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EMFacts Blog

    • 10 FEB 25

    Independent Elektrosmog Report now available in English

    One of the longest-running newsletters on the health and environmental impact of electromagnetic fields and radiation —the ElektrosmogReport— is now available in English.
    Diagnose:Funk, a consumer and environmental protection group, is translating the German-language original and making it available at no charge.
    “We want to offer scientists and the public an unbiased view of what new research shows,” said Peter Hensinger, a member of D:F’s board, based in Stuttgart, Germany.

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    • 01 OCT 24

    Microwave News: New Clues on Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults

    Could the common habit of keeping a cell phone in a trouser pocket help explain why so many young people have been developing colon and rectal cancer over the last 20 years?Maybe so, according to a new study presented last month at the annual conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology in Santiago, Chile.

    Depending on where you carry the phone, the cancer risk, usually small among those under 50, might be up to 12 times higher.

    It’s only a pilot study and the results are uncertain, but there aren’t many other known risk factors beyond obesity, smoking, bad diet and lack of exercise, which cannot fully explain what’s going on.

    Still, this new hypothesis is facing resistance.

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    • 18 SEP 24

    New paper; Spots with Extremely High Radiofrequency Radiation After Deployment of 5G Base Stations in Stockholm, Sweden

    Abstract
    During recent years there is an on-going deployment of 5G base stations for radiofrequency [RF] communication in Sweden as well in many other countries. This is made without investigations on risks to human health and the environment. Since 2016 we have made several measurements of environmental exposure to RF radiation in Stockholm, Sweden, including previous generations and now also 5G. In the current study, performed in October 2023, the broadband meter Narda-550 with the probe EF-1891 was used. It gives results in the root mean square [RMS] mode, thus not peak levels. Both the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection [ICNIRP] and the US Federal Communications Commission [FCC] base their guidelines on RMS levels of RF radiation. Measurements were made in similar city areas as in our previous studies. Results show that the RF radiation has increased substantially. SNIP

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    • 12 SEP 24

    Microwave News: Old Wine in New Bottles: The New WHO Cancer Review

    Cell phones and cancer have been much in the news over the last couple of weeks, thanks to a new review commissioned by the World Health Organization. The coverage would have us believe that it’s game over: The issue has been settled and it’s time to move on. Don’t buy it. The fact is that

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    • 20 JUN 24

    Summary of seven Swedish case reports on the microwave syndrome associated with 5G radiofrequency radiation

    Excerpt from the abstract:
    Abstract

    The fifth generation, 5G, for wireless communication is currently deployed in Sweden since 2019/2020, as well as in many other countries. We have previously published seven case reports that include a total of 16 persons aged between 4 and 83 years that developed the microwave syndrome within short time after being exposed to 5G base stations close to their dwellings…SNIP

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    • 11 MAY 24

    Smart meter changes – have your say ( From EMR Australia)

    The Australian Government is considering changes to electricity metering that would see smart meters deployed much more widely by 2030 – and you can have a say about it. The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has released its plans in draft form and is seeking submissions until 30 May 2024.
    The draft legislation sets out details about how the accelerated smart meter installation can be achieved. At present it will apply to New South Wales, Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia. (Victoria already has almost universal smart meter coverage; Tasmania has its own accelerated smart meter program and Western Australia and Northern Territory have their own meterage regulations.) Most smart meters emit radiofrequency (wireless) radiation, but there will still be an option for using Type 4A non-communicating meters.
    EMR Australia believes there are some significant flaws in the draft legislation. SNIP

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    • 02 MAY 24

    How a Connecticut middle school won the battle against cellphones

    Excerpt: MANCHESTER, Conn. — When Raymond Dolphin became assistant principal of a middle school in Connecticut two years ago, it was clear to him that the kids were not all right. The problem was cellphones. Students were using the devices in class, despite a rule against it. Social media was exacerbating nearly every conflict among students. When Dolphin walked the hallways or surveyed the cafeteria, he invariably saw heads bent over screens. So in December, Dolphin did something unusual: He banned them. The experiment at Illing Middle School sparked objections from students and some parents, but it has already generated profound and unexpected results. SNIP

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    • 22 APR 24

    60+ years since Silent Spring: Where are we now? Endocrine-disrupting chemical exposures in early life, sexual identity and male fertility decline. Is there a connection?

    Overview

    It was Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring, published in 1962, that launched the modern environmental movement, by drawing attention to evidence on the biological dangers of the widespread use of DDT and other pesticides. Informed by interviews with scientists and physicians with relevant experience, Carson wrote that pesticides should more properly be called “biocides” because of their impact on organisms other than the intended target pests. She warned that the widespread use of pesticides would result in an accumulation of the chemicals in the environment resulting in an increased risk to human and animal health. Since Silent Spring was published, concerns for possible health hazards have grown as a myriad of other chemicals, many of which can interfere with the human endocrine system (endocrine disrupters), have been introduced. There has been little research conducted on the unintended long-term impacts of their use on human health.

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    • 19 MAR 24

    Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Insects: a Systematic Review and Metaanalysis

    The German and Swiss environmental and consumer organization diagnose:funk presents the newly published BEEFI study (under the motto “Silent Spring 2024”). This study Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields on Insects: a Systematic Review and Metaanalysis is the most comprehensive review and evaluation of the research situation on insects and electromagnetic fields (mobile phone radiation, magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines) to date…SNIP

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    • 11 MAR 24

    Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power (The Washington Post)

    Comment: In Australia, the discussion over the urgent need to upgrade  Australia’s.power grid infrastructure is over the need to incorporate new sustainable power sources, supporting EVs. as well as the necessity to replace aging power plants, many of which are coal powered. In America however, it’s another far bigger challenge, with successive federal administrations essentially “kicking the can down the road” so that now the US ranks 13th in the world for having a modern national infranstructure . Estimates of the cost of upgrading America’s power grid vary but can be as high as $2.59 trillion by 2035. If America hopes to catch up with the world’s largest electricty producer; China, which produces approximately 30% of the world’s electricity production they have one hell of a long way to go. SNIP

    Excerpt from The Washington Post,

    AI and the boom in clean-tech manufacturing are pushing America’s power grid to the brink. Utilities can’t keep up. Vast swaths of the United States are at risk of running short of power as electricity-hungry data centers and clean-technology factories proliferate around the country, leaving utilities and regulators grasping for credible plans to expand the nation’s creaking power grid.

    In Georgia, demand for industrial power is surging to record highs, with the projection of new electricity use for the next decade now 17 times what it was only recently. Arizona Public Service, the largest utility in that state, is also struggling to keep up, projecting it will be out of transmission capacity before the end of the decade absent major upgrades. Northern Virginia needs the equivalent of several large nuclear power plants to serve all the new data centers planned and under construction. Texas, where electricity shortages are already routine on hot summer days, faces the same dilemma. The soaring demand is touching off a scramble to try to squeeze more juice out of an aging power grid while pushing commercial customers to go to extraordinary lengths to lock down energy sources, such as building their own power plants. “When you look at the numbers, it is staggering,” said Jason Shaw, chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission, which regulates electricity. “It makes you scratch your head and wonder how we ended up in this situation. How were the projections that far off? This has created a challenge like we have never seen before.”
    SNIP

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    • 06 NOV 23

    Doctors, Lawyers, and Scientists Join Together in International Children’s Declaration for the Digital Age

    Three Fundamental Rights of Children Are Affirmed Regarding Digital Technology NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — An international group of leading lawyers, physicians, physicists, epidemiologists and other children’s health experts have today announced their support for a new International Declaration intended to raise public awareness of three fundamental rights of children which are not

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    • 31 AUG 23

    The European Union assessments of radiofrequency radiation health risks – another hard nut to crack (Review) by Nyberg, McCredden and Hardell.

    ORSAA supports the publication of this open-access paper. Title: The European Union assessments of radiofrequency radiation health risks – another hard nut to crack (Review) by Nyberg, McCredden and Hardell. You can download this paper for free from Reviews on Environmental Health. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/reveh-2023-0046/html The paper describes how the European Union is violating several of its

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    • 15 JUL 23

    New study targets gut microbiome as possible insomnia treatment but should consider other factors

    … Adding to the research on insomnia   Commentary by Don Maisch  July 11, 2023 As reported by the ABC on 28 June 2023, the Sleep Disorders Centre at Brisbane’s Prince Charles Hospital, in conjunction with the Sunshine Coast-based biopharmaceutical company Servatus, is running a clinical trial on the possibility that the human gut could

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    • 06 JUN 23

    ICNIRP Still Runs RF at WHO (Microwave News)

    ICNIRP Still Runs RF at WHO Briefing in Geneva This Week Japanese-Korean ‘NTP Lite’ on the Agenda EXCERPT June 5, 2023 ICNIRP continues to dominate EMF policies at the WHO, according to documents made available to Microwave News. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection is a private, self-perpetuating, secretive group whose exposure limits are

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    • 14 APR 23

    Claims that 5G radiofrequency radiation can cause brain damage and possibly lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease

    Excerpt: From The Defender, Children’s Health Defense: News and Views 03/09/23

    Research on 5G radiofrequency (RF) radiation shows it can cause brain damage and possibly lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to nine independent experts in the RF radiation field who published a new peer-reviewed article.  By  Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D. In a peer-reviewed article published last week in the Annals of Clinical and Medical Case Reports, the experts called on authorities to heed the voices of the RF scientific community by establishing a “more stringent regulatory framework” on RF radiation and by halting the rollout of 5G technologies — including smart meters and 5G cell towers — until a team of “qualified scientists independent of industry” review the risks of the technology. “The situation is absurd,” said Mona Nilsson, managing director of the Swedish Radiation Protection Foundation and lead author of the article…SNIP

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    • 07 MAR 23

    This teen gave up her smartphone. It changed her life. (The New York Times)

    Excerpt: How many hours do you spend on your phone each day? Probably more than you’d like. In our technology-saturated world, we rely on our devices for what feels like an endless list of daily tasks — everything from staying up-to-date on Twitter to killing time at the post office. The idea of reclaiming any degree of independence from our smartphones can often feel impossible.

    For the 17-year-old Logan Lane, the solution was to quit cold turkey. Lane grew up in Brooklyn and was a screen-addicted teenager who spent hours curating her social media presence on Instagram and TikTok. Then, a little over two years ago, Lane started questioning whether living a life of constant connection was actually a good thing and made the decision to ditch her smartphone altogether. She began assembling a “Luddite Club” — a group of teenagers who reject technology and its creeping hold on all our lives….SNIP

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    • 23 FEB 23

    Smartwatches and wearable fitness trackers could trigger heart attacks in vulnerable patients

    Excerpt: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Smartwatches and wearable devices like a Fitbit or Apple Watch could trigger a heart attack in vulnerable patients, a new study warns. Scientists with the University of Utah say these wearable gadgets can interfere with medical devices such as pacemakers.

    “This study raises a red flag,” says lead author Dr. Benjamin Sanchez Terrones, a computer engineer at the University of Utah, in a media release. “We have done this work in simulations and benchtop testing following Food and Drug Administration accepted guidelines, and these gadgets interfere with the correct functioning of the CIEDs we tested. These results call for future clinical studies evaluating the translation of our findings to patients wearing CIEDs and using these wearable devices.”…SNIP

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    • 16 FEB 23

    Monsanto and SUNYA’s dirty tricks dept. attacks Dr. David Carpenter

    Notice from Joel Moskowitz, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
    Excerpt: Dr, David Carpenter is a distinguished professor at the State University of Albany and an international expert on health damages caused by PCBs. He has written 450 peer-reviewed scientific papers and edited six books on environmental health issues.

    Dr. Carpenter is under attack by Monsanto (which is now owned by Bayer).  Monsanto manufactured most of the PCBs used in the US until PCBs were banned by the EPA in 1977.

    It is common practice for professors and researchers to serve as expert witnesses when polluters are sued. Dr Carpenter stood up for people damaged by PCBs in 7 lawsuits filed against Monsanto.  This year, Monsanto will be sued by the St. Regis Mohawk Indian Nation because of immense damage caused by PCBs to the Mohawks, who have consumed PCB contaminated fish from the St. Lawrence River.  Levels were so high that Mohawk women were urged not to breastfeed because of the high levels of PCBs in breast milk.

    Last year, attorneys for the polluters filed a Freedom of Information Request to secure David Carpenter’s records about the PCB contamination of the Mohawks. And two additional Freedom of Information requests were filed by Mosanto/Bayer lawyers.  Rather than simply reviewing the requests and sharing what is required by law, the State University of Albany (SUNYA) directed Dr. David Carpenter to stop teaching classes, stop mentoring his students and prohibited him from being on campus.

    David Carpenter has done nothing wrong. He has stood up for people and wildlife damaged by PCBs and now we all have to stand up for Dr. Carpenter.

    Monsanto set a trap and SUNY Albany Stepped Right into the trap.

    Now, Monsanto is claiming that because SUNYA is investigating the work of Dr. Carpenter (prompted by Monsanto information requests) Dr. Carpenter should not serve as an expert witness in the trial defending the Mohawks.

    After eight months of being frozen out of his classroom duties (which is about 90% of his time) SUNYA has made an offer to Dr. Carpenter to allow him back in the classroom but at the same time tying him in knots and interfering with his right to serve as an expert witness…..SNIP

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    • 13 FEB 23

    New Book: “Electromagnetic Fields of Wireless Communications: Biological and Health Effects”

    Excerpt: Panagopoulos DJ (Ed.). (2022). Electromagnetic Fields of Wireless Communications: Biological and Health Effects (1st ed.). CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003201052.

    This 544-page book reflects contributions from experts in biological and health effects of Radio Frequency (RF)/Microwave and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) used in wireless communications (WC) and other technological applications. Diverse topics related to physics, biology, pathology, epidemiology, and plausible biophysical and biochemical mechanisms of WC EMFs emitted by antennas and devices are included.

    Discussions on the possible consequences of fifth generation (5G) mobile telephony (MT) EMFs based on available data and correlation between anthropogenic EMF exposures and various pathological conditions such as infertility, cancer, electro-hypersensitivity, organic and viral diseases, and effects on animals, plants, trees, and environment are included. It further illustrates individual and public health protection and the setting of biologically- and epidemiologically-based exposure limits….SNIP

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    • 07 FEB 23

    The assumption of safety is being used to justify the rollout of 5G technologies

    Excerpt: The advent of fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication introduces new technology utilizing near-millimeter radiofrequency waves [i.e., with a frequency of 30–300 GHz (mmWaves)]. The long-term effects of these signals on humans and the environment are unknown. Scientific literature reviews investigating biological harm from mmWave usage have concluded … no in-depth conclusions can be drawn…[(1), p. 16] and no confirmed evidence [(2), p. 601]. Unfortunately, these statements of scientific uncertainty have been used by industry and government advisory bodies to reassure the public of the safety of the 5G rollout. However, the assumption that 5G technologies are safe is not an evidence-based conclusion (3). Why this is so cannot be easily understood from existing summaries or reviews (4). Therefore, this article takes one step back from reviews to the original papers, so as to provide a visible overview of the existing mmWave evidence base. It then examines how the science is being conducted and communicated, finding errors in reasoning that cloud judgements and the subsequent conclusions drawn from the existing research….. SNIP.

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