’anno di rendita per tutto il tempo in cui sarebbero vissute. Non sorprende che poche delle rendite annuali vennero prese.

L’ultima delle famose “Radium Girls” morì nel 1930 e molte altre ex-operaie morirono per avvelenamento da radio senza trovare giustizia. Più tardi la ricerca medica determinò che il radio si comporta come il calcio all’interno del corpo, facendo sì che si concentri in denti e ossa. Nel plasmare i loro pennelli con le labbra secondo le istruzioni dei loro ben informati supervisori, le pittrici di quadranti avevano ovunque ingerito da poche centinaia a qualche migliaio di microcurie di radio all’anno. Un decimo di microcurie è ora considerato la massima esposizione sicura. Marie Curie stessa morì di malattie legate alle radiazioni nel 1934. Poiché il radio ha un tempo di dimezzamento di 1.600 anni, i suoi quaderni di appunti di laboratorio sono ancora oggi detti essere troppo altamente contaminati per poter essere maneggiati in modo sicuro. Il radio continuò ad essere usato per illuminare gli orologi fino a circa il 1968, ma in condizioni molto più sicure.

Non è chiaro quante persone siano state fatte ammalare o siano state uccise da vernice Undark e pigmenti radioattivi simili nel corso degli anni, ma la sola US Radium impiegò secondo le stime 4.000 pittrici di quadranti al radio. Anche se non fu l’unico business della radio-pittura negli Stati Uniti, è stato probabilmente il più crudele. Tuttavia uno sviluppo positivo si è presentato a seguito della lotta legale delle donne e della successiva attenzione dei media; nel 1949 il Congresso degli Stati Uniti ha approvato una legge rendendo tutte le malattie professionali risarcibili e ha esteso il tempo durante il quale i lavoratori potevano scoprire le malattie e fare una domanda di risarcimento. Grazie alle “Radium Girls” ed al loro successo nel portare l’attenzione sulle condizioni deplorevoli nelle fabbriche degli Stati Uniti, gli standard di sicurezza industriali negli Stati Uniti andarono significativamente incontro ad un giro di vite nel corso degli anni seguenti, un miglioramento che sicuramente ha risparmiato innumerevoli altri/e da un destino simile.

Fonte:

http://www.damninteresting.com/undark-and-the-radium-girls/

Long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices decreases plasma prolactin, progesterone, and estrogen levels but increases uterine oxidative stress in pregnant rats and their offspring.

[Sudio su animali da laboratorio non open source (del quale riportiamo dunque solo l’abstract), le cui conclusioni sono le seguenti:

le emissioni elettromagnetiche da telefoni cellulari e Wi-Fi possono essere una causa di danno ossidativo uterino nei ratti in via di sviluppo e diminuzione dei livelli ormonali nei ratti madri.]

Endocrine. 2015 Nov 14. [Epub ahead of print]

2

By:
Yüksel M1, Nazıroğlu M2, Özkaya MO1.

1The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.
2The Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Süleyman Demirel University, 32260, Isparta, Turkey.


ARTICLE INFO

Article history
Published Online: 14 November 2015

Keywords
Antioxidants
Electromagnetic radiation
Growing rat
Hormone
Uterine

ABSTRACT

We investigated the effects of mobile phone (900 and 1800 MHz)- and Wi-Fi (2450 MHz)-induced electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure on uterine oxidative stress and plasma hormone levels in pregnant rats and their offspring.

Thirty-two rats and their forty newborn offspring were divided into the following four groups according to the type of EMR exposure they were subjected to: the control, 900, 1800, and 2450 MHz groups. Each experimental group was exposed to EMR for 60 min/day during the pregnancy and growth periods. The pregnant rats were allowed to stand for four generations (total 52 weeks) before, plasma and uterine samples were obtained. During the 4th, 5th, and 6th weeks of the experiment, plasma and uterine samples were also obtained from the developing rats.

Although uterine lipid peroxidation increased in the EMR groups, uterine glutathione peroxidase activity (4th and 5th weeks) and plasma prolactin levels (6th week) in developing rats decreased in these groups. In the maternal rats, the plasma prolactin, estrogen, and progesterone levels decreased in the EMR groups, while the plasma total oxidant status, and body temperatures increased. There were no changes in the levels of reduced glutathione, total antioxidants, or vitamins A, C, and E in the uterine and plasma samples of maternal rats.

In conclusion, although EMR exposure decreased the prolactin, estrogen, and progesterone levels in the plasma of maternal rats and their offspring, EMR-induced oxidative stress in the uteri of maternal rats increased during the development of offspring. Mobile phone- and Wi-Fi-induced EMR may be one cause of increased oxidative uterine injury in growing rats and decreased hormone levels in maternal rats.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

TRPV1 cation channels are the possible molecular pathways responsible for changes in the hormone, oxidative stress, and body temperature levels in the uterus of maternal rats following a year-long exposure to electromagnetic radiation exposure from mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices. It is likely that TRPV1-mediated Ca2+ entry in the uterus of pregnant rats involves accumulation of oxidative stress and opening of mitochondrial membrane pores that consequently leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, substantial swelling of the mitochondria with rupture of the outer membrane and release of oxidants such as superoxide (O2 ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The superoxide radical is converted to H2O2 by superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) is an important antioxidant enzyme for removing lipid hydroperoxides and hydrogen peroxide and it catalyzes the reduction of H2O2 to water.

Long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices ...

Sources/Fonti:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26578367?dopt=Abstract

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12020-015-0795-3


The microwave syndrome or electro-hypersensitivity: historical background – Una malattia reale scoperta negli anni ’50

[Purtroppo l’articolo completo non è ancora disponibile.

La seguente è la traduzione dell’Abstract:

Le apparecchiature che generano microonde divennero inizialmente di uso comune durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale con lo sviluppo della tecnologia radar. 
I paesi dell’ex blocco Sovietico già allora riferirono che gli individui esposti alle microonde spesso sviluppavano mal di testa, stanchezza, perdita di appetito, sonnolenza, difficoltà di concentrazione, scarsa memoria, instabilità emotiva, funzione cardiovascolare facilmente alterabile, e stabilirono rigidi standard di esposizione.
Per motivi vari tali rapporti vennero tenuti di poco conto nei Paesi Occidentali, dove la convinzione prevalente era che non ci potessero essere effetti negativi sulla salute da parte dei campi elettromagnetici (CEM) che non fossero mediati dal riscaldamento dei tessuti.
Gli effetti riportati dai Sovietici si verificarono ad intensità più basse di quelle che causano il riscaldamento.
Tuttavia, ci furono diverse esposizioni accidentali di operatori radar nei Paesi Occidentali, che causarono sintomi persistenti simili a quelli sopra descritti.
I Sovietici irradiarono l’ambasciata americana a Mosca con le microonde durante il periodo 1953-1975, e, mentre non venne segnalata alcuna prova convincente di un aumento dei tassi di cancro, ci furono segnalazioni di “malattia da microonde”.
I funzionari fecero passare queste manifestazioni come disturbi d’ansia e non come effetti della esposizione alle microonde.
C’è una crescente evidenza che la “sindrome da microonde” o “elettro-ipersensibilità” (EHS) sia una vera e propria malattia causata da esposizione ai campi elettromagnetici, in particolare quelli nel range delle microonde.
L’incidenza della sindrome è in aumento in concomitanza con la sempre maggiore esposizione ai campi elettromagnetici da elettricità, WiFi, telefoni cellulari e stazioni radio base (SRB), contatori intelligenti e molti altri dispositivi wireless.
Perché alcuni individui siano più sensibili non è chiaro.
Mentre la maggior parte delle persone che riferiscono di avere l’EHS non hanno una specifica storia di esposizione acuta, la eccessiva esposizione ai campi elettromagnetici, anche per un breve periodo di tempo, può indurre la sindrome.”]

Reviews on Environmental Health
Editor-in-Chief: Carpenter, David O. / Sly, Peter

Reviews

By:
1

1Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, A217, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA

Corresponding author: David O. Carpenter, MD, Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, A217, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA, Phone: +518-525-2660, Fax: +518-525-2665, E-mail:


ARTICLE INFO

Article history
Received: 8 July 2015
Accepted: 7 October 2015
Published Online: 10 November 2015

Keywords
cognitive dysfunction
electromagnetic fields
headache
insomnia


ABSTRACT

Microwave generating equipment first became common during World War 2 with the development of radar. Soviet bloc countries reported that individuals exposed to microwaves frequently developed headaches, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleepiness, difficulty in concentration, poor memory, emotional instability, and labile cardiovascular function, and established stringent exposure standards. For a variety of reasons these reports were discounted in Western countries, where the prevailing belief was that there could be no adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that were not mediated by tissue heating. The reported Soviet effects were at lower intensities than those that cause heating. However, there were several accidental exposures of radar operators in Western countries that resulted in persistent symptoms similar to those described above. The Soviets irradiated the US Embassy in Moscow with microwaves during the period 1953–1975, and while no convincing evidence of elevated cancer rates was reported, there were reports of “microwave illness”. Officials passed these complaints off as being due to anxiety, not effects of the microwave exposure. There is increasing evidence that the “microwave syndrome” or “electro-hypersensitivity” (EHS) is a real disease that is caused by exposure to EMFs, especially those in the microwave range. The reported incidence of the syndrome is increasing along with increasing exposure to EMFs from electricity, WiFi, mobile phones and towers, smart meters and many other wireless devices. Why some individuals are more sensitive is unclear. While most individuals who report having EHS do not have a specific history of an acute exposure, excessive exposure to EMFs, even for a brief period of time, can induce the syndrome.

Source / Fonte:

http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/reveh.ahead-of-print/reveh-2015-0016/reveh-2015-0016.xml

Further reading / Per ulteriori approfondimenti:

http://www.saferemr.com/2015/03/electromagnetic-hypersensitivity-ehs.html

Journal d’une électrosensible: l’impact des champs électromagnétiques sur nos enfants / Diary of an electrosensitive: the impact of electromagnetic fields on our children / Diario di un elettrosensibile: l’impatto dei campi elettromagnetici sui nostri bambini

16 novembre 2015 – “maisonsaine.ca”, par Hélène Vadeboncoeur

[Shared by Dave Ashton on the Facebook page “UK Electrosensitives” / condiviso da Dave Ashton sulla pagina Facebook “UK Electrosensitives”]

Depuis que j’ai découvert que j’étais devenue électrosensible, je pense souvent à nos enfants et à l’environnement dans lequel ils grandissent aujourd’hui, à partir de leur gestation dans le ventre maternel jusqu’à leur passage à l’âge adulte. J’ai donc décidé de vous faire part de certains effets biologiques de radiations non ionisantes[1] issues de l’électricité domestique et en particulier de la technologie sans fil, de la vulnérabilité de nos enfants à ces effets, et des précautions à prendre pour réduire au maximum leur exposition à ce type de radiations, et ce, dès la grossesse.   

maisonsaine
Des parents inquiets ont demandé à Fisher-Price de cesser de vendre ce support à tablette car il mettrait les bébés en danger. http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/12/16/Newborn-Tech-Seat-Draws-Advocacy-Anger

De plus en plus, on constate que les radiations non ionisantes ont des effets biologiques sur les êtres vivants. Non seulement des effets d’électrohypersensibilité (chez les personnes les plus sensibles) qui nous renseignent sur leur impact neurologique, mais aussi des effets possiblement cancérogènes. Par exemple, les champs magnétiques de 60 hertz émis par les lignes et fils électriques ainsi que par les appareils électriques ont été classés « peut-être cancérogènes » (2B) en 2001 par le Centre international de recherches sur le cancer (CIRC), en raison du risque accru de leucémie chez les enfants surexposés. Or, au Québec, sur ce plan, le recours omniprésent au chauffage électrique, depuis les années 1960, a considérablement augmenté notre exposition à ces champs qui nourriraient le cancer,selon les travaux des chercheurs Paul Héroux et Ying Li, de la Faculté de médecine de l’Université McGill. C’est dans ce contexte qu’il faut considérer l’augmentation exponentielle, survenue depuis une quinzaine d’années, des micro-ondes émises par la technologie sans fil. Celles-ci ont été classées 2B par le CIRC en 2011. Selon ce que Paul Héroux a affirmé à l’éditeur de La Maison du 21e siècle André Fauteux, ces champs électromagnétiques (CEM) de hautes fréquences ont les mêmes effets sur notre métabolisme que les CEM d’extrêmement basses fréquences (60 Hz) et ces effets sont synergiques et cumulatifs.

Selon les données de l’Agence de santé publique du Canada, en 2008 le Québec détenait depuis 25 ans le taux de cancer le plus élevé au pays chez les moins de 15 ans. La même année,  les chercheurs Anders Ahlbom et Joachim Schüz ont effectué une revue de la littérature sur le lien entre la leucémie infantile et les CEM de 60 Hz. Dans le cadre d’un colloque international tenu par l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) et l’International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) intitulé Risk-factors for Childhood Leukaemia, Anders Ahlbom concluait que « les preuves dont on dispose selon lesquelles les CEM sont une cause du développement de la leucémie infantile sont plus fortes que celles qui rattachent cette maladie à la fumée secondaire et au cancer du poumon »[2].

Pourquoi les enfants sont-ils plus vulnérables?

Tous les experts en santé publique reconnaissent que les enfants sont beaucoup plus vulnérables que les adultes aux effets de la pollution. Des autorités en santé aussi prestigieuses que l’Institut national de la santé aux États-Unis se préoccupent des effets biologiques des radiations non ionisantes sur les enfants. En effet, en 2010, son President’s Cancer Panel soulignait qu’il fallait mesurer de toute urgence leur exposition cumulative aux ondes émises par les appareils sans fil. L’Académie américaine de pédiatrie[3] et l’Association médicale californienne ont quant à elles réclamé l’adoption de limites d’exposition aux radiofréquences qui protégeraient les enfants.

Une des préoccupations des autorités est l’accroissement constant des taux de cancers infantiles, de l’ordre de 1 % par année depuis 30 ans. Comme l’expliquent les experts du cancer Lloyd Morgan, Santosh Kesari et Devra Davis, plus un enfant est jeune, plus il absorbe des radiations proportionnellement à sa taille et parce que son crâne est plus mince[4].

Plusieurs chercheurs se préoccupent aussi des effets neurologiques des CEM chez les enfants. Car les CEM pourraient contribuer à endommager la myéline qui protège les neurones du cerveau[5]. Or, la première couche de myéline se développe entre la mi-grossesse et l’âge de deux ans, et le processus de myélinisation se poursuit jusqu’au début de l’âge adulte[6]. Les études sur la myéline ont été faites sur des animaux qu’on utilise habituellement dans les premiers stades de la recherche (souris, rats, cochons d’Inde, etc.). Pour la Dre Catherine Steiner-Adair, psychologue et consultante pour les autorités scolaires, l’environnement a un impact sur le développement des enfants, et les émissions de radiations non ionisantes jouent aussi un rôle. Elle souligne dans son livre The Big Disconnect : Protecting Childhood and Families Relationships in the Digital Age que le développement de la technologie et en particulier de l’Internet peut avoir un impact négatif. Pour sa part, la Dre Martha Herbert, professeure de neurologie pédiatrique à l’Université Harvard, souligne ceci, à propos de l’autisme : « Vu l’augmentation spectaculaire des cas d’autisme qui coïncide avec le déploiement des technologies sans fil, nous constatons l’urgent besoin d’examiner sérieusement les liens qu’il pourrait y avoir entre les radiofréquences des champs électromagnétiques et l’autisme. Les données dont nous disposons jusqu’à présent militent en faveur d’une révision des normes d’exposition en fonction des effets biologiques nocifs (non thermiques), accompagnée, dans l’intervalle, de mesures de précaution »[7].  Par ailleurs, à la suite d’études animales et épidémiologiques, on s’interroge sur la possibilité d’un lien entre l’exposition aux champs électromagnétiques et le trouble déficitaire de l’attention avec hyperactivité (TDAH), syndrome s’étant considérablement accru depuis près de 20 ans, en même temps que la technologie sans fil se répandait[8].

Que faire pour protéger nos enfants des radiations non ionisantes?

De plus en plus de voix s’élèvent, partout dans le monde[9], pour sonner l’alarme sur les effets biologiques néfastes de la technologie sans fil. Technologie qui s’est répandue sans avoir été évaluée au départ. Ces voix réclament qu’au minimum on adopte le principe de précaution relativement à son utilisation et à son développement. Même si nous vivons dans un monde où elle est de plus en plus présente, nous pouvons, par des gestes au quotidien ou des changements à notre domicile, et même par des actions menées auprès de la garderie et de l’école[10] que fréquente nos enfants, contribuer à réduire l’exposition de ceux-ci aux radiations non ionisantes. Voici les principales choses à faire, du plus souhaitable au minimum possible, en se rappelant que la distance entre l’équipement et le corps est un facteur important, ainsi que la durée d’exposition[11] :

• Internet Wi-Fi : le remplacer entièrement par une connexion par câble à l’ordinateur (comme c’était le cas avant l’invention du Wi-Fi); à tout le moins n’allumer le Wi-Fi que lorsqu’on va s’en servir; et l’éteindre la nuit (pour ne pas nuire au processus de réparation des dommages génétiques causés le jour et parce que le corps absorbe plus de radiations lorsqu’il est immobile). Ne pas laisser les enfants jouer avec des tablettes, etc[12].  Éloigner le routeur Wi-Fi des lieux de vie et de circulation.

• Remplacer les téléphones de maison sans fil (en particulier ceux qui utilisent la technologie digitale DECT) par des téléphones avec fil (comme avant…). Les téléphones sans fil, qu’ils soient résidentiels ou cellulaires, produisent des niveaux élevés et presque constants de radiations, même si on ne s’en sert pas.  Allumés, ils émettent ou reçoivent constamment.

• Ne pas utiliser le téléphone cellulaire plus de six minutes à la fois ni, idéalement, plus de 20 minutes par jour, et utiliser le plus souvent possible le haut-parleur ou le casque d’écoute. Ne jamais l’utiliser à proximité d’un enfant , et interdire à celui-ci l’usage du cellulaire avant — selon divers pays — l’âge de 14, 16 ou 18 ans. Durant la grossesse, ne pas laisser un cellulaire allumé contre une partie de son corps (pas plus qu’une tablette, un ordinateur, etc.). Éviter d’utiliser le cellulaire en voiture, en avion, dans un train, un tunnel ou tout autre endroit où la réception est mauvaise, car il émet alors beaucoup plus fort. De même, ne jamais mettre un cellulaire contre sa tête au moment où il sonne, car la densité de puissance des ondes qu’il émet est à son maximum quand une connexion s’établit. Pour minimiser l’exposition, l’éteindre ou le mettre en mode « avion » lorsqu’on ne s’en sert pas.

• Pour éloigner son ordinateur portatif de soi, se procurer un clavier externe et une souris munie d’un fil.

• Ne pas utiliser de moniteur de surveillance du bébé, source d’émissions de micro-ondes. Si on ne veut pas s’en passer, l’installer à plusieurs pieds du bébé et ne pas placer celui-ci entre les deux moniteurs (émetteurs-récepteurs d’ondes).

• Si on tient à son four micro-ondes, s’éloigner à trois mètres de l’appareil lorsqu’il est en marche. Et ne pas placer un bébé à proximité, même s’il ne fonctionne pas (certains fours émettent quand même). Le débrancher lorsqu’on ne s’en sert pas.

• Désactiver la fonction Wi-Fi de ses appareils technologiques (cellulaire, ordinateur, tablette, modèles de caméra récents, etc.) et ne l’activer que lorsqu’on veut s’en servir. Les niveaux de radiofréquences émis sont plus élevés lorsque cette fonction est activée.

• Dans les modèles de voitures récents, désactiver la fonction Bluetooth, qui accroît considérablement l’émission et l’intensité des ondes dans l’habitacle, en particulier lorsqu’on longe des lignes électriques.

• Le compteur intelligent d’Hydro-Québec ne devrait jamais être installé dans une maison, ni à moins de trois mètres des pièces de vie, ni sur un mur extérieur donnant sur une chambre,  encore moins sur celle d’un enfant. Demandez à Hydro-Québec de le remplacer par un compteur « non communicant ». À tout le moins, couvrir le compteur intelligent d’un capuchon de moustiquaire métallique ou de deux épaisseurs de papier d’aluminium (scellé au ruban aluminisé), en prenant bien soin de recouvrir totalement le globe de verre par lequel les ondes traversent les murs. Vous trouverez des instructions sur les sites d’organismes de villes ou de régions opposés à ces nouveaux appareils, tels estrierefuse.wordpress.com,refusonslescompteurs.wordpress.com et cqlpe.com, et pour les anglophones, C4ST.org, stopsmartmeters.orget takebackyourpower.net. Et convainquez vos voisins de faire de même et d’adopter des mesures relativement à leur Internet Wi-Fi !

Bref, même si du point de vue d’une électrohypersensible, l’envahissement de notre environnement ( villes, régions rurales, lieux de travail et domiciles) est décourageant, nous pouvons faire quelque chose pour diminuer notre exposition et en particulier celle de nos enfants à un type de radiations qui suscite de plus en plus d’inquiétudes. Et ce, que nous soyons ou non électrosensibles, puisqu’il existe d’autres effets biologiques des radiations non ionisantes. Ce qui se passe en Europe à cet égard peut aussi nous encourager à demander, et à exiger individuellement et collectivement, que les lieux où naissent et se développent nos enfants soient exempts, le plus possible, de ce type de radiations.


[1] Définition : Radiations ou rayonnements non ionisants et ionisants.

Source : Santé Canada : http://spiral.univ-lyon1.fr/files_m/M4734/Files/257948_300.pdf

En plus des CEM de 60 Hz, le rayonnement non ionisant comprend aussi les radiofréquences (RF), les ultrasons, les rayons infrarouges, la lumière visible et les rayons ultraviolets.

Source : http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/ed-ud/event-incident/radiolog/info/radiation-ion-fra.php

À mesure que les atomes se désintègrent, ils émettent du rayonnement sous forme d’ondes électromagnétiques et de particules subatomiques. Certaines formes de ce rayonnement peuvent détacher des électrons d’autres atomes, c’est-à-dire les ioniser, lorsqu’elles traversent la matière. Ce processus s’appelle le rayonnement ionisant. Les particules alpha et bêta et les rayons X et gamma sont des formes de rayonnement ionisant.

[2] J. Schüz and A. Ahlbom, 2008. Exposure to electromagnetic fields and the risk of childhood leukaemia: a review. OMS/ICNRIP. Colloque Risk-factors for Childhood Leukaemia. Citation d’Anders Ahlbom sur le tabagisme passif : http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/health/childhood-cancer-non-ionising-ch4-hq.pdf

[4] Morgan L, Kesari S et Davis DL, 2014. Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: the consequences. Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure. Vol 2 no 4, p. 197-204. Doi. 10.1016/jmau.2014.06.005

[5] Morgan L, Kesan S et Davis DL, 2014. Why children absorb more microwave radiation than adults: the consequences. Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure. Vol 2 no 4, p. 197-204. Doi. 10.1016/jmau.2014.06.005

[6] Sur l’importance de se protéger durant la grossesse, voir le site http://www.babysafeproject.org

[7] Herbert MR, Sage C. 2013. Autism and EMF ? Plausibility of a pathophysiological link – Part 1. Pathophysiology. 20(3):191-209; doi: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2013.08.001. Traduction : HVhttp://www.bioinitiative.org/report/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/sec20_2012_Findings_in_Autism_Consistent_with_EMF_and_RFR.pdf

[8] Divan HA, Kheifets L, Obel C et al. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to cell phone use and behavioral problems in children, Epidemiology. 2008 Jul;19(4):523-9. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e318175dd47; Aldad TS, Gan G, Gao XB, et al. 2012, Fetal Radiofrequency Radiation Exposure from 800-1900 Mhz-Rated Cellular Telephone Affects Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Mice, Scientific Reports (Nature) 2. Article number 312; doi:10.1038/srep00312

[9] Ceci fera l’objet d’un prochain blogue.

[10] Plusieurs pays d’Europe, dont la France, ont adopté ces récentes années des mesures pour éliminer ou réduire l’usage du Wi-Fi dans les garderies, les écoles, les bibliothèques, etc. Voir la liste sur le sitehttp://ehtrust.org/cell-phones-radiation-3/international-policy-actions

[11] La dose de radiations est évidemment très importante, et pour mieux en traiter, elle fera l’objet d’un autre blogue.

[12] Et surtout, ne pas leur acheter de jouets de technologie sans fil!

Source / Fonte:

Exposure to MRI-related magnetic fields and vertigo in MRI workers

[Considerato che nella storia clinica di molti Elettrosensibili (soprattutto di quelli con la sintomatologia più grave), esiste come trigger della malattia o suo aggravamento proprio l’essere stati sottoposti ad imaging a Risonanza Magnetica, abbiamo ritenuto interessante condividere il presente articolo.
E’ davvero una indagine diagnostica strumentale innocua?
]

Occup Environ Med doi:10.1136/oemed-2015-103019

By:
Kristel SchaapLützen PortengenHans Kromhout

Author Affiliations:
Division of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

ARTICLE INFO

Article history
Received :13 April 2015
Revised: 16 September 2015
Accepted: 21 October 2015
Published Online First: 11 November 2015

ABSTRACT

Objectives Vertigo has been reported by people working around magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and was found to increase with increasing strength of scanner magnets. This suggests an association with exposure to static magnetic fields (SMF) and/or motion-induced time-varying magnetic fields (TVMF). This study assessed the association between various metrics of shift-long exposure to SMF and TVMF and self-reported vertigo among MRI workers.

Methods We analysed 358 shifts from 234 employees at 14 MRI facilities in the Netherlands. Participants used logbooks to report vertigo experienced during the work day at the MRI facility. In addition, personal exposure to SMF and TVMF was measured during the same shifts, using portable magnetic field dosimeters.

Results Vertigo was reported during 22 shifts by 20 participants and was significantly associated with peak and time-weighted average (TWA) metrics of SMF as well as TVMF exposure. Associations were most evident with full-shift TWA TVMF exposure. The probability of vertigo occurrence during a work shift exceeded 5% at peak exposure levels of 409 mT and 477 mT/s and at full-shift TWA levels of 3 mT and 0.6 mT/s.

Conclusions These results confirm the hypothesis that vertigo is associated with exposure to MRI-related SMF and TVMF. Strong correlations between various metrics of shift-long exposure make it difficult to disentangle the effects of SMF and TVMF exposure, or identify the most relevant exposure metric. On the other hand, this also implies that several metrics of shift-long exposure to SMF and TVMF should perform similarly in epidemiological studies on MRI-related vertigo.

Fonte:

http://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2015/11/11/oemed-2015-103019.abstract