Electromagnetic fields - Understanding EMF

Useful helpers in everyday life

Probably you, like many other people, have not even thought about the fact that you use numerous, different electronic devices in your everyday life. If you think about it carefully, it adds up to a lot: electronic alarm clock, coffee maker, toaster, egg cooker, dishwasher, cooker, extractor bonnet, washing machine, dryer, hoover, heating, air conditioner, TV, computer and the mobile phone must not be forgotten under any circumstances. In layman's terms, these appliances are powered by electricity from the wall socket, but physically, it is an invisible combination of electrical and magnetic energy. This is how our everyday devices are operated, and within a few decades they have changed everyday life as we know it, or enriched it with their advantages.

WLAN, Internet & Co. vs. health

Some time ago, mobile internet and WLAN entered our lives and probably also shook up your life tremendously. In addition to all the positive aspects, criticism must also be allowed. What price do we have to pay for our technical achievements? It is indisputable that electrical devices save us an enormous amount of time and work, but can their use also be detrimental to our health? For many decades now, experts and researchers have been discussing the consequences of electromagnetic fields in a controversial way. Some express enormous health concerns for humans. Generally speaking, however, we should refrain from "petty talk", which is why a basic understanding of electromagnetic fields (EMF) must first be created. In order to really understand the negative effects of mobile radio EMF, how they work and the corresponding effects on the environment, you should read the following chapter very carefully.

What is meant by electromagnetic fields?

Put simply, every electromagnetic field has its own individual frequency and exists in many different forms. From a physical point of view, a frequency is defined by how many waves pass through a certain point within one second. The corresponding unit is named after the German physicist Heinrich Hertz, who lived in the 19th century, and is abbreviated as Hz. You often hear these terms related as follows:

• 1000 Hz is 1 kilohertz (Khz)
• 1 million Hz are 1 megahertz (Mhz)
• 1 billion Hz is equivalent to 1 gigahertz (Ghz)

Natural and unnatural sources

Electromagnetic fields can be generated either by a natural source such as lightning or sunlight, or by an artificial source such as WLAN routers, electrical lines or microwave ovens. The spectrum can range from very low frequencies (extremely low frequencies, abbreviated: ELF; 3-300 Hertz) to gamma radiation with a frequency of over 1022 Hertz. In general, EMFs can be divided into two basic categories: non-ionising and ionising radiation. An ionising electromagnetic field has the power to disrupt the structure of an atom. It is also capable of removing one or more electrons from that atom. This transforms the originally neutral atom into a positively charged ion. Ions can produce free radicals, which makes them very dangerous. Free radicals are, in simple terms, ionised molecules whose search for coupling has so far been unsuccessful and could thus dispose of their charge. As a result, they work extremely counter to the stringently ordered and civilised world of biochemistry, and on cells, free radicals act like walking powder kegs.

The problem of free radicals

In general, free radicals do not pose a health hazard to your body. It can even be said that you need a certain dose of them to stay healthy. However, if an excess is produced, this can have a problematic effect. Free radicals are able to attack your cell membranes, proteins, stem cells and mitochondria. This damages your complex and very precisely formed molecules to such an extent that they can no longer be of use to you. In addition, your genetic material can be damaged. This fact has been scientifically proven and also explains the necessity of wearing a lead cape during an X-ray examination. This protects your torso because direct irradiation of your organs is to be avoided for health reasons.

Ionising and non-ionising radiation

There are different types of ionising radiation, the most important being: Neutrons from radioactive elements such as uranium, alpha particles, beta particles, X-rays and gamma rays. Alpha and beta particles are actually harmless because they can be neutralised by very simple shielding such as a sheet of paper or an aluminium plate. The situation is different with neutrons from radioactive elements, which, like X-rays and gamma rays, are very penetrating and can cause biological damage. Non-ionising radiation does not have sufficient energy to produce ions. Therefore, this radiation has been considered safe and biologically harmless for decades. Unfortunately, there are now new findings. It has been possible to demonstrate mechanisms by which non-ionising radiation can cause damage to living cells.

The six greatest sources of danger

There are enormous dangers lurking in your home! Don't worry, nothing absolutely threatening, but common household appliances that serve as sources of not necessarily desirable radiation. The following devices in your home produce the vast majority of the total electromagnetic radiation from which you can hardly escape in your own four walls:

• Mobile phones, laptops and tablet
• WLAN routers, wireless telephones (DECT)
• Microwave ovens
• Bluetooth devices, for example headphones, AirPods, fitness trackers, computer keyboards, mice, printers, baby monitors, hearing aids, loudspeakers, game consoles and controllers, devices with Amazon Echo or Alexa, all devices with "artificial intelligence", basically every new television set
• smart meters for electricity, gas or water

It is recommended that you keep a certain distance from these devices, because always keep in mind the rule of thumb: the closer you are to the respective devices, the greater the exposure.

What exactly is the situation with non-ionising radiation?

It is now common knowledge that non-ionising radiation, even if it is low-level, cannot be classified as "safe", although some experts still claim the opposite. However, it is true that there are also harmless forms of non-ionising radiation. There is light that the human eye can detect and infrared light. They both belong to the group of non-ionising radiation and even promote human health. Experts agree that these forms of light can generate an optimal state of health. Unfortunately, enormous efforts have been made again and again to undermine this knowledge, or to distort it, or to conceal it altogether. There has even been airtight evidence that non-ionising electromagnetic fields can nevertheless be very harmful to health.

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Different effects on the genome

Of course, you will now ask yourself how it can be that non-ionising radiation is sometimes useful and sometimes harmful? This may sound very contradictory at first glance, so it is worth taking a closer look. Ionising radiation penetrates the tissues of your body without considerable resistance and generates free radicals due to chemical processes. The ionising radiation passes through the cell nucleus, where a significant part of your DNA is stored, and can negatively affect it. However, daylight also contains UV radiation, which serves to promote vitamin D. This vitamin is thought to protect against, for example, bowel, breast or prostate cancer. In addition, sunlight generally promotes our well-being, so that even in the dark months people go to the solarium. UV radiation is even used in many therapeutic treatments for diseases. Critical and in terms of health, on the other hand, is a proper sunburn.