Wireless Safety: Sources and Solutions
This article is written as supplemental support for the Wireless Safety Card (front/back) designed and distributed by Clear Light Ventures.
This article will cover the most common sources of wireless radiation and offer a range of choices to reduce or eliminate exposure. On the card, the choices that are completely safe and which will fully eliminate exposure are highlighted by a green dot. The solutions that help to reduce exposure are highlighted by a yellow dot. For all of these sources of exposure, moving the device farther away or moving yourself farther from the device will rapidly reduce exposure. Every time you double the distance, exposure is reduced by 75%. Also, additional common sources of exposure that could not fit on the card are listed below.
Additional details on the most commonly reported symptoms and references are also included (topics covered on the back of the Wireless Safety Card).
Baby Monitor
Safe
Turn off and do not use.
Use a wired baby monitor, camera, or microphone that does not emit any wireless radiation. Keep wires and cords far away from the crib.
Reduce Exposure
Move far away from child, ideally to the other side of the room.
Use a wireless baby monitor with analog signals and lower frequency, like the Safety 1st Crystal Clear Baby Monitor.
Use a wireless baby monitor with reduced radiation and digital pulses like the SmartNova Baby Monitor.
Place shielding products or material between the baby monitor and the child to reduce or eliminate exposure in the crib area. Use a meter to confirm the reduction in exposure.
Wireless Baby Monitors (Video)
Wi-Fi Router
Safe
Turn off Wi-Fi and use a wired Ethernet connection.
Reduce Exposure
Reduce power level. Some Wi-Fi units allow the power level to be adjusted in the administration software. Set the power level as low as it can be set while the network still functions reasonably well.
Replace your router with an Eco Wi-Fi router. This specially configured router allows the beaconing signal to be set to be as low as once a second (1 Hz), instead of the default of 10 Hz, which reduces radiation exposure by about 90%. It also allows the power level to be adjusted.
Turn off at night or minimally during sleep hours. Some Wi-Fi routers will have a software setting that can be used to turn the Wi-Fi signal on a regular schedule. If your Wi-Fi doesn’t have that, you can try using an electric power timer or a wireless power remote (not a constant signal).
Turn Wi-Fi on only when needed. Some Wi-Fi models have a button that allows immediate activation and de-activation of the Wi-Fi signal without turning the unit on or off (this NetGear model). Some light timers can be used to turn on lights for 2 or 4 hours and then will automatically turn off after that period has elapsed.
Turn off 5Ghz. If your router has a 5 Ghz band, turn it off.
Use a shielded box or shielding material to reduce the signal strength (see LessEMF.com).
Add shielding material to reduce or eliminate the signal strength near bedrooms. Use a meter to confirm the reduction. (see LessEMF.com)
Relocate the Wi-Fi router far away from bedrooms.
Constant Wireless Exposure: Wi-Fi (Video)
Cordless Phone
Safe
Replace with a corded phone.
Reduce Exposure
Turn off main base station at night (unplug or use timer).
Relocate the base station unit far away from bedrooms.
Add shielding material to reduce or eliminate the signal strength near bedrooms. Use a meter to confirm the reduction.
Use an Eco-DECT phone, which lowers or turns off the constant signal when the phone is in the handset.
Constant Wireless Exposure: Cordless Phone Base Stations (Video)
Cell Phone
Safe
Turn phone off.
Reduce Exposure
Use the phone far away from body and head (use speakerphone or air-tube headset).
Carry the phone away from the body in a purse or backpack.
Make sure you have read the warning on your phone and know the minimum distance the phone needs to be away from your body to comply with FCC safety standards. Touching the phone to the ear or directly against the head can expose you to wireless levels that are 3-4 times the FCC limit, which is already well above levels of exposure that have been shown to cause biological harm.
Use airplane mode to reduce exposure. Airplane mode used to turn off all wireless signals, but now Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can still be on as well as near field communications and signals to track the location of the phone.
Keep phone in a shielded cover or pouch, ideally still as far as possible from the body.
Turn off LTE and allow the phone to use the 3G and 2G networks. On an iPhone, Setting->Cellular->Cellular Data->LTE Enable to Off.
Minimize use when the phone has a weak signal (1 or 2 bars). This is when the phone will use higher power levels to try to reach the cell tower. You will also see reduced signals when you are surrounded by metal, as is the case when you are inside of a car, train, airplane, or elevator.
Turn off background app data updates (Settings->General->Background App Refresh->Off)
Keep your cell phone away from your bed and bedroom and ideally off or in airplane mode at night (with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off).
Cell Phone Safety Tips (Video)
Laptop
Safe
Use Ethernet cable and turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Reduce Exposure
Move off lap to table top.
Use a shielded pad, like a HaraPad or DefenderShield.
Laptop Safety Tips (Video)
iPad/Tablet
Safe
Use Ethernet cable and turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. See this video for iPad instructions.
Reduce Exposure
Move off lap to table top.
Use a shielded pad, like a HaraPad or DefenderShield.
iPad Safety Tips (Video)
Smart Meter
Safe
Opt-out, use analog meter.
Reduce Exposure
Shield from wireless signal.
The remaining sources were not listed on the wireless card due to space constraints, but are still very common and should be reviewed to reduce wireless exposure.
Cell Tower
Safe
Live at least ¼ mile away (see antennasearch.com). This is an approximate guideline. It is always best to measure the exposure, especially in your sleep environment. Building biology guidelines for wireless (Microwave/RF) exposure are based on average peak levels of exposure.
Reduce Exposure
Shield from wireless signal. Confirm the wireless levels are reduced by measuring with a wireless/RF meter or hiring an EMF expert like a building biologist to measure your exposure.
Video Games
Safe
Use a wired Ethernet connection for Internet access.
Use wired remotes.
Disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other wireless signals, if possible.
Reduce Exposure
Minimize use, limit interactive screen time.
Wireless Weather Stations
Safe
Turn off.
Use a thermometer that doesn’t transmit wirelessly.
Use a wired weather stations.
Reduce Exposure
Shield from wireless signal.
Wireless Alarm Systems
Safe
Use a wired alarm system or camera.
Reduce Exposure
Shield from wireless signal.
Wireless Thermostats
Safe
Turn off wireless network connection.
Wireless Smoke and CO Alarms
Safe
Turn off wireless network connection.
Replace with smoke alarms and CO alarms that do not constantly emit wireless signals.
Wireless Symptoms
The back of the Wireless Safety Card highlights some of the most common symptoms reported by wireless exposure.
Sperm Damage
Insomnia
Ringing in Ears
Anxiety
Headaches
Attention Problems
Memory Problems
And More…
References
Wireless/RF: WHO Class 2B carcinogen (2011)
Pall, Martin L. "Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression." Journal of chemical neuroanatomy (2015).
Sepehrimanesh, Masood, and Devra Lee Davis. "Proteomic impacts of electromagnetic fields on the male reproductive system." Comparative Clinical Pathology (2016): 1-5.
Overpowered: The Dangers of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF) and What You Can Do about It, Martin Blank, Ph.D 2014