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Electromagnetic fields might seem like something out of a science fiction novel, yet EMFs are a genuine issue for everyone worldwide and can lead to serious harm after prolonged exposure. It is feasible to shield yourself and your family, but you will need to take several measures to create an environment free from excessive EMF exposure.
What are the steps to EMF-proof a room? To EMF-proof a room, you need to understand which products that you have in your room that emit EMF, such as fuse boxes, cell phones, laptops, and other electronics. EMF-proofing includes:
- Removing phones
- Using as many battery-powered devices as possible
- Maintaining six-foot distances from devices
- Keeping seating and beds away from fuse boxes
- Unplugging unneeded EMF-emitting devices
- Removing Wi-Fi routers
- Purchasing EMF shielding products
Read on to find out how to EMF-proof your room, the devices that may emit EMFs, why EMFs are dangerous and much more.
Also read: EMF protection tips for the whole house
7 Steps to EMF-Proof a Room
To EMF-proof a room, you will need to make some physical changes to the devices and the orientation of your room. Changing your practices with these EMF-emitting devices helps to protect you and your loved ones and to EMF-proof your room. EMF-proofing a place is not a one-time fix.
It is a lifestyle change with a schedule of use and habits that need to be maintained to lessen your exposure to long term EMF.
Step #1: Remove Phones
Even if the cell phone is placed in a standby mode, it can still emit EMF. A cell phone needs to be set in airplane mode to stop sending cellular signals back and forth to the nearest cell phone tower.
Removing the phone from the room will make sure that you are still hooked up to the mobile service in case of emergencies but will place the EMF a safe distance away from your room.
Check out my cell phone radiation protection tips
Step #2: Use as Many Battery-Powered Devices as Possible
Many people still will want to use alarm clocks since they want to avoid the EMFs from their cell phones. So, a battery-powered alarm clock is a great option.
To maintain battery power, turn the clock off each day when you get up and then reset it at night. This will ensure you get the most juice out of your batteries, so it is not running all day long while you are gone from your home.
Some great options for battery-powered devices to use in your bedroom are (Amazon links):
- Cordless Battery Operated Lamps with Motion Sensor
- KWANWA LED Digital Alarm Clock Battery-Operated
- O2COOL Treva Battery-Operated Fan
Step #3: Six Foot Distances
If you need to have EMF-emitting devices plugged in and available in your room, such as lights, radios, clocks, televisions, and cellphones, make sure to keep them at least six feet away from you while you sleep.
The safest lights are old fashioned iridescent light bulbs, according to Powerwatch. Remember, even the cables that are plugged into outlets can emit EMFs, so keep the power cables at least six feet away, as well.
Step #4: Keep Seating and Beds Away from Fuse Boxes
If you are configuring your room to avoid EMFs, one thing to consider is where you will spend the most time. Try not to place beds and chairs where you will be reading, watching television, or sleeping near fuse boxes. These areas will produce long term exposure, which is the most dangerous in terms of EMF exposure.
Try to keep your chairs, couches, and other furniture away from the fuse box in your home as this is a place where a constant flow of electrical current and magnetic fields is almost sure to be taking place. Also, if you have a fuse box in your room, keep your bed away from it. Six feet or more of distance is recommended.
Step #5: Unplug Unneeded EMF-Emitting Devices
As long as a current is flowing to the device, it can emit EMFs. Keep unneeded devices unplugged, especially if you are going to sleep. Televisions, lights, radios, and speakers all can be unplugged overnight and only plugged in when needed.
You could keep these devices plugged into a powerstrip and turn the power strip off at night to make unplugging easier. The practice of keeping unused devices unplugged can also save you money on your energy bill.
Step #6: Consider Getting Rid of Wi-Fi Routers
Wi-Fi is a convenience that we may be paying for with our health. A 2013 study from Health Physics claims that there have been some biological indicators of Wi-Fi damaging our bodies.
Some of the biological effects of EMF radiofrequency radiation from devices like Wi-Fi routers include:
- Childhood leukemia
- Brain tumors
- Genotoxic effects
- Neurological effects
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Immune system deregulation
- Allergic and inflammatory responses
- Breast cancer
- Miscarriage
- Cardiovascular effects
If you are serious about protecting yourself and your loved ones from potentially harmful EMF radiation, removing the Wi-Fi router from your home might be one of the steps that you should consider taking. However, for many families, going without Wi-Fi isn’t an option.
Some products that can lessen the EMF emissions from your Wi-Fi router are (Amazon links):
Some Wi-Fi routers that emit lower levels of EMFs are (Amazon links):
- TP-Link N300 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router
- Linksys EA6350 Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router for Home
- Tenda N301 N300 Wireless Wi-Fi Router
Step #7: Purchase EMF Shielding Products
There are specific devices on the market that act as a shield against EMF radiation. They can be installed in your home at strategic points and can limit the amount of EMF radiation that you and your loved ones are exposed to.
Some of the most popular EMF shielding products include pouches and cases for your phone. Other popular EMF protection devices can even shield your entire bag and are used by law enforcement to conceal classified documents and computer files.
EMF Phone Protection
Some of the most popular EMF protection shields for phones on the market today are cases or pouches that your phone can sit in either at home or in your pocket.
These include products such as the SYB 5G Phone Shield Anti-EMF Radiation Protection Shield and the Silent Pocket Large Faraday Bag Cage Cell Phone Sleeve Pouch (Amazon) which blocks all wireless signals.
However, I recommend the Defendershield cell phone case. Check out all my top 5 picks.
EMF Whole Bag Protections
Some entire bags are made with protective layers that can block out the wireless signals of any device. This is to limit espionage or data hacking, as well as those trying to steal your identity.
These are also very effective for blocking the EMF wavelengths from your devices away from you. A great option used by government personnel is the Mission Darkness X2 Faraday Duffel Bag + Detachable MOLLE Faraday Pouch (Amazon).
What Are Electromagnetic Fields?
The world today is full of electromagnetic fields. They are everywhere. However, some are found to be more powerful and more damaging to the human body than others.
The EPA defines electric and magnetic fields as follows:
- Electricity comes in various voltages, which is how it is measured. If the voltage is high, then the corresponding field will be more energetic.
- Since electricity flows from one place to another, this flow creates another phenomenon known as magnetic fields. Magnetic fields are created by the flow of power, and the basic idea is that the more power in the current, the stronger the magnetic field will be.
When we talk about EMF radiation, we are talking about how electricity and magnetism interact. Understanding how electric and magnetic fields interact will help us to understand EMF radiation and how it fluctuates. Magnetic fields vary as electricity flows to products plugged in at your home. However, electric fields have voltage even if there is no flow to electrical appliances.
Which Products Emit EMFs?
Since electricity is present in all items that are either continuously plugged in or need to be plugged in to charge, EMFs are present in many items.
Some objects that emit EMFs include the following:
- Cellular devices: tablets and cell phones
- Smart meters
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi routers
- Televisions
EMFs are also known as radiation, and since virtually everything emits radiation in varying degrees, it is essential to know which products emit higher and more damaging levels of EMF radiation.
#1 Cellular Devices, Tablets, And Computers
Products that charge with cables emit small doses of EMFs on their own. These devices will be issuing a low level of EMFs when they are on, even if the screen is locked and dark. When plugged in, these devices will emit more EMFs at higher levels. The flow of electricity in the wall to the outlet also creates more electromagnetic radiation while the devices are charging.
Radio Frequency in Cellular Devices, Tablets, And Computers
Another form of non-ionizing radiation emitted by cell phones, tablets, and laptops is radiofrequency energy. According to the FDA, radiofrequency is the wavelength that cell phones use to communicate with cell phone towers. Radiofrequency is still being studied to determine the effect of its wavelengths on the human body and whether there are damaging side effects.
Microwave Frequency in Cellular Devices
Cellular devices that transmit data on mobile networks, such as cell phones and tablets, emit shortwave microwave lengths. PBS reported on the spectrum of wavelengths that cell phones use, which include microwaves. These shorter microwave wavelengths are more damaging to the human body. Microwave ovens are much shorter wavelengths than cell phones.
#2 Smart Meters
A smart meter is an electronic device that transmits radio frequencies from your home very long distances. The smart meter can read and detect the amount of gas or electricity consumption being used inside the house.
The smart meter then uses radiofrequency wavelengths to transmit this information to the company that installed it. This is an excellent product because meter readers are no longer required to go from house to house, reading the output of gas and electricity on your meter.
Damage of Smart Meters to Humans
According to the American Cancer Society, since these devices are placed outside of the home, they are further from people and are less harmful.
The spokesperson for the company of Con Edison, Bob McGee, said that the radiofrequency wavelengths emitted from smart meters are less than the exposure an individual would get from a cell phone.
Some products that can be used to limit the EMFs emitted from Smart Meters include:
- Smart Meter Guard EMF Shield Cover (Amazon)
- Smart Meter Cover RF Radiation Shield (website). Check out my review.
#3 Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Routers
If you have the internet in your home, the odds are that you are no longer “wired” directly into the outlet with an ethernet cable. Most families have Wi-Fi routers that transmit the internet connection signal over a small area the size of a typical home.
Also, Bluetooth connection of devices to other devices, such as phones to speakers and even smart appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, and even barbeques, all emit small levels of EMFs.
Damage of Wi-Fi Routers and Bluetooth Transmitters?
The damage of Bluetooth transmitters to humans has not been researched thoroughly, even though they release individual radio waves, much like Wi-Fi routers, which have been researched.
Wi-Fi routers have a large amount of electrical and magnetic energy emitted from them. According to the EPA, individual radio waves from Wi-Fi routers and Bluetooth are considered “high levels.”
#4 Televisions
Another product that virtually every household has is a television. Some homes have multiple TVs with the Houston Chronicle reporting that a study found nearly sixty-four percent of American homes had at least one TV in the master bedroom. Business Insider found in a survey that the average American home has about 2.3 TVs in it.
Damage of Television Radiation
There is a big difference between older televisions and newer televisions. Older, box-style televisions can emit x-rays, which are much more damaging on the EMF spectrum of wavelengths.
Sitting a six-foot distance away from box-style TVs is recommended. Newer TVs do not emit X-rays, but they still emit concentrations of EMFs that could be potentially harmful.
Non-Ionizing Vs. Ionizing Radiation
Even though radiation is all around us, there are different forms of radiation, and some can be more damaging than others. The CDC recognizes both non-ionizing radiation and ionizing radiation has wavelengths that have the potential to be harmful to our food, our water, and our bodies, causing diseases such as cancer.
Ionizing Radiation
Ionizing radiation travels through items and is unseen and sometimes unable to be detected. It is a form of radiation that acts upon whatever it comes in contact with by eliminating electrons from atoms and other molecules of things like air, water, and the human body. These include radiation types such as microwaves and x-rays.
Damage from Ionizing Radiation
Even in small doses, ionizing radiation can be harmful to the cellular structure of living organisms at close range. These damages can include skin burns or injury. Prolonged exposure has been shown to even cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization or WHO.
Non-Ionizing Radiation
The difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation is that non-ionizing radiation does not have the strength to remove electrons from atoms or molecules. Non-ionizing radiation is not as intense and is separated from ionizing radiation on the spectrum of wavelengths by ultraviolet light wavelengths.
Damage from Non-Ionizing Radiation
We are exposed to non-ionizing radiation regularly from all devices that use electricity and even from the electrical wiring carrying a current in our homes. Little evidence has been shown that serious health effects can happen to humans from this exposure.
Non-ionizing radiation is something that creates heat and can harm the skin in this way, but this is rare. However, there is no conclusive evidence one way or the other, so limiting EMFs in a room can be a good idea, and there is no harm in it.
Conclusion
Being aware of the possible dangers associated with EMF radiation is an excellent first step in addressing the problem. In our lives today, EMFs are everywhere, so knowing where they are coming from and what we can do to protect ourselves from them can help us to do our part to keep our families safe.
Even though there are protection products out there that you can buy, some of the best practices come from distancing yourself from the sources of EMFs and unplugging devices from electrical power when they are not in use.
Distancing and unplugging is especially important for areas where you will be in prolonged contact with the EMFs, such as in your bedroom. Keep in mind that many studies are still being done to determine just how dangerous EMFs can be. Right now, the microwave cellular service and Wi-Fi router EMFs seem to be considered the most damaging. Do your part and take steps now that can limit your exposure to the potential dangers of EMFs.