Staying Safe at Home During the Corona Crisis

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental health advocates are encouraging families to adopt safe behaviors regarding wireless technology—especially as millions of students, home from closed schools, stream hours of lessons each day online, according to the National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy which sponsors wireless technology research.

These health advocates cite the growing body of independent, peer-reviewed scientific studies demonstrating significant biological harm from long-term exposure to radiation emitted by wireless devices.^{1, 2} They say that everyone should consider taking simple steps to reduce their exposure. 

"In addition to the myriad of problems posed by kids sitting in front of computer screens hour after hour, parents may not realize that, with wireless devices, children are being exposed to constant radiation," says Theodora Scarato of Environmental Health Trust. The organization shows on its website how to set up a safe technology workspace. "Wireless laptops, tablets, phones and game consoles transmit and receive microwave radiation constantly. Better to first pre-download videos or games and then turn the device into airplane mode as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics."

"If your child is used to playing with a smartphone, make sure it's in airplane mode," explains Kurt Cobb of SafeG Alliance which recommends wired connections. "Their skulls are thinner and smaller and their nervous systems are developing, so under no conditions should a child hold a cell phone near his or her body except in airplane mode." ^{3, 4}

"The science is clear about the risks of exposure," says Doug Wood, one of the founders of Americans for Responsible Technology, a national coalition of organizations advocating for hard-wired technologies. "It's not a question of whether or not a child can be harmed by wireless radiation. We just don't know which children will be harmed, or how that harm will manifest itself."

"Practicing safe behaviors with wireless technology is more important now than ever," comments Ellie Marks of the California Brain Tumor Association. "Children's brains absorb far more wireless radiation, a possible human carcinogen, than adults." ^{5, 6, 7}

"It is not difficult to make your devices safer by connecting an Ethernet cable directly to them. Some might require adapters. But this way, you can turn the wireless antennas off, and you and your child can have access to the internet without the radiation from the data transmission," says Cece Doucette of Wireless Education. "And turning your router off overnight gives the whole family a break from radiation while sleeping."

"Studies demonstrate neurological impacts from device-based radiation, such as anxiety, confusion, depression and, in teens especially, memory loss. Physicians for Safe Technology has tips for using wireless devices more safely," says Dr. Cindy Russell who heads the group.^{8, 9, 10}

For more information:

Americans for Responsible Technology - [email protected] 
California Brain Tumor Association - [email protected]
Environmental Health Trust - [email protected]
Physicians for Safe Technology - [email protected]
SafeG - [email protected]
Wireless Education - [email protected]

CITATIONS

¹ Bandara, Priyanka, and David O Carpenter. "Planetary Electromagnetic Pollution: It Is Time to Assess Its Impact." The Lancet Planetary Health 2, no. 12 (December 1, 2018): e512–14.

² Gadi Lissak. "Adverse physiological and psychological effects of screen time on children and adolescents: Literature review and case study." Environmental Research, Volume 164, 2018, Pages 149-157, ISSN 0013-9351.

³ Fernández, C., A.A. de Salles, M.E. Sears, R.D. Morris, D.L. Davis. "Absorption of wireless radiation in the child versus adult brain and eye from cell phone conversation or virtual reality." Environmental Research, 2018, ISSN 0013-9351.

⁴ Gandhi, O. P. (2019). "Microwave Emissions From Cell Phones Exceed Safety Limits in Europe and the US When Touching the Body." IEEE Access, 7, 47050-47052.

⁵ Fernandez-Rodriguez, C.E., A.A.A. De Salles and Devra Lee Davis. "Dosimetric Simulations of Brain Absorption of Mobile Phone Radiation–The Relationship Between psSAR and Age."  IEEE Access 3 (2015): 2425-2430.

⁶ IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. "IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part 2: Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields." IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans/World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer vol. 102, 2013.

⁷ Anthony B. Miller, L. Lloyd Morgan, Iris Udasin, Devra Lee Davis. "Cancer epidemiology update, following the 2011 IARC evaluation of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (Monograph 102)." Environmental Research, Volume 167, 2018, Pages 673-683, ISSN 0013-9351.

⁸ Foerster M., Thielens A., Joseph W., Eeftens M., Röösli M. (2018) "A prospective cohort study of adolescents' memory performance and individual brain dose of microwave radiation from wireless communication." Environmental Health Perspectives.  

⁹ Pall M. "Wi-Fi is an important threat to human health." Environmental Research, Volume 164, July 2018, Pages 405-416.

¹⁰ Stiglic N, Viner RM. "Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: a systematic review of reviews." BMJ Open 2019; 9:e023191. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2018-023191

SOURCE National Institute for Science, Law and Public Policy

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