Powerfrequency Protection 20100601

8/13/2019 Powerfrequency Protection 20100601

1/9

Powerfrequency Protection for you and your family Alasdair and Jean Philips

Powerfrequency Protection for you and your family

Are you and your family being exposed to powerfrequency radiation?

The answer to this, of course, is yes as we all use electricity, and are surrounded by equipmentwhich is powered by electricity, at home, at work, at school and when we go out and aboutpursuing our daily activities

!ince the beginning of the twentieth century, we have been increasingly e"posed to electric andmagnetic fields #$%&s' from our mains electricity supply and our use of electrical and electronicequipment, at levels millions of times higher than those e"perienced by our predecessors ())years ago

*ver time, human beings, like all forms of life, evolve to adapt to changes in the environment

+owever, it is unlikely that human beings, interacting continuously with the environment, havehad time to adapt physiologically to these new electromagnetic stimuli iological responses varyfrom individual to individual and within one individual over time- responses are also non.linearAnticipating how one person will respond to a given stimulus is like trying to base a long.rangeweather forecast for the /0 upon one drop of rain in $ast Anglia The weather is an e"ample of anon.linear system 1espite the addition of a battery of very e"pensive equipment, weatherforecasters can still get it wrong, sometimes very wrong 2ith regard to potentialpowerfrequency biological effects, we are trying to predict future health outcomes many yearsinto the future %any serious cancers are triggered up to 3) years before they are detected bydoctors, or even by the patient themselves

The way we e"perience the electromagnetic energy that interacts with our bodies is comple"!ome frequencies we e"perience as light, some as heat, some we are not apparently consciouslyaware of #eg 4.rays' yet they have a significant impact on our bodies &rom our evolutionarye"perience, our sense organs react more to a changing stimulus than to one which stays the same,as originally one that changed would have been more related to 5threat6 *ur nervous system, fore"ample, e"presses this bias for change by tiring of sensing the same old thing %ost nerve cellscan6t fire time after time in quick succession 7t6s called fatigue A lot of research and scientifictheory is based on averaging out our e"posure, reducing it to the 5same old thing6 mentionedearlier This is likely to reveal less than if we look at the changes

7t has been suggested that if we e"pose a human living system to a very weak electromagnetic

#$%' signal, and if the signal is appropriately 5tuned,6 it could interfere with normal function- sothat an $% signal could cause our bodies, or individual systems within them, to 5resonate6 at thisman.made imposed signal and that this could lead to our naturally functioning biology departingfrom a healthy homoeostasis 1espite being surrounded by $%& radiation, we do not have thecomple"ity needed in epidemiology to discover whether our health is being damaged by thate"posure

2e can minimise our e"posure to many of the sources of $%& radiation- house wiring, electricalappliances in the home, etc 2e can keep our distance from visible sources of $%&s- powerlines,substations, etc 2e can, using the appropriate equipment, detect and measure the fields fromsources we cannot see, such as underground cables

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage ( of 9
http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/http://www.powerwatch.org.uk/


2/9


2e can learn what to look for in the environment and check for $%&s for e"ample whentravelling, in cars, trains, planes, etc and at workplaces where we may be surrounded bymachinery giving off $%&s, eg photocopiers, welding and other machinery, all sorts ofequipment powered by electricity

2hen it comes to our personal environment we have more choice over the products we choose

This is similar to choosing, for e"ample, a fridge with a high energy efficiency rating rather than alow one, should that be one of your concerns 2e have some possibility of choosing equipmentthat give off low levels of powerfrequency $%&s rather than high ones, where the information isavailable

2e have produced some detailed articles about some of these $%& sources which you may wantto look at The list of articles, which is being e"tended whenever we have the time to do so, is onthe Powerwatch website

2e have written a publication, Powerfrequency $%&s and +ealth, broken down into :sections, if you would like to become more informed about the research that has been done into

the links between $%&s and cancer, depression, dementia, miscarriages, motor neurone disease,heart disease, genetic and other cellular changes, neurological effects, immune system damage,etc !ome research has shown that powerfrequency $%& e"posure can enhance the effects ofradiation and chemicals $%&s have also been found to interact with prescribed drugs, causingsome #eg tamo"ifen' to be less effective ;ight #a type of electromagnetic energy' at night hasalso been found to affect health %elatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, which is alsoavailable as a supplement, can protect against many health problems There is a publication on%elatonin, broken down into < sections, on the Powerwatch website

7f you think your e"posure may be high enough for it to be responsible potentially for healthproblems, it is worth while measuring the field levels where you and your family spend a lot of

time, such as the bedrooms, sitting and play areas and the kitchen, so that you are happy aboutwhere you and your children spend their time %inimise the use of appliances which give offhigh fields, or stop using them altogether =ou may also want to move some pieces of equipmentso that they do not e"pose anyone to fields that are too high =ou can also check out appliances inthe showroom before you decide to buy

Powerfrequency sources outside the home and what you can do tominimise your exposure

The most obvious powerfrequency $%& sources are pylons, powerlines, substations and

transformers- there are also less obvious ones such as underground cables These are covered inPowerlines, substations, underground cables and net currents 7f you are looking to buy or renta property, you may want to look at uying an $%& !afe Property, now separated into >sections, to address your particular circumstances oth these publications contain informationthat will help you to minimise your $%& e"posure where possible uying an $%& !afeProperty also has information about properties near to electrified railway lines

The publication Anti.shoplifting devices in shops, libraries, etc has information about thefamiliar security pillars at the entrance?e"it to many shops, which can e"pose people nearby tohigh magnetic fields They are also in libraries, and are increasingly being used for other securitypurposes !ome devices also use radiofrequency #@&' transmissions, and terahert frequencies

are being used for police and airport surveillance

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage 3 of 9


3/9


Cars, buses, trams, trains & planes

*ur publication Bars discusses the different types of $%& e"posure in modern and oldervehicles uses, trams and trains can also give off quite high levels of $%&s 7t is worth avoidingsitting over the wheel arches in buses, the control equipment in trams, and the part of the trainwhere overhead power cables run down to the wheels 7f in doubt, sit on an inside seat, which

tends to be less e"posed than the window seats

+igh magnetic field levels can be e"perienced in planes from the online entertainment facilitiesfitted to the back of seats The seat with the inbuilt screen will be the one affected, not the seat ofthe person watching 2hen travelling by plane, choose Cno frillsC airlines, with fewest facilities onoffer %any airlines are now offering the use of mobile phones whilst in flight 7t is worth findingout in advance, and avoiding these planes if you may also be sensitive to @& radiation

Gardens and garden equipment

$lectric fields from powerlines, etc can be reduced considerably by shrubs, bushes and trees

1eciduous trees #that lose their leaves in winter' will provide less protection when bare, butpeople are likely to be outside for shorter periods of time on the whole

7t is important not to allow babies to sleep in prams in high field levels and to discourageconvalescing children to be out in them 7t is a good idea to measure garden $%&s if you haveany concerns about what areas are 5safe6 and what areas need to be avoided Avoid planting treesand bushes that will make good 5dens6 or 5tree houses6 for children in e"posed areas, as thatwould attract them rather than keeping them away 7f you have an area which is highly e"posed,try planting it with something with thorns, such as rosesD

2e have been asked about the effect of $%&s on plants and vegetables growing in gardens near

substations or under powerlines As far as we know no detailed research has been done to lookinto this ecause it is known from laboratory e"periments that $%&s affect the polarisation ofwater molecules, and inter. and intra.cellular communication, we would assume that it will affectany growing thing 7t is unclear what the effect may be of eating a diet entirely composed of foodgrown in these conditions

Earden equipment, such as electric lawn mowers and power tools #drills, hedge trimmers,strimmers, sanders, patio cleaners, etc' give off $%&s- those with motors close to your body #egelectric drills and hedgecutters' will give you high magnetic and electric field e"posure while inuse There is nothing you can do about this and short term occasional e"posure should not causeany $%& related problems, unless you are particularly sensitive The motors of some tools and

lawn mowers are further away from your body when in use and so the fields your body ise"posed to are lower The evidence seems to show that occupational e"posure when you aremoving about is less of a risk than prolonged e"posure when you are stationary #ie in a chair orbed'

Satellite dishes and digital T receptors

!atellite dishes and receiverscan give off high electric fields if the TF system or satellite decoderis not 5earthed6 to the mains electricity safety earth %ost TFs, video recorders and satellitesystems are not earthed when you buy them, as they only have two.wire mains leads 2alls will

give some protection from the electric fields- windows are less effective at screening them 7t is

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage < of 9


4/9


important that these systems are earthed People who are electrically sensitive may be affected byelectric fields coming in through the windows

1igital TF receptorsfor both satellite and terrestrial signals can be thought of in e"actly the sameway as satellite dishes and receivers There is only a subtle difference in the way the informationis coded into the signal +owever, some electrically sensitive people seem to react differently to

such signals for reasons which are not yet known *ne person we know who is very sensitiveindeed, found it easier when she ensured that the television set was between her and the aerial 7fshe sat between the TF and the aerial, her symptoms were worse

Solar heating systems etc!

!olar heating systems are being promoted these days as they are based on a renewable source ofenergy, and can save the householder money in the medium.term The system itself will not bean $%& haard, e"cept for the electric pump used to pump the water around This could beoutside or inside the house 0eep chairs, beds, etc on the other side of the wall, at least one metreaway from the pump

Photovoltaic panels generate direct current #1B' power that can be used to charge batteries The1B #(3, 3G or GH volts usually, up to about (3) volts in some large systems' can then be useddirectly for lighting, etc or can be fed to an 5invertor6 that converts it to 3


5/9


Neighbours

7t is unlikely that you will be affected by powerfrequency $%&s from your neighbours, thoughoccasionally the magnetic fields from TFs, computers, storage radiators, aquarium pumps etccould travel through the walls affecting a localised part of an adIoining room

7n multiple occupancy buildings, such as flats, the lower floors can have wires to upper floorsrunning past their rooms, which can result in high fields in the lower flats 2here a building has alift, whether it is a standard lift in a block of flats, or whether it is a stairlift for people with amobility problem, there will be high levels of magnetic fields from the machinery powering themotor 2hen considering a flat, it is worth looking at how far away the machinery is from theliving space 7t is probably advisable to measure field levels in bedrooms and sitting areas 2ith astairlift, the benefits are likely to outweigh the disadvantages to the person who is the primaryuser, but caution should be used in allowing eager children or grandchildren to 5hitch6 rides

/nless you have been involved in 5subversive activities,6 as a result of which you have been

targeted by official agencies, it is almost certain that you will not be being 5apped6 intentionallyThis would be an e"tremely e"pensive operation for the authorities or an individual to beinvolved in, and they would not undertake it unless they considered you a very important target%ost people would not have access to the sort of equipment necessary to focus harmful radiationon to a particular individual 7f you feel you are being affected in this way, it is most likely thatyou have developed electrical or chemical hypersensitivity, and you are reacting to a source ofchemicals or $%&s that most people would not react to

Schools

There are schools where the buildings or games areas are near to powerlines 2e do not knowwhat the effect on the health of children attending such schools may be They will be e"posedpotentially to two types of $%&s- an average background level and also transient e"posures,especially if the field levels are only high in the playgrounds or games areas 7n view of theresearch there may be a small proportion of the school population who are sensitive to suchfields

1espite the worldwide acknowledgement of the link between powerfrequency magnetic fields of)G microtesla and an increased risk of childhood leukaemia, schools are still being built too closeto powerlines This may well be because the land is relatively cheap to a local authority that isstrapped for cash =ou may feel that this would influence your choice of school, if you have one,

for your child

Work

%any pieces of equipment can be found in modern offices 7t is often difficult to modify the workenvironment, over which employees may have little control 7t is worth making note ofprecautionary distances and implementing them where possible =ou may choose to use a meterto check the fields and to position chairs in the least e"posed places

7n warehouse and factories with heavy machinery, it may be worth measuring the field levelsyou are e"posed to and attempting to keep a precautionary distance from power cables, etc

where possible

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage : of 9


6/9


Powerfrequency sources inside the home and what you can do tominimise your exposure

The main sources of powerfrequency $%&s in the home are (' house wiring and 3' electricalappliances

uildings are wired to conform to the 7nstitute of $lectrical and $lectronics $ngineers #7$$$'regulations, which do not take account of potential health effects from low levels ofelectromagnetic field e"posure They are only intended to protect against electric shocks+owever, the common method of wiring buildings in the /0, using ring mains, can result in highlevels of $%&s $nthusiastic 17=.ers may also unwittingly, be responsible for creating high $%&levels The plaster used to finish walls is hygroscopic, ie it attracts water molecules from thesurrounding environment, and thus is conductive to electricity 7f there is a slight fault in thescreening of wiring cables in the wall, the wall can re.radiate electric fields %any people whosuffer from electrical hypersensitivity feel worse when e"posed to the levels of electric fields thatthis can result in *ften, the only way to find out if your home has a house wiring fault is to

measure the electric and magnetic field levels

2e have written a detailed publication +ouse 2iring and $%&s which e"plains how elevatedlevels of $%&s are produced, and what can be done to reduce them 7t is intended more forelectricians than people without that level of training, as most of the work needed is not 17=, andre.wiring is subIect to Part P checks @adial wiring is now likely to be recommended by theEovernment for new.build houses for low $%& e"posure @adial wiring is the standard in$urope The /0 is unusual in having predominantly ring main wiring

*ur publication $lectrical Appliances in G different sections #by and large, alphabetically' listsmost commonly encountered electrical appliances, whether they are likely to emit high levels of

$%&s and what can be done to reduce the userCs e"posure This may mean changing oneappliance for another of a different type, or checking different appliances in store first anddetermining which is better from an $%& point of view 7t may mean using them in a differentway, eg sitting further away from them whilst they are working, using them at a different timeof day, or earthing ones which are usually supplied unearthed and thus can generate high electricfield levels The publication gives instructions as to how this can easily be done

The wires for all appliances give off electric fields whether the appliance is working or not 2henit is working, the cables also radiate magnetic fields 7f you are sensitive to electric fields, you maywant to switch appliances off at the wall rather than a more localised switch near to theappliance, when not in use, to avoid accidental electric field e"posure from the cable

The $lectrical Appliances publication includes computers, both PBs and laptops, telephones,televisions and beds, possible bedroom e"posure to $%&s, electricity meters, heating, lightingand systems, and many appliances found in many peopleCs homes

7f you think your e"posure may be high enough for it to be responsible potentially for healthproblems, it is worth while measuring the field levels where you spend your time =ou may wantto check the field levels in kitchens, play areas and bedrooms, so that you are happy about whereyour children spend their time %inimise the use of appliances which give off high fields, or stopusing them altogether =ou may also want to move some pieces of equipment so that they do note"pose anyone to fields that are too high =ou can also check out appliances in the showroom

before you decide to buy

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage > of 9


7/9


#ody $oltage

!ome people have suggested that a way of determining personal e"posure to $%&s is to measurethe body voltage of the individual %easuring this presents some practical problems Eenerallyspeaking, the lower the electric field, the lower the body voltage will be +owever, there is a bigcaution Any measuring instrument gives the field between the userCs hand and the surroundingenvironment 7f you are standing above cables #say lighting cables under the floor for a lowerfloor in the building' then some of those fields travel up your legs and through the meter lookingfor a lower field #ideally $arth' 7f you held the instrument towards, say a light switch on the wall,then the reading you get will be lower and will show the electric field voltage gradient you arebeing subIect to it does not read the voltage to $arthD 7f you hold the meter near an earthedmetal radiator, the reading will rise The reason is that it is the voltage gradient that is importantand should be minimised

The lowest reading on a meter is not necessarily the lowest place of electric fields with respect to$arth

ody.voltage is measured between the person and $arth $specially upstairs in a building thiscould be very misleading as the lowest voltage to $arth does not represent, nor is even directlyrelated to, the electric field e"posure of the person 7f a person attaches an earthing leg or armstrap to themselves, the person who is now $arthed will be the focus for all electric fields in thevicinity which will CaimC towards the person as the Cbest $arthed surfaceC in the vicinity and theperson would always be far more highly e"posed than beforeD

%hat you can do

Computers

2hen you buy a new computer monitor, switch it on in an unused well.ventilated roomfor at least two weeks, to 5burn it in6 This allows the plastic casings to CoutgasC thechemicals used in manufacture, as the casing heats up in use People who are chemicallysensitive may need this time period to be longer

Always sit at least :) cm from the front of the screen, and more than ( metre from the rearof a F1/, at home, at school or in the office %agnetic fields travel through walls, so beaware of any monitors in the room ne"t to you if you sit ne"t to a wall

7deally take a (: minute break every hour when using a F1/, leaving the desk area for atleast : minutes

%ake sure that the vertical refresh rate is between K3 and 9> times each second +ow to dothis is contained in the publication $lectrical Appliances

!pider plants are one of the plants recommended by LA!A to 5mop up6 to"ic chemicalsfrom the environment They thrive on a degree of neglect, so most people will be able togrow them, and will manage fine when you go on holiday LA!A was less forthcomingon information as to how long the plants can transform the chemicals before they becomee"hausted and need replacing Bactuses can be useful in a room where there is acomputer, as the spines can attract positive ions +owever, cactuses need to be earthed todischarge them

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage K of 9


8/9


0eep the room in which you have a computer as free from dust as possible, having a cleandesk and floor $lectric fields act as a CmagnetC, attracting all sorts of unwanted particles,including bacteria and to"ins to the computer monitor screen 7t is important to keep thescreen clean using an anti.static wipe, and to avoid pollutant materials, including allchemicals #air fresheners, perfume, spray polish etc'

Tele$isions

Blean the TF screen with an anti.static cloth reasonably frequently, as the electric fieldscause a build up of static which attract pollutant particles to the screen

Bhildren should sit at a reasonable distance from a TF screen, at least a metre, to avoidinhaling any particles adhering to it as a result of the static electric fields referred to above

Position the television set so that people do not sit near or frequently pass near the side orrear of the television @emember that magnetic fields can pass through walls

$nsure that you use the main switch on the set to switch off the television set !ome typesof remote control leave your TF on standby and it continues to consume up to a quarter ofthe energy it uses when fully switched on

#edrooms

7f you cannot do without a light by your bed, choose a low.wattage light, using the red.end of the spectrum as this has the least effect on the production of melatonin overnight!ee our publication %elatonin, $%&s and +ealth

Bhoose a bed.base with an unsprung mattress, preferably made with natural materials

7f you have a waterbed warm it during the day, and unplug it before going to bed /se athick covering on top of the waterbed to retain its heat at night

1o not leave an electric blanket on when you are in bed

0eep all electrical equipment, clock radios, televisions, etc at least a metre away from thepillow of the nearest person

$nsure adequate ventilation

'rotecti$e de$ices(

7ncreasing numbers of devices are being sold which claim to 5protect6 us from the harmful effectsof $%&s %ost of these claims are scientifically unverifiable All of the ones we have tested #by nomeans all of the ones that are available' have done nothing to reduce the $%&s They may

CchangeC the signal, by adding a CneutralisingC one, but this will only add to your e"posure- theymay have subtle effects on the immune system, but as there are no internationally acceptedinstruments that can measure these changes, it is hard to verify any claims made

Will copper or lead sheeting or mumetal reduce electromagneticfields?

Power.frequency magnetic fields will not be reduced by copper or lead sheeting 7f the sheets areearthed, they will reduce electric fields

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage H of 9


9/9


%agnetic fields can only be effectively shielded using high permeability steel sheeting 7t is verydifficult and e"pensive to shield large areas such as living or working spaces 7t is almost alwaysbetter to prevent the fields from being generated in the first place

%umetal is an alloy of nickel, iron, and various other trace metals which is magneticallypermeable, meaning that it is a good conductor of magnetic lines of force The percentage of each

element in the mumetal affects its performance, as does the thickness and method ofmanufacture 2hile mumetal can reduce magnetic fields if installed properly, it cannot block allthe radiation in the same way that lead blocks out 4.rays

Aluminium Foil

$lectric fields can be greatly reduced by pasting strips of earthed aluminium cooking foil ontowalls and ceilings, and laying underneath bedroom carpets, near wiring runs =ou can decorateover, or lay carpet over, these earthed foils +owever, it may cause a condensation and ? ormould problem if the foil is used on an outside wall, as it does not allow the wall to 5breathe6

Aluminium foil is quite fragile and can be damaged easily, and can wear over time 7t is necessaryto check every now and again, to see if it has degraded beyond its ability to give adequatescreening

Paint

!pecial paint such as the sort sold by $%&ields will reduce electric fields 7t is water based andallows the walls to breathe =ou need to earth it in the same way as the foil

The content of this article can be freely used with appropriate citation 8wwwpowerwatchorgukPage 9 of 9

Powerfrequency Protection 20100601

Documents

Transcript of Powerfrequency Protection 20100601