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Comments and Mail From Our Readers
1996
Last modified on:
Thursday, September 12, 2002 11:47:54
Copyright © 1994-2008, Information Ventures, Inc.
December 21, 1996
How Do I Find An Extremely Low Radiating Monitor?
I have read your information on the web. I have a few questions regarding EMFs. I've been working with computers and musical equipment in my home studio for several years but a year ago I became ill and I'm partly connecting these problems to VDTs or maybe magnetic fields. I have a VDT that complies with the MPR2 standards but it still effects me negatively. I have tried to use a grounded monitor filter but it made it only slighty better. All of my equipment is grounded. Safe Technologies Corporation is selling a monitor that measures 1/25 of the MPR2 standard's ELF magnetic radiation. But what about the other frequency bands? Which parameters are important for me to consider? Do you know if there are other brands of monitors that are extremely low radiating? Further, would you recommend I buy a gaussmeter, and what kind would be suitible for my needs? Is it possible that my musical equipment also radiates at high frequencies and in that case, how do I protect myself? I would be very greatfull if you could help shed some light upon these questions.
Reply from Dr. Robert Goldberg: All electrical equipment (including your electronic musical instruments, amps, etc.) will produce some electric and magnetic fields if they have current flowing through them. Higher radiofrequency fields will be shielded by the case to reduce electromagnetic interference and cross-talk. Certain areas of the equipment (like transformers in the power supply) tend to be relatively high sources of power frequency magnetic fields, but the fields decrease rapidly with distance so it is usually possible to position them in your work area in order to minimize exposure. Since you are not sure what is giving you problems, you might want to rent or borrow a very low emission system like a lap top computer with a liquid crystal screen and see if you find it more comfortable to work with. Monitors produce fields going into the radiofrequency portion of the spectrum, but health concerns have centered on the extremely low frequency and low frequency pulsed magnetic fields associated with the power supply and electron gun scan circuits. The measures you describe (grounding a filter screen on the monitor) remove most of the electric field but have no effect on magnetic field levels. Individual monitors do vary in the magnetic field levels they produce, and a gauss meter could be used to compare models and find one that produced the lowest magnetic field levels if you don't get useful comparative information from the manufacturer. In our office we found that a low emissions monitor designed to meet MPR2 standards actually had higher levels of magnetic fields than a regular monitor without any designated certification. Most gauss meters are set to read fields in the 50-60 Hz range so they would not tell you much about the higher frequency fields.
December 15, 1996
Raleigh, NC
As a victim of testicular cancer that may have been induced by the use of a traffic radar gun, I am very interested in an article in the EMF Health Report, volume 3, number 5, September/October 1995, "Microwave Exposure of Police Officers from Traffic Radar Guns Evaluated." Would you please let me know how I could get a copy of this article.
Reply from Dr. Robert Goldberg: The complete report is available from NIOSH (1-800-35-NIOSH). An electronic version is posted on EMF-Link(R) and is available to our subscribers.
November 22, 1996
Recent New York Times Article
Please give us some feedback regarding a recent New York Times article which apparently decided once and for all that EMF's are not associated with physiological problems (or have not been conclusively shown to) to date. Is there still room for doubt about the safety of such fields? My students would like to know if this is worth continuing to pursue as a research topic. Thank You.
Reply from Dr. Robert Goldberg: The Times article concerned the National Academy of Sciences report released on October 31, and you can find out more about it on EMF-Link. I just returned from an EMF health effects meeting in San Antonio and more than a few people were very upset at the coverage the report got in the Times, Washington Post and a few other media sources. In brief, one of the authors of the report pointed out how the report itself concluded only that there was "no conclusive and consistent evidence" for adverse health effects associated with residential EMF exposures. This has a very specific meaning, much like the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard applied in criminal law, and should not be interpreted to mean that there is no evidence for health effects. The committee found all sorts of evidence for bioeffects and spent a whole chapter of the report discussing areas of research that need attention. Also the report was based on literature which is now almost two years old (they had to cut off their survey and take time to write and approve the report). That time point excluded any results from the current EMF RAPID program, and there have been some very interesting new developments since, from US research groups and in Europe. Your students should realize that the issues in this area are far from settled and the National Academy Report itself was much more supportive of ongoing research efforts than the Times article might indicate.
November 4, 1996
EMF and Residential Electrical Systems
I am a residential remodeling contractor who has a client with high levels of EMF along an interior wood framed wall of her home. The wall contains a run of 12 ga ungrounded nonmetallic sheathed cable with standard house current running thru it. Other like situations in the home do not produce the same high readings on the gaussmeter. Will running a ground wire to all of the metal boxed on that line help the situation? Is there any litrature for tradesmen regarding EMF issues. My time online tonight has come up with lots of raw research but no suggestions of how installation of residential electrical systems can help or hurt EMF Levels. Help!
Reply from Dr. Robert Goldberg: Karl Riley's book is an excellent source of practical information on finding and correcting wiring problems leading to high magnetic field levels. The reference is: TRACING EMFs IN BUILDING WIRING AND GROUNDING. Riley, K. Magnetic Sciences International, HCR-2, Box 850-295, Tucson, AZ 85735, (800)749-9873, 126 pp., 1995.
October 15, 1996
Cell Phone Tower Locations
How would I go about finding locations of cell towers in North Carolina? I am a student at UNCC doing a GIS project and need this information. Thank You.
Reply from Dr. Robert Goldberg: Contact individual cellular companies serving North Carolina. Readers, do you have any other suggestions?
October 15, 1996
EMF standards
My friend has a strong interest in EMF standards. He is concerned that in British Columbia we do not have standards. Can you point me to areas of the world that have standards for power line radiation? Thank you.
Reply from Dr. Robert Goldberg: In the Unitied States, several states and municipalities have established standards; many of the international standards cover extremely low frequencies.
September 18, 1996
Thank You.
Just a note to say thanks for the information on your website. My family is currently house hunting and we had some concerns about some properties in the vicinity of a major power transmission corridor. Your website pages helped us better understand the issues and potential concerns.
September 17, 1996
EMF - Teeth.
I don't know if you are interested but to make a long story short our daughter's teeth hurt for 10 years from age 2-12. She is now 12 1/2. The cause was a very high electromagnetic field along her bedroom wall, which the electric co. verified. We moved her into another room and gradually the teeth pain went away in about a month to six weeks. It was just a fluke we learned of this and of course the electric co. thinks we're crazy. But the bottom line is REBECCA'S TEETH DON'T HURT ANY MORE. We don't live close to high tension wires, but there is a problem between the "weatherheard" on the house and the wire - cable that is in the wall that goes about 30 feet to the meter which will cost 1 to 2 thousand to get fixed. Rebecca's teeth hurt continually and we took her to many dentists that concluded that it was all in her head. We knew there was a source of the pain that was not imaginaary because of her personality. Also she has needed over 30 eyeglass prescriptions since she was 5 1/2, so we are relieved she dosen't have the teeth pain.
September 8, 1996
Warsaw, Poland
I am very happy that I found this link. I am a journalist and I am occupied by an EMF problem. The world's largest radio antenna (646 meters) was previously located in Poland. It broadcast low frequency waves with a power of 2 Megawatts (2000 kW). The antenna stood near people's homes. About 2,000 people lived within 12 km of the antenna for 17 years. Most of them were ill from brain cancer, birth defects, and other diseases. A school and a hospital were exposed to the radiation. In 1990, Polish scientists started looking at human health effects near the antenna. The results of their research suggested that EMF and low frequency waves had a serious influence on human health. The antenna fell down five years ago, but in 1994, the Polish Parliament decided that the antenna would be reconstructed. The decision was made based on a report prepared by a Professor Grzesik. A week ago The Supreme Administration Court decided that the Polish Parliament decision was "correct". People living near the former antenna are now looking for scientific arguments against reconstruction of the antenna.
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