What Exactly Is Electromagnetic Radiation?
Electromagnetic radiation, also known as electromagnetic fields or EMFs, is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, along with gravity, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear forces. It is an invisible “force” that exists everywhere, created by electric charges and magnetic waves.There are different types of EMFs.
EMFs with frequencies lower than the visible light spectrum are nonionizing radiation. These EMFs include electricity in power lines, radiofrequency radiation (including microwave radiation), and infrared radiation.
On the other hand, ionizing radiation, EMFs with higher frequencies, have more energy and can remove electrons. These include ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays. Prolonged exposure to these may lead to cancer.
Harmful in Another Way
Among the “safe” EMFs, research suggests that radiofrequency EMFs—which are often manmade—may be able to cause adverse health effects even without electron removal.This can lead to oxidative stress inside cells and cause DNA damage, cellular damage, inflammation, cell death, and other associated pathologies.
On the other hand, natural EMFs like fire and light primarily generate thermal effects and damage the body through heat.
Artificial vs. Natural EMFs
1. Artificial EMFs Are Polarized, Have More Robust Impact
Polarization is a crucial difference between natural EMFs and artificial EMFs.Radiofrequency EMFs are polarized. They can have a more substantial biological effect since all of their electromagnetic waves travel in a uniform orientation.
“They behave basically as one object,” Mr. Pall explained.
Conversely, naturally occurring EMFs radiate incoherent energy that essentially cancels out. For instance, fire emits heat and light in all directions, distributing EMFs equally across its surroundings.
2. Natural EMFs Are Essential to the Body, Can Have Healing Effects
Some natural EMFs can even heal the human body.Sunlight also generates beneficial EMFs like infrared light, which improves mitochondrial function and helps boost the circadian rhythm.
“We [humans] are actually electromagnetic beings,” professor Magda Havas from Trent University told The Epoch Times. “Just like there are essential nutrients, there are essential frequencies that we also need.” The human ears cannot hear these pulses, but the body responds to them.
3. Telecommunicating EMFs Pulsate, Causing Damage
While natural EMFs release smooth, continuous waves, most radiofrequency EMF waves are erratic, pulsating, and potentially damaging (some radiofrequency EMFs, such as analog radios, emit continuous waves which are potentially less damaging).“It’s like noise versus music,” Ms. Havas said.
These telecommunications are “like [listening to] a jackhammer,” Ms. Havas said.
They use pulses to transmit data to mobile phones, Wi-Fi-enabled devices, and Bluetooth devices. As these devices constantly need to check for connections with nearby antennas, cellphone towers, and Wi-Fi routers, pulsing EMFs are sent forth 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The strength of the pulses can vary based on telecommunication activity. When network signals are weak, or when we make phone calls inside elevators, the power of the pulses increases.
Stronger pulses may not necessarily mean greater harm.
However, the more pulses sent out, the higher the likelihood of potential biological effects. Higher-frequency networks, such as 5G and 4G, produce more pulses than 3G and 2G.
Industry Standards Are Biologically ‘Irrelevant’
According to current industry standards, our bodies must not exceed an radiofrequency exposure of 1.6 watts per kilogram, averaged over any 1 gram of tissue, over a 30-minute period. This safety standard set by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has remained unchanged since 1996.However, most smartphone users already exceed this daily safety standard by keeping their phones in their pockets, wearing them in their bras, or holding them next to their ears during calls.
Moreover, Mr. Pall said, the current FCC standard, which considers average intensity over a few minutes, is irrelevant to biology.
While specific intensities of EMF may last only nanoseconds, they may still pose significant biological effects, Mr. Pall pointed out. Given this characteristic, it is more meaningful to determine intensity peaks rather than average values.
It’s like saying a bullet is not deadly if you average its force over half an hour, he said.
“You go to the regulatory agency and say, ‘I’m afraid I’m gonna get shot by a high-powered rifle,’” Mr. Pall said as an example, “and their response to you is, ‘Oh, you don’t need to worry about it. Because if you average the forces on your body over a six-minute period or a 30-minute period, the average intensity is dropped by a factor of 100 million or whatever, so it can’t possibly do anything.’”