Welcome to the Tech Wellness EMF Guide!
Our definitive source for information and practical solutions
[Updated for 2023]

Here's What You'll Find In This Guide

• Naturally Occurring EMFs vs. Manmade EMFs

• Ionizing Radiation vs Non-Ionizing Radiation

• The Different Kinds Of EMF

• Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity and My EMF Journey
• The Science Behind How Our Bodies Interact With EMF
• Why Kids Are More Greatly Affected by EMF
• Deep Dive on a Few Studies About EMF Effects
• Links to Peer-Reviewed Research by Symptom

• EMF Protection Basics
• 15 Practical Steps to Reduce EMF Exposure 
• "EMF Protection" Products That We Don't Recommend

What Is EMF?

If you found this article, chances are you're wondering, "What's an EMF?"

"EMFs" stands for Electromagnetic Fields and are electric and magnetic fields that are invisible (but very real) energy that comes from (or “radiates” from) sources of natural and man-made electricity.

Wireless energy, RF radiation, cell phone energy, EMR, Radio Frequency - There's a whole lot of ways it's described, but all the above are referring to the same thing: Electromagnetic Energy Fields or EMF. 

Naturally Occurring EMFs vs. Manmade EMFs

Have you heard, "EMF isn't dangerous! EMF is everywhere, what's the big deal?"

There's truth to those statements.  Naturally occurring EMF is everywhere - in visible light, the sun, lightning, even the earth's core. There are natural magnetic fields that come from the earth's core. People who like to kick off their shoes and "ground" are trying to connect to this type of "energy." And there are thunderstorms that produce the electric fields that are sometimes so strong in the atmosphere that they can truly make the hair on the nape of your neck stand up.

The unnatural EMF mentioned below has been created by man.

We're now exposed to it with everyday items like electric blankets, power lines, wiring, appliances, computers, everything wireless including Bluetooth, Airpods, WiFi, cell towers, smart meters, smartphones - any wireless item you have.

Our focus at Tech Wellness is a particular type of EMF: the man-made variety that's emitted by microwaves and wireless devices. Basically, if it has an electrical component, it will have EMF coming from it.

If you've heard that EMF isn't healthy and you just wanted to know the definition, yes you can stop here. 

But you should also know that all EMF is strongest at the source.  The transmitter, the antenna in your phone, the electrical outlet, the switch on the blowdryer- any point source will expose you to the greatest amount of EMF.  The good news is as you back away, you're exposed to less and less of it. 

And on that less-is-more note, the least amount of time you get exposed, the better.  Like sun exposure and sun damage, the effects are cumulative.

Yep, we're pretty much doing this to ourselves. There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed studies in over three decades that have proven there is a biological impact from these ICRW's. The most credible scientists (those who aren't being paid by the cellular industry) don't even question this! Keep reading to learn more about the different types of EMF!

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POLARIZATION: The Key Difference Between Man Made and Natural Electromagnetic Fields

Stay with me now. Science class ends soon. Not all EMF radiation is the same.  If you really want more understanding on the issue, check out: Polarization. This is an excellent explanation on the question of why most man-made EMFs can be so much more dangerous than the natural EMFs in our lovely environment.

Electricity: Where Magnetic and Electric Fields Are Born

The chart above gives you visual of the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

That term "frequency" indicates how rapidly the field changes direction. It oscillates backwards and forwards and this spinning is measured in hertz (which is cycles per second). 

This oscillation is the key difference between man-made artificial EMF and the natural EMF in our environment. Natural EMF doesn't oscillate at all. 

This frequency varies from country to country which is why you take a set of electrical adapters when you travel.
 

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Ionizing Radiation Vs. Non-ionizing Radiation

You might have also heard the terms ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation. Radio frequencies, whether natural or man-made, are broken down into non-ionizing and ionizing waves.  Ionizing being the ones that are strong enough to split an atom (those would be your Xrays and Gamma Rays).  Non-ionizing would be the EMF from cellphones, microwaves, cell towers, WiFi, Bluetooth and any item that can send or receive any of those lovely signals. This EMF has been increasing exponentially in our environment via an increase in antenna in our wireless devices.

Ionizing Radiation

These waves are High Frequency which means they are located higher in the spectrum. This kind of field is a combo of electric and magnetic fields coupled together as electromagnetic or radio waves.

We all learned as kids about the dangers of "radiation"—particularly the ionizing stuff at the far right of the spectrum. You'll notice the following 3 areas on the spectrum (see chart above): Ultraviolet, X-ray and nuclear energy. Yes, dangerous stuff!  UV light can cause skin cancer. Too many X-rays cause all kinds of bad things from cancer to death (just ask Marie Curie). And exposure to nuclear radiation can be downright catastrophic! Ionizing radiation has enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms!

Non-Ionizing Radiation

The left end of the spectrum has all the non-ionizing radiation that we're now realizing can also affect our health and well-being too. While many people will say that they are harmless, hundreds of peer-reviewed studies over the past couple of decades will disagree. I'll dive into those soon.

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The Different Kinds of EMF

Not all EMF is created equal. I've witnessed a lot of confusion around the different types of EMF - so let me break it down for you. 

What are Magnetic Fields?

What Are Electric Fields?

What Are Radio Frequency (RF) Fields?

• Frequency: High Frequency RF, Microwave and Millimeter
• Found in all wireless antennae, WiFi, Bluetooth, cell signal devices, etc.
• Just like magnetic fields are just about everywhere, so are radio frequencies.  Visible light from the sun is a radio frequency and so is ultraviolet light.
• Radio frequency electromagnetic fields are also called electromagnetic radiation (or EMR). EMR has been classified as possibly carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. Man-made Radio Frequency or RF Fields come from all wireless devices. Radio Waves are modulated to carry information, specifically digital information in the case radios, laptops, tablets, nest or ring systems, wireless cameras and TV's, Smartphones and smartwatches just to name a few. 
• The Frequency's that power all manner of wireless devices are called Radio Frequencies. 
• On the Spectrum they go 1 to 300 GHz.
• The lower bands power Radio and TV
• The mid bands, WiFi, cellphones
• The higher bands, microwave and sattelite
• The highest bands which start at 20 and go to 300 are referred to the broad band the short waves are called millimeter waves
• Unlike naturally occurring EMF, these fields carry data or information(like a movie, youtube video, a website, a photo or even a text message) they are polarized and have more adverse biological reactions in our bodies. Research links this wireless EMF to negative health effects.
• RF is measured by wavelength and frequency. Wavelength is the distance covered by one complete cycle of the electromagnetic wave. Frequency is the number of electromagnetic waves in one second, also known as a Hertz or Hz. The meters we use to detect RF are Radio Frequency meters. The measurement is in Hertz, MHz (megahertz) or GHz (gigahertz) in Micro-watts per square centimeter or Volts per square meter  The Safe and Sound Pro for example has a range between 200 MHz and 8GHz. The Broadband Meter has a range between 20 and 40 GHZ.

What Is Dirty Electricity?

• Frequency: Low Frequency/High Frequency Combo
• Found in power outlets and other electrical items.
• Also known as "Electro-smog" or HFVT or High Frequency Voltage Transients.
• Think of the transients as spikes in energy or a surge of power of the electrical lines of your home or building.  Our standard electrical wires that are meant to carry 60 HZ are often now carrying higher frequencies on these same wires and that's what's causing the spikes or surges.
• Those extra frequencies can come from LED's or WiFi or smart meters or other wiring issue- but they result in dirty electricity or EMI or electromagnetic interference and like the other types of EMF can cause people to have adverse health effects.
• We want to make sure the wiring in our homes, offices, and schools don't have dirty electricity and if they do, there are suppressors or filters that can be used to minimize this dangerous EMF.

The Tri-Field Meter Can Detect and Measure Every Kind Of EMF  

You can't see it, smell it, or for most people, feel it. But everyday, because of our love of digital devices, there's more and more of it.

Electromagnetic fields are not something that most people really want to hear about and EMF is not a simple subject. Sometimes we hear words like "depression", "anxiety", and perhaps the worst, "cancer" is associated with EMF exposure. Personally, loving family as I do and being super excited about the idea of my children having children someday, I'm super concerned about RF effects on fertility. Studies show that exposure to wireless energy can decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility and viability. Guys: cell phone in front pocket = Big No-No!

Yes, I know we're talking about very scary associations. However, please be assured, fear mongering or promoting fear in any way is just not what we're about.  In fact, we believe there are easy and effective things you can do to decrease exposure levels. We're not suggesting totally trashing all your wireless technology-just yet.

Let's begin by being mindful. Looking for brief EMF basics? Go Here

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The Concerns of EMF Exposure 

There's no doubt - RF or EMF radiation has biological effects. In fact, There are hundreds of peer-reviewed studies that confirm this - and they are growing by the day. (The research section of our site links to many of them.)

A prominent Swedish scientist announced that we are now exposed to 1 Quintillion (that's 18 zeros) times more radio frequency (RF energy) than we were 10 years ago - and that increase is absolutely affecting our bodies. 

Just like with any other toxin (smoking, chemicals, pesticides, etc.) not every body reacts the same to EMF exposure. However, here are some of the associations that have been confirmed by research:

• Cancer and tumors
• Infertility and sperm health
• Insomnia and melatonin production
• Decrease in heart health
• ADHD & Autism 
• Decreased hormone levels 
• The list goes on.... 

Keep reading to dive into the research and find links to studies.

In fact, JUST ONE study looking at the EMF from Smart Meters found that people were experiencing the following symptoms from increased EMF exposure. 

• insomnia and sleep issues
• headaches and head pain
• tinnitus or ringing in the ears
• lethargy and extreme tiredness
• memory, a fog, cognitive issues
• burning, tingling, numbness
• dizziness
• cardiac symptoms and heart palpitations
• arthritis
• joint pain
• onset of Electromagnetic Sensitivity or ES or EHS
• pressure, heat
• anxiety, irritability
• problems with eyes or eyesight
• chest pain
• rashes, eczema, skin issues
• muscle spasms
• digestive or bowel problems
• cramps and twitches
• neuropathy
• nose bleeds
• ear problems, worsening hearing
• depression
• loss of motivation
• endocrine problems and thyroid problems
• increased rate of infections or colds
• allergies, food sensitivity
• sinus problems
• lump in throat or throat problems
• weight loss or loss of appetite
• swollen face
• bladder infections, strains
• flu-like symptoms
• dehydration
• weight gain
• inability to talk
• loss of motor skills
• loss of feeling from the waist down

I know, crazy! These are symptoms of people exposed to smart meter EMF which is the same EMF radiation that comes from all wireless devices. I came across this report by Ronald Powell, Ph.D and reached out to him. He was kind enough to share his up-to-date research, “Symptoms After Exposure to Smart Meter Radiation.” We have the report recap as well as the percentage of people who reported the amazing, critical, and varied symptoms listed above.

Dr. Powell is a retired career U.S. Government scientist. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard. During the government career, he worked for the President, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. When it comes to EMF Radiation effects, he’s an incredible wealth of information, as well as someone we trust and honor for his EMF education work.

Some people even have Electromagnetic Hyper Sensitivity! 

I'm actually one of them. I'm Electro-sensitive (or ES) or EHS and because I've managed my exposure to EMF through the years and I do work to support my body, I stay pretty symptom-free.

My EMF Journey

I want to be transparent about my personal experiences, the experiences of people I've met through my travels, and the growing body of research on the subject of EMFs and health. I believe I've been sensitive to EMFs for most of my adult life. I can truly feel the radiation when I interact with a source. The symptoms of exposure for me look like this:

I feel heat, zaps of energy, and the feeling of a vibration when I hold a cellphone or tablet. I get a foggy feeling with a blunt headache if I'm within 15 to 20 feet of a WiFi signal. Sometimes this feeling comes over me within minutes, sometimes the symptom manifests after an hour or so. I wake up when the WiFi is on in my home. I can't sleep in airplane that has WIFI. 

I take very good care of my health, eating right, daily exercise, energy work, supplements, meditation, grounding, and I live in a home that has very little man-made electromagnetic energy. The wires of my home are shielded. My family cooperates with my sensitivity and they make sure the WiFi is off when I'm home and they don't use their cellphones around me. I consider my mild sensitivity a gift of sorts as it allows me to "feel" the EMFs that normally can't be seen, heard, or felt. It's why I ordered my first meter and started exploring this subject over 25 years ago.

It's why I wouldn't let my kids ever put their cellphones to their ears, carry them in their pockets or have them in their bedrooms. It's why there's no WiFi on at my home. I've known that the energy from EMFs affects the energy of my body, and therefore I believed it could have the potential to affect everyone's health.  Over a decade ago, I reached out to Dr. George Carlo, the man who headed the huge $27 MM research project for the cell phone industry in the '90's. I've looked to Dr. Carlo ever since as a trusted advisor on the science of RF Radiation. Now, more and more research is pointing to health effects from various EMF exposures.

I'm no scientist, but I delved into the science as part of my journey of understanding my own situation, my electromagnetic hypersensitivity and my desire to do something about it both for me and for others. The explanations in here are the best efforts of a layperson just like you. Be assured, I've done the research.  I have asked scientists to review what I have written, and aside from some scientific nuances that I still don't quite understand, they have given me the go-ahead to share this with you.

LET'S DIVE INTO THE NITTY GRITTY SCIENCE (IF YOU'RE NOT INTO IT, YOU CAN ALWAYS SCROLL PAST FOR EASY PRACTICAL TIPS 😊)

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Why Does EMF Affect Us? Our Bodies Are Electric and Magnetic

Remember, our bodies are electrical in nature. We're made up of atoms, which are made up of protons, electrons, and neutrons. There's a great video showing how our bodies use chemical sources to make electricity. Here's how Julia Layton explains the electricity in our bodies on How Stuff Works:

"Everything we do is controlled and enabled by electrical signals running through our bodies. As we learned in intro physics, everything is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have a neutral charge, and electrons have a negative charge. When these charges are out of balance, an atom becomes either positively or negatively charged. The switch between one type of charge and the other allows electrons to flow from one atom to another. This flow of electrons, or a negative charge, is what we call electricity. Since our bodies are huge masses of atoms, we can generate electricity."

Additionally, scientists have discovered our bodies contain the magnetic material magnetite. It turns out that high concentrations of magnetite have been discovered in the human head and brain. Magnetite is a mineral that is especially susceptible to magnetic attraction. What is even more fascinating? A scientist from Cal Tech recently confirmed that the very magnetic material in our heads allows us to respond to external fields. Currently, they are doing tests to see if and how humans may detect and use the earth's magnetic field. An article from Science Magazine notes that they're doing tests in a metal Faraday cage so that there's no EMF noise that could confound the experiment.

I've been doing EMF measurement videos on cell phones and mobile phones since 2000 because I wanted to show people the "energy waves" that can't be seen, felt or touched. In many of the videos, I talk about my belief that the energy coming from a smartphone or a Bluetooth speaker negatively affects the energy of my body or that I feel this energy isn't interacting with my body's energy in a good way.

Since we're electrical in nature and we now know our brains respond to the fields of energy—we can make the connection between how man-made EMFs might possibly be messing with our bodies by interfering with our natural bio-electromagnetic functions.

Dr Carlo explains that it's because the waves of energy carry information on them - that's all the words, pictures, videos, the data that wireless waves carry from antenna to device or device to device. Because the radio waves are coupled with the data or information on them, they become polarized, which is why we see the biological effects we see in the research.  Information Carrying Radio Waves are often referred to as EMF. Actually they are a type of EMF, but you'll see us refer to them specifically as Information Carrying Radio Waves  ICRW when we talk about the biological effects. 

Because radio frequency or RF energy power has multiplied exponentially in the last 35 years, it is used in more areas of our life every single day. Our main focus at Tech Wellness is reducing your exposure from wireless ICRW sources.

We advocate what’s referred to as the Precautionary Principle. Basically, this means that because there’s research saying the energy that powers our cellphones – RF radiation– could be causing health concerns including tumors and cancer, then we ought to take care when using our cell phones and all devices that emit RF-and use them mindfully.

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And More Precaution Is More Important for Our Kids

I know in this day and age it's almost impossible to fully protect our kids from EMF. (We talk about how to know when your child should have a cellphone or smartphone of their own in our Parent's Guide To Giving Your Kids A Phone) However, as parents we need to be extra cautious with our children because their little bodies are even more greatly affected by EMFs than us adults. 

The illustration below is from the MID-90's (yes, parents have been concerned about wireless radiation for a loooong time) It's a picture of how kids brains absorb more radiation then adults because of their thinner, developing skulls.  This was done by Professor Gandhi who was actually working for Motorola and the Department of Defense at the time, and according to Devra Davis lost his funding after he published this 2 dimensional modeling. 

Children's  little bodies are different then ours.  Their skulls are thinner and the fact that their body systems are rapidly developing makes them more vulnerable to microwave exposures. Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust reminds us that this information is scientifically accepted.  She also lead research confirming that because children’s skulls are thinner and tissues of a child’s head, including the bone marrow and the eye, absorb significantly more energy than those in an adult head. The illustration below demonstrates the greater exposure absorption for a smaller head. It's done with 3D modeling used for the Environmental Health Trust.

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EMF Radiation Research:  There's Plenty of Evidence to Consider

Important research - beginning with the Telecom industry's own study 3 decades ago - to 1,000's of peer reviewed studies since, show a link between cellphone energy and negative health effects. Let's now take a few minutes to dive into just a handful of them. Are you ready?

Consider a  2021 report from a very qualified source: Christopher Portier.  He’s the former director of the National Center for Environmental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and now the Director of the National Center for Environmental Health Agency for Toxic substances and Disease Registry.

His report concluded that there’s a “high probability”  that cellphone  EMF causes brain cancer -specifically gliomas and acoustic neuromas. 

Cellphones, Melatonin, Sleep and More.

Another 2021 study reveals that exposure to cellphone radiation from a 2600 Mhz signal (which is a popular carrier signal on the LTE band btw) decreased melatonin.  Alarmingly, the scientists noted that there was increased cell death in the brain as well as structural deformation which means warping, bending, and twisting structural components! 

I just asked Kevser Delen, lead researcher, for her personal take-aways from the study:

"Reducing the exposure time is one of the most important recommendations. Also, using headphones while talking with mobile phones could be protective. Furthermore, antioxidant agent usage may be helpful."

"In our study the distance between the rats and the antennae was about 20 cm. We suggest our exposure could be analogous with human exposure. We observed significant biological changes as written in the manuscript. I also observed that rats had anxietic behaviours when RFR (radio frequency radiation) on."

Phone use linked to brain tumors, acoustic neuroma, and damage to human blood

As I mentioned earlier, I started looking into the “energy effect” over 25 years ago, simply trying to identify what I was feeling. At about the same time, major research on the topic was underway. To date, the Wireless Technology Research or WTR remains the most seminal work on the topic of adverse health effects and cell phone use. The WTR was founded in 1993 by CTIA, and back then the acronym stood for US Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, but now this trade organization just goes by CTIA and represents the U.S wireless communications industry.

Dr. George Carlo headed this research project which resulted in the findings of genetic damage to human blood, increased risk of brain neuroepithelial tumors in those who use cell phones on the side of the head where their tumors were found, as well as increased risk of acoustic neuroma with increasing minutes of phone use. When Dr. Carlo announced his findings with letters of warning to the major telecom's including AT&T, he was dismissed from his position and disparaged. He admits in his book "Cellphones: Invisible Hazards of the Wireless Age" that he did sell to consumers for $19.95 copies of the "Information Package" that he also presented with the letter. That gave Thomas Wheeler an opening to discredit him and he was fired 2 weeks later.

I personally have found Dr. Carlo to be incredibly wise and helpful on EMF radiation and the biological effects. The findings of his research were most recently edified in 2018 by our government's own National Toxicology Program where links were found to cellphone radiation:

• Increased incidences of glioma, a rare, aggressive and highly malignant brain cancer
• Increased incidence of schwannoma (a rare tumor of the nerve sheath) of the heart
• Increases of these cancers were found in both sexes of rats, but reached statistical significance only in males
• Increased incidences of rare, proliferative changes in glial cells of the brain and in Schwann cells in the hears of bot sexes of rats while not a single unexposed control animal developed these precancerous changes.
• DNA damage was induced with both modulations of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in both rats and mice (in the frontal lobe plus other tissues). 

Other research around the world followed and then in 2011, the World Health Organization, specifically the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified RF exposed as a Group 2B possible carcinogen. This was big news, in fact, I did a video recap of it back then to explain what that means:

National Toxicology Program Finds Connection Between EMF and Cell Damage 

And most recently our own National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded that its "largest and most complex" 30 million dollar study found a connection to cell damage and wireless EMF or Radio Frequency.

They noted incidences of tumors in the brains and hearts of male mice after exposure. In an interview with Dr. David McCormick from the Illinois Institute of  Technology where the study was performed, I appreciate where he flat out says, "Yes, that's correct," to the question of a WTHR reporter, "In your lab, you found cell phone radiation caused cancer?" Dr. McCormick followed with, "Yes, the results were surprising." The animals were exposed to 10 minutes on/off increments of RF energy for 9 hours a day.

Think about it...

That amount of RF energy in our lives is quite outrageous these days, between our Bluetooth keyboards on our computers and our wireless headsets, speakers, the WiFi and our cellphones—we're all easily exposed to 4.5 hours of RF radiation in a 9 hour period of time. Right? And a recent study linked a very low level, but acute (or constant) exposure to wireless EMF to cancer of the heart, lymphoma, and leukemia. Hmmmm. Not great news.

Respected Medical Associations are Speaking Out

It makes sense that organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics have expressed concern regarding radiation standards relating to wireless devices.

Many in the medical field believe that pregnant women and their unborn children, very young children, teenagers, men of a reproductive age, seniors, and anyone with a chronic health condition are those who are an especially high risk of harm from exposure.Electric fields can affect the electrical communication in your body, such as your brainwaves, or the ability of your neurons to fire and communicate. It can also impede inter­-cell communication anywhere in your body. Health problems in addition to our reported list of symptoms that can manifest as a result of this type of exposure include:

• Neurological and behavioral changes

• Altered cell growth

• Cell mutations

• Fibromyalgia

• Chronic fatigue

• Cancer

But the "Wireless Causes Cancer" belief still isn't ringing true for everyone...

Even with all the mounting research, the vast majority of the medical and regulatory groups do not confirm any direct correlation between any disease from heart disease to autoimmune diseases like cancer to wireless EMF's. In fact, the American Cancer Society comments on the body of probable connection studies this way: