Adapt to the changing environment
EMF Questions and Answers
Here we have some typical common questions we respond to on a regular basis regarding EMF concerns. If the answers to your questions aren't here, please get in touch.
​
​Smart Meters
There is a smart meter on my house, is this a problem for me?
A smart meter on a house is much less of a problem than what we may read on the internet. Firstly, ignore any USA based information you find on Youtube or other social media. Here in NZ it’s a little different. Basically, unless you are sleeping next to it or within 2m, and therefore exposed to a magnetic field, then it is unlikely to be an issue in most cases. While we do have RF transmitting meters, in some situations your meter may be set up to transmit more often and the signal strength may be turned up if you are more rural. Which is only in a few cases. In most urban areas meters only transmit a few times a day and with low signal strength due to their being plenty of cell phone coverage. If the meter is fitted a garage wall on the other side of the house from where you sleep, it’s not an issue. If you have read somewhere about covering it up, stop and read my blog on the subject. This will give you the low down on all the issues with covering a meter. There are many configurations to smart meters and positions within a home. If in doubt about yours, get in touch with us to understand your situation. Blog here: https://www.earthwaves.co.nz/post/smart-meters-to-cover-or-not-to-cover.
​
Cell Phones
Does a radiation sticker on my phone reduce levels of radiation?
In a simple word, the answer is no. If you place any ‘radiation blocking’ patch or sticker on a phone, with a view to impeding the radiation, the intelligence of the phone will simple increase power to the antenna and increase radiation. The best thing to do is avoid trying to block or reduce radiation, let your phone do its thing and connect when it needs to. Reduce your exposure by managing the four transmitters which are Cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth and mobile data, turning them off when not in use. Take all calls hands free on speaker phone. Read the RF Exposure guidelines in the T’s and C’s of your phone which will say keep the phone 5 to 8 mm away from your body when using it. The exposure guidelines state this because it is well known that radiation increases the closer you are to a transmitting device and the stated SAR (specific absorption rate) increases when pressed against your ear and exceeds their limits they state.
​
Does a faraday pouch for the phone block all radiation or can I still receive calls?
A faraday cell phone pouch will block all signals and therefore all calls and messages. This is the purpose of the pouch. Some pouches may have a front pocket which allows a signal but still blocks on the opposite side. The other main reason for a cell phone pouch is for security and to keep your phone protected from hackers. These are the types of pouches we stock in EMFShop.
Which cell phones have the least radiation?
Most smart phones have very similar levels of radiation which is measured as a SAR value (specific absorption rate). These numbers look like 1.08 W/Kg as in the case of the iPhone 16. The values are Watts per Kg, ie how much energy is absorbed per unit of body weight. The upper limit for cell phones is 1.6 W/Kg so the lower number the better. This information should be in the T’s and C’s of the phone. Note that this tested level is for specific frequency bands and does not show the overall exposure or the typical usage conditions. Basically put, your phone will emit more radiation than they are tested to. You can compare SAR of phones herehttps://www.rfsafe.com/sar/
References:
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/specific-absorption-rate-sar-cell-phones-what-it-means-you
​
Head Phones, Airpods and Bluetooth Ear Pieces
Do AirPods and similar Bluetooth ear phones emit a lot of radiation and are they safe?
To understand if these are safe it is necessary to understand a little about how they work. It is well known that they connect with Bluetooth to a transmitting device like a cell phone, but they also connect from one ear piece to the other using magnetic fields with a system called Near Field Magnetic Induction or NFMI at a specific frequency. Apple AirPods use 13.56MHz. So what this means is that when placed in the ear, not only are they emitting Bluetooth radio frequency radiation that pulses and fluctuates from 2.4GHz to 2.4835GHz but they also connect to each other with a magnetic field using 13.56MHz. When testing these by placing an RF meter in between them while broadcasting the radiation is very similar to standing 5 metres from a typical WiFi router. Given that this RF radiation is pulse modulated and has altered natural signal characteristics you need to ask yourself the question are these safe for you? Are you happy with high levels of RF radiation pushing RF transmissions inside your ear canal? Modern Bluetooth hearing aids work very similar as do Bluetooth headphones. Safety testing follows similar guidelines to cell phones using SAR limits which the regulatory standards state, that this does not cover all usage conditions.
​
Cell Phone Towers
How do you protect a house from cell phone tower radiation?
If you are in the unfortunate position to have elevated radio frequency radiation affecting your home, there are a few ways to shield from this issue. For hard wall surfaces either inside or outside the home, we use shielding paints. These are a graphite based powder that is simply mixed with water. Two layers are generally sufficient in most cases. Depending on the surface material, applying a sealing coat might be needed and once the shielding paint is applied, top coats of your preferred paint would also be necessary. For other soft areas, we have different shielding fabrics that can be used as net curtains to place across windows or placed within the lining of a curtain to block radiation when drawn across the window. We also have window films that are specifically designed to block radiation as glass does very little to reduce cell phone tower radio frequency. Fabrics can also be used underfloor or behind GiB board if you are doing renovations or building. There are also specific types of internal lining materials that are more effective than others at reducing radiation. Get in touch for details about those. Understand that each home and environment is different and solutions to reduce radiation may differ between locations. All paints and fabrics are specifically designed for blocking and reducing radio frequency radiation from cell phone towers. Get in touch with us to understand more about your situation.
Does cell phone tower radiation pass through the walls of my house?
The answer to this is yes, RF radiation from cell phone towers will pass through many different types of materials. As it does this, the radiation will decrease to varying degrees. This is called attenuation. If your home is clad with the standard weather board, then the radiation will pass through quite easily. Other materials like corrugated iron, brick or concrete plaster, have a higher level of reduction. Window glass does very little to block radiation, including double glazing. Some types of windows like gas filled double or triple glazing do however block more radiation. Corrugated iron roofing materials do block and reflect RF radiation. While this is useful to know for blocking, know also that radiation will reflect off this material and may concentrate in different areas. An example of this is a two story house overlooking a single level home with corrugated iron roof, nearby cell tower radiation may reflect into the second story of the home. We mention this as an example to first highlight the importance of measuring and understanding the RF in your environment.
There is a cell phone tower down the street about 150m, is the radiation strong enough to affect me?
If you are this close to the cell phone tower, then yes a high level of radiation will likely be entering your house if you have line of sight to the tower. If the tower is behind trees, other buildings, then the radiation will be markedly reduced. But in all cases, measuring first to assess the RF levels is necessary to understand if an issue exists. Being close to a tower doesn't necessarily correlate to high radiation, as the transmitters may be angled away from your direct path. RF propagates from a transmitter in particular patterns in certain directions. Measuring your environment to understand if the radiation is an issue is the first step. If the transmitters are facing your home, your bedroom or lounge areas, then you can expect increased levels of radio frequency. In the first instance, if a tower is erected near your home, pay attention to your own health and make note of any changes consistent with sudden RF radiation, such as headaches or head pain, ringing in the ears, high pitch noises, tingly or itchy skin, brain fog, disturbed sleep/dreams, agitation, dehydration etc. If this is the case then it might be worth understanding about shielding solutions. See previous question.
What is a brief summary of what a cell phone tower does?
Cell phone towers or base stations in short, emit high levels of radio frequency into the surrounding areas to allow communication technologies to connect and share data. From an EMF perspective, they broadcast thousands of modified radio frequencies both intentionally and unintentionally that have altered signal characteristics from nature. They broadcast in specifically tuned bands of frequencies for the purpose of communication. One of the consequences of this is that it creates unwanted interference. As frequencies bang together like stones being thrown into a pond, each frequency hitting another frequency creates disorder. This disorder is basically a type of electro pollution waste known as incoherent noise. This means that cell phone tower transmitters generate thousands of unnaturally modified frequencies that have fluctuation modulations all the time with many different signal characteristics and power levels.
​
Routers and WiFi
Are some WiFi routers better than others?
Older versions of routers have lower levels of RF radiation due basically to the evolution of the technology. The older routers also usually have settings to allow you to reduce power output as a percentage. This functionality seems to have been removed in newer models. In some cases your router may have an external button to turn WiFi off (which still keeps the internet connected so you can access through ethernet cables). Older routers also only use to have one WiFi signal. Modern routers have multiple WiFi signals and also emit 3G and 4G frequencies. Modern routers have more power to the antennas and therefore can transmit further which equates to higher levels of radiation.
My WiFi router is next the my desk in my home office, is this a good place for it?
In terms of RF radiation exposure, absolutely not. The closer you are to the router, the higher the level of radiation. Up close to a WiFi router the RF measures extremely high which reduces and scatters with distance. Create as much distance as you can from your router during times when you are using WiFi. Consider also your device line of sight to the router and avoid positioning yourself in-between the router and device. In our experience, people who have spent lots of time very close to WiFi emitting routers feel effects like heating of the skin, brain fog, headaches, numbness, ringing in the ears etc.
How can I reduce the WiFi radiation from my router?
If your router does not have power reduction settings to adjust, then the best way to reduce the WiFi radiation is to cover the router with a purposeful cover (links below). These covers are designed to reduce the RFR emitted from the router by up to 95% but will not eliminate it. These covers are very useful when a router is located close to where you spend time but don’t need the full power of the WiFi signal.
https://www.emfshop.co.nz/product-page/wifi-router-faraday-guard-box
A common solution to reduce WiFi is to ensure it is turned off at night to avoid exposure while sleeping. To make this easier, simply use a plug in timer attached to the power plug of the router.
Note that if your WiFi is turned off at night, any devices like TV’s, laptops, Chromecasts, boosters etc that where connected to it, will also need to be turned off as they then send out strong signals searching for the missing WiFi.
We use a broadband router in our home, what do we need to know about this type?
Broadband routers emit the most radiation when compared to other models. These type of routers are used typically when a home has no Fibre connection and with the disconnection of the the old copper lines, this router becomes a common option. Broadband routers connect to the cell phone tower network with a sim card, much like a cell phone. They create a wireless internet connection, then broadcast WiFi signals into your home for you to connect your devices to. This basically means very high levels of RF radiation across many different modulating frequencies.
We use boosters to get the signal around the house, what does this do to the radiation levels?
Boosters by their nature, pick up your WiFi signal and boost signal strength across wider areas that your router might not be able to reach. Some emit very high levels of radiation, some less so. They basically change the profile of your WiFi (RF radiation) across a wider area increasing the strength and broadcast area.
I get lots of WiFi signals on my phone when at home, does this mean more radiation is coming into my house?
Simply put the answer is no, it is not a measure of radiation levels. When your phone is searching for a WiFi signal it sends out a WiFi probe to look for networks to connect to which will extend out many 10’s of metres. The WiFi signals it picks up are also pushing out probes over a longer distance from higher power antennas from other homes. What you see on your screen are the searched signals outside at some distance away. If you did connect to one, you essential draw it closer to you as the power to the antennas waxes and wanes during use.
​
Solar Power
Can solar power affect the EMF in the house?
Yes, there is a considerable EMF footprint when adding solar power to your house. First of all the inverter when under load has a strong magnetic field around it that extends out 2 metres so positioning of this unit is important. The solar panels themselves have no significant EMF footprint except around cabling but this is only during the main parts of the day. The biggest issue, is the introduction of dirty electricity from the inverter. The inverters do not have a perfectly generated sinusoidal waveform. Each inverter states in its specifications a THD or Total Harmonic Distortion value which will range from 1% to 8%. The lower the value, the less distortion of the waveform is present which equates to a level of dirty electricity. Whenever the inverter is under load, during the day the dirty electricity will be high. If you have added battery storage then the inverter will still be in use during the night and therefore introduce dirty electricity into the EMF night time profile. Dirty electricity is basically Unwanted Electrical Disturbances (UED) that is present within the electric fields that influence our home, where we sit, work and sleep. We have a full factsheet on this subject detailing all the issues associated with solar power and dirty electricity on EMFShop here https://www.emfshop.co.nz/product-page/dirty-electricity-emf-guide.
​
Cars
What is the difference in EMF between electric cars and petrol cars?
The big difference is the distribution of magnetic fields. Both types of cars have strong magnetic fields. In petrol cars, these are generated at the front of the car and so influence the front seats and to a lesser extent the rear seats. In electric cars the magnetic fields from motors and cabling is more distribution a long the length of the chassis and so influence the rear seats more than in petrol cars. All magnetic field measurements in cars is elevated from 20 to 40 times higher than a typical lounge seat in your house. The other big consideration is that charging an electric car there is a high level of dirty electricity from the charger. This is just the pulsing nature of how chargers work. There is also a strong magnetic field from the charging cabling.
Many modern cars also have high levels of radio frequency, from Bluetooth, WiFi and cellular connections which relay data back to the provider. Other sensors and technology in modern cars also emit high frequencies such as forward, rear and side radar.
​​
Security Cameras and Baby Monitors
We have wireless security cameras, what does this mean for WiFi radiation?
Wireless security cameras do have a high levels of radio frequency when connected and under operation. Often multiple cameras are coupled together around a property which will all connect to your WiFi network or in some cases create a seperate WiFi network with their own independent router. In either case, high levels of RF are used to pass around a property and through walls or across open spaces to ensure constant connectivity for each camera.
Very similar high levels of RF radiation is used with wireless baby monitors. The closer a baby monitor camera is to a sleeping baby, the higher the levels of radiation. The receiving unit sometimes placed in the parents bedroom will also introduce RF radiation in to this area.
​
Protection Devices
Do whole house harmonisers do anything to protect me?
Chances are, very unlikely. There are a large number of devices that plug in to your house sockets and make claims about harmonising and protecting from 5G. In our experience, these devices are all scams. Over the years we have tested and dismantled a diverse range of plug in devices. All devices so far have nothing inside that creates any sort of effect or level of protection. The marketing material for these devices is very clever but behind the curtain, once you strip away the complex wording they use, there is ever only anecdotal evidence and fake references. AS an example it is quite common to fill these devices with foam or resin. The cost of these is also hyped up and can set you back many dollars. If you are interested in a certain product, please get in touch to ask if we have tested them. Chances are, we have.
Does shungite block or reduce radiation from cell towers?
Shungite gets is notoriety with EMF because many years ago in Russia (where it originates from) they used it in a crushed state mixed with paint to shield certain areas. They used shungite as it is a conductive material. Today shielding paints use fine particles of graphite in the mix. Shungite does not emit enough natural resonance to block or shield RF radiation. A pendant, pyramid or polished stone of shungite will not harmonise, reduce or block any area from unnatural radio frequency from a cell phone tower or WiFi router.
​
​
