Technology’s widespread influence in today’s world has undoubtedly brought countless benefits to human life. However, not all aspects of technology are beneficial and safe. Most of the devices that are central to our everyday lives, whether they run on AC power or use wireless communication, emit harmful Electromagnetic Field (EMF) radiation. This radiation is an inescapable reality in our modern world, and since we are surrounded by it all the time, no one is ever 100% safe from EMF radiation.
The World Health Organization’s International Agency For Research on Cancer (IARC) says EMFs can potentially cause cancer to humans. We must, therefore, learn about it and take proactive steps to protect ourselves to the best of our abilities.
The Best Forms Of EMF Protection
EMF is a complicated subject considering the extensive range of science you need to understand and the fact that it is intangible. As mentioned earlier, no form of EMF protection will ultimately keep you safe from this radiation because we all use modern technology.
EMF is essentially a pollutant, and as such, an essential step you can take to reduce EMF radiation is limiting your exposure to radiation-emitting technology. You can accomplish this by reducing your use of EMF generating technology and being far away from EMF generating technology when they are in use.
Reducing Your Use Of EMF Generating Technology
Many experts agree that you can successfully protect yourself from harmful EMF exposure by limiting how often you use devices that emit this harmful radiation. Prolonged exposure to pollutants is what often gives them the chance to cause significant damage successfully, so prioritize limiting your exposure by regulating your use. Restricting your use could also mean reducing how much radiation technology you surround yourself with. However, this is easier said than done, given how central such devices are in today’s world.
Maximizing Distance Between You And Devices In Use
While you cannot completely stop modern devices from emitting this harmful radiation, you can capitalize on the proximity factor to protect yourself. Proximity plays a critical factor in EMF radiation – the closer you are, the greater your chances of exposure to higher radiation volumes. However, EMF radiation weakens in range and exponentially lessens in efficacy with distance. Even the slightest of millimeters can be vital to your exposure levels. As such, place a reasonable distance between yourself and the radiation-emitting technology as an obvious but effective way of EMF protection.
Free EMF Protection Options By Reducing The Use Of EMF Generating Technology
Switch Your WiFi Router Off At Night
If you own a wireless router, don’t leave it in the bedroom but rather keep it in a room you barely use. Turning it off altogether at bedtime and whenever it isn’t in can also improve your EMF protection. WiFi is a considerable radiation risk because it is wireless technology, emitting microwave-like EMF radiation as cell phones do. Therefore, leaving your WiFi on at night is harmful because it will try to connect to other electronic devices, filling your home with potentially dangerous Radio Frequency (RF) radiation while you sleep.
Several scientific studies establish a link between this round-the-clock exposure to RF radiation and conditions like infertility, reduced brain activity, impaired cellular growth, impairment in child development, and cancer. As per research from the University of Melbourne’s Department of Electronic Engineering, EMF radiation can also affect your sleep quality, so turning your WiFi off will allow you to sleep better.
While you cannot hide away in a Faraday cage to protect you and your family, you can:
- Turn off your WiFi router before going to bed manually by using a mechanical outlet timer or set a timer on your router. You reduce your exposure by about 33% by prioritizing this.
- Turn off your WiFi on devices like smart TVs, laptops, phones, and kindles.
- Switch off baby monitor and security camera WiFi
- Consider hardwiring your connections by purchasing Ethernet cables, hubs, and adapters. While WiFi can be incredibly convenient, consider using a direct Ethernet connection for your computer. This way, you can still stay connected to the internet without EMF exposure from WiFi. It’s an easy win, and your computer will likely have a strong signal too.
- Use airplane mode on all your devices when not in use. Also, turn off Bluetooth.
- Switch on router only when needed
- Avoid signal boosters and high-powered WiFi to lessen your radiation exposure.
- Buy a WiFi router guard (basically a small Faraday cage to house your router that blocks about 90% of the radiation it emits.)
Trade-in That Bluetooth Smartwatch
Some experts advise that several wearable techs put you at risk of radiation exposure. As such, if you are using a Bluetooth smartwatch to track your activity or sync notifications with your phone, consider trading it for a traditional timepiece. If you treasure your smartwatch too much to part with, ensure that you can turn off its Bluetooth. If yours doesn’t turn off, keep it in any room but your bedroom. Also, don’t use your smartwatch when you don’t need to, like during bedtime – there’s no real reason to track anything then. Limiting your smartwatch’s usage will be crucial to ensuring you don’t suffer any harmful effects of EMF exposure.
Don’t Carry Your Phone Directly Against Your Body
While EMF radiation comes from various sources like your smart refrigerators and WiFi router, your cell phone arguably remains your most significant source of exposure to it. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies the electromagnetic fields and radio frequencies that cellphones produce as Class 2B carcinogens, sharing the same category with harmful substances like chloroform and gasoline fumes. As such, even reputed phone manufacturers like Apple advise that you carry it at least 10 mm away from you. Therefore, never hold your phone directly against your body to avoid putting it near EMF radiation.
Practical strategies you can try to lessen cellphone radiation are:
- Avoid secondhand exposure to cell phone radiation by limiting the time you spend in places where several people are close together and using their phones.
- Consider turning off your phone or switching to airplane mode when not in use.
- Please turn off your phone when it has a low signal, or wait for better service. Scientists say your phone emits more radiation when your signal is weak, so put it away when you ride planes, cars, buses, and trains. Enclosed metal areas like elevators and the above-listed transport modes are weak signal hotspots. Therefore, your moving cell phone continually tries to connect with increased effort as cell towers come in and out of range. This causes it to emit more radiofrequency radiation, so it would be best to always wait for a good signal before using your phone.
- Keep your distance from your cell phone. Yes, this includes not carrying it around in your pockets and bras. Use a backpack, purse, or belt clip instead to house your cell phone. Also, during calls, it would help to switch to speakerphone or use a wired headset.
- Consider texting or email instead of calling.
- Use landlines for longer calls.
- Use speaker phones, earphones, or a radiation-free headset for calls to keep your phone at arm’s reach.
- Don’t wear your Bluetooth device always, as these wireless earpieces are also EMF radiation culprits.
Get Rid Of Your Microwave Oven
Microwaves emit an intense amount of EMF radiation, putting them at the top of the list of devices to reduce the usage of to avoid EMF radiation. Although your microwave’s interior keeps some of the radiation inside like a Faraday cage, you would still detect alarming radiation levels using an EMF meter. Depending on your proximity to your microwave, the radiation levels could be thousands more potent than your cell phone! Research is increasingly showing that EMF radiation can cause significant damage to your DNA and body. As such, get rid of your microwave as an effective way to reduce EMF radiation around the home. Household microwaves experienced heavy usage only since the 1980s, and before then, people cooked just as well as we do today. Eliminating your convenience might leave you slightly frustrated, but it’s a significant step to kicking those harmful radio frequencies away.
Air Dry Your Hair
Hairdryers work through radiation, in fact, a significant amount of radiation. Did you know that your hairdryer emits roughly 40 milligauss to 20,000 milligauss in EMFs? For context, your microwave emits 100-500 milligauss. If you’re willing to part with your microwave, you should also be kicking your hairdryer to the curb.
Consider Delaying Your Smart Home Upgrade
The rise of IoT (Internet of Things) has brought with it the smart home revolution. The smart home has put to bed common homeowner concerns like “Did I set the security alarm?”, “Did I leave the iron on? etc. You can manage several of these concerns using your smartphone or tablet, as long as you connect your appliances to the internet. From smart sockets to WiFi controlled air conditioners, many companies integrate wireless emitting tech into every aspect of the home. But are these smart homes worth it?
An important question to ask is, ‘Can you do without them?’ Several experts advise that you skip several smart gadgets if they add no real value to your life. Technology, like smart meters, relies on WiFi and Bluetooth. By installing them in your home, you’re continually exposing yourself to the dangers of EMF. Unfortunately, you can’t quickly turn them off when not in use, so stay the course of traditional switches. Generally, if you can do without many of these fancy devices, consider skipping them.
It would be best if you considered the health risk due to EMF radiation abundance. With each additional smart device, understand that you increase the number of harmful radiation sources in your home. As such, you are at significant risk of facing EMF radiation everywhere you go within your home.
Despite everything that has been discussed so far, it is worthy to note that research is limited to the long-term effect of using these modern technologies. So hang on for now with “WiFi-enabled” and “Bluetooth connectivity” home integration.
Protect Yourself By Maximizing Distance Between You And Devices In Use
Place A Barrier Between You And Your Laptop
Despite their name, many EMF experts advise that laptops aren’t for laps. Radio and low-frequency radiation from these devices pose a primarily ignored threat to our health and wellbeing. Computers, particularly when you connect them to WiFi, account for a significant amount of EMF radiation in your home and office. And without proper EMF protection, you are at risk of several undesirable conditions ranging from infertility to cancer.
Research published in the Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering from the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences indicates that even without a WiFi connection, the electromagnetic fields laptops generate may play a primary role in reducing sperm motility. Other studies suggest it could also affect females’ egg release and even potentially cause miscarriages. As such, keep a laptop as far from your laps as possible.
Swiss researchers also found a link between frequently placing a hot laptop on your lap and skin damage, resulting in skin cancer. Other studies also suggest that people who hold laptops close to their reproductive organs suffer risks of ovarian and testicular cancer.
Therefore, always use your laptop on a desk or table instead of direct body contact. Also, try using the battery when possible. When you use your computer on battery, it emits less EMF.
Place Your Router Far From You
Remember, proximity is crucial to your risk of EMF exposure, so keeping your WiFi router at a safe distance is a practical way of reducing your EMF exposure. EMF is measured according to power density; energy over a surface area. The power density levels are concentrated over the router’s surface area, weakening as you move farther from the router till it completely disappears when you are out of range. As such, distance is your friend when it comes to avoiding EMF from your router.
The EMF lessens due to the inverse-square law. What this scientific law implies is that should you double the distance between yourself and your router, expect 75% less radiation. The inverse of this law is true also – the closer you are, the more exposure you face. Routers typically emit low-gigahertz frequency range EMF radiation that experts consider to be potentially harmful to humans, depending on factors like age, proximity to the router, and exposure duration. Presently, there is no scientific consensus on what distance is “safe“ enough to guarantee protection from your router’s EMF radiation. However, you can use these suggestions as a guide:
- Some EMF experts advise that you stay 30-40 feet away, while others think a distance of at least 10 feet will suffice. Using this method, however, remains subjective – it would help to be as far away as you can while maintaining a good connection for your device.
- Also, keep in mind that radiation from WiFi routers passes through walls to guide you as to where best to locate it.
- Use an EMF meter to guide you when choosing your router’s location. An EMF meter measures the radiation level your router emits at varying distances from it. Multiple experts generally consider readings between 3mW/m 2 and 6mW/m2 safe for the average household.
Place Your Phone In The Centre Console Of Your Vehicle
It would always help remove your phone from your pockets and place it in your car’s center console, a considerable distance away from your body. Experts advise that you do this, especially if you are going to be in the car for an extended period, whether you are a passenger or driver. It is second nature to keep your phone on you, but with the excess metal in your car, your phone will receive too much of a signal boost that can emit higher EMF radiation. If this isn’t an option, you may want to invest in a Wavewall anti-radiation phone case, as it can reduce your radiation exposure by up to 87%.
Never Sleep With Your Phone
According to the Pew Internet Project, 44% of cellphone owners have slept with their phone in bed in anticipation of crucial calls or texts. However, several experts think that this could be a significant health hazard to you due to exposure to EMF radiation. Also, your sleep quality may be suffering due to this habit.
According to science, your cell phone can emit a type of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation on body tissues close to it when you sleep. This radiation disrupts our sleep patterns and immune system. Your cellphone’s blue light also lessons melatonin (sleep hormone) production in your body, making it harder to fall asleep. An extreme solution to this is to place your phone in a different room from your bedroom. However, this may be too far-fetched for many people in the modern world. As such, you can:
- Place your cell phone at least three feet away from your bed to limit radio frequency exposure before you sleep. Also, ensure that your phone is never close to your head when you sleep, as the California Department of Public health warns that this could increase your risk of brain cancer.
- Opt for battery-powered alarm clocks over cellphone alarms.
- Put your phone off altogether for the best results.
- Put your phone in airplane mode.
- Don’t use any electronics one to two hours before bed.
- Stop using sleep tracking apps.
- If you rely on your cell phone for alarms and need to charge it while you sleep, use a power bank instead of a wall socket near your bed.
Remember, sleeping with your phone every night for six to nine hours could mean radiation exposure for 25% to 38% of your life. To prevent this, prioritize always putting your cellphone away before hitting the sack.
Keep All Other Wireless Devices Out Of The Bedroom
Many EMF experts advise that you adopt a general “no EMF devices in the bedroom rule” as a valid code for optimum EMF protection. Aside from the kitchen, your bedroom is where you spend much of your time, so leaving these devices around increases your risk of prolonged radiation exposure. As such, unplug appliances and electronics like your laptop and move them to another room. While we all love reading on our wireless readers, leave them out of the bedroom as well. Just remind yourself that if the technology is wireless, it depends on Bluetooth, WiFi, or both meaning it is a radiation risk that you must keep away from.
Other Types Of EMF Protection
If you’d like to take your protection to the next level, you may be interested in investing in other forms of EMF protection other than the free ones. The following options will help you live your life relatively normally while also offering you EMF protection:
EMF Protection For Your Phone
- Anti-radiation phone cases: Since it is impossible to do without your phone in today’s world, some experts have designed innovative solutions to combat the EMF radiation menace to make your phone safer to use. One such innovation is the anti-radiation phone case. To reduce the negative impacts of EMF associated with cellphones, use a WaveWall anti-radiation phone case. This phone case has innovative shielding technology designed to bounce mobile phone radiation away from your body. Therefore, you can still use your phone usually while benefiting from all-around protection! Additionally, it provides extra protection to your bank cards also, blocking hackers from scanning your cards and stealing data.
- Faraday smartphone bags: These smartphone bags are handy, windowless pouches that borrow the Faraday cage’s concept. By blocking out electromagnetic fields, you receive vital protection from possible harmful EMF radiation. Also, it is very efficient against hackers and stalkers by preventing digital tracking, preventing remote wiping of your phone’s data, etc. Because of the broad protection they offer, these bags are a favorite of the police, intelligence agencies, and personal security.
- Anti-radiation headphones: Do you want to listen to music or podcasts while at your desk? Why don’t you trade-in your Bluetooth headphones for WaveWall air tube headphones to protect your ears and head from radiation? Many conventional headphones will still leave you exposed to mobile phone radiation despite taking other precautions. Your traditional headphones conduct radiation from your phone right up to your brain. However, using proper anti-radiation headphones will reduce this radiation risk by about 99%. Therefore, consider investing in efficient anti-radiation protection for optimum results.
EMF Protection For Your Laptop
Put a barrier between you and your laptop by using a WaveWall laptop shield. If you can’t part with a computer directly on your lap, this pad can reduce the radiation passing through. Also, it deflects your laptop’s heat emissions from your body and reproductive organs. Aside from protecting you and your computer, it also provides some aesthetic appeal, as it is beautifully woven with hi-tech silver strands. Experts have tested these bags in labs and certify them as 85% effective in offering EMF protection. So consider buying this pad as part of your radiation protection plan.
EMF Protection For Your House
- Radiation shields for your appliances: As discussed earlier, home appliances like microwave ovens are widespread in several modern homes for convenience purposes. Therefore, consider using an EMF shield to protect yourself from such appliances if you can’t do without them. EMF shields contain high-conductivity aluminum layers that can reduce radiation from your microwave device by up to 78%. So consider using radiation shields for further home EMF protection.
- Use EMF/RF shielding films: Most of the radiation that penetrates your home enters through your windows. Therefore, consider using EMF shielding films as a great way to protect your home from EMF radiation. These EMF shields can reduce up to 99% of 5GHz (many cell phone signals work at 2.4 GHz). Additionally, these films are easy to install. All you need to do is to cut the size you need and apply it over the window.
- Protective baby blankets: If you have babies, it would be best to prioritize using protective coverings to keep them safe. Several experts advise that you use these blankets because children are at a greater risk of suffering radiation exposure –related issues than adults due to their weakened immune systems.
- Protective canopies for sleeping: For better sleep quality and optimum protection from in-house radiation, try protective canopies. Some protective shelters can lessen exposure by a reported 95-99%, so they are worth considering.
- Eliminate dirty energy using electric filters: Dirty electricity affects your health by radiating magnetic and electrical fields around your home. Get rid of it around your home by eliminating dimmer switches, smart meters, and older LED and halogen fixtures. Also, you can use electric filters to reduce the amount of high-frequency radiation that household appliances generate. The number of electric filters you would need depends on the number of devices you use and not your home size, so keep this in mind.
EMF Protection Paint
In 2015, a 3-bedroom San Francisco luxury apartment was in the news for extensively remodeling to block out all the neighborhood’s WiFi radiation. One of the strategies that the owners used was painting all the external walls, floors, and ceilings with semi-conducting EMF blocking paint. Then, they linked them together with wire strips to create an innovative Faraday cage effect. Today, there are many paints on the market that reduce radio frequency and microwave radiation by a whopping 99%! You can use these paints as a primer and choose to paint over them with standard paints afterward. Several EMF experts advise that you hire a professional electrician for this work, as it requires stuff like a grounding kit and a lot of expertise.
EMF Protective Clothing
Do you remember getting covered with a heavy apron for x-rays during your visits to your dentist and other doctors? That apron likely had lead and other protective materials in it that offer protection from radiation exposure’s effects. While you can’t go around wearing lead aprons in your everyday life, you can buy some equally effective lightweight, protective clothing made from materials like copper. You can use the points listed below to guide you when shopping for EMF protective clothing.
- Material and EMF shielding effectiveness: The most commonly used materials for EMF clothes include copper, silver, mylar, and aluminum. These materials reduce EMF radiation that reaches your body. In physics, attenuation is when materials cause a gradual reduction in force as energy passes through them (like the way the lead vest your dentist gives you lessens the x-ray’s full effect). As such, always be on the lookout for attenuation information that rates the clothing’s shielding performance. This rating is usually in decibels, so look for clothing with high decibel values.
- Comfort: Comfort is a standard criterion for purchasing ordinary clothing, and EMF clothes shouldn’t be an exception. Buy fitting clothes that suit your body type and are comfortable to wear, and won’t give you any irritation.
Using EMF Meters
As mentioned earlier, EMF meters can help you choose a perfect location for your router. However, they can do much more. An EMF meter can also detect radiation hotspots around your home that you must address. Also, these meters can see fields that electrically charged objects create as they move. As such, consider getting an EMF meter to diagnose problems with electrical wiring and your electrical shielding effectiveness.
Why Choose WaveWall For Your EMF Protection?
Here at WaveWall, we understand your need to enjoy your tech devices while also being safe from harmful exposure. Therefore, we have crafted a unique range of practical, certified products with you in mind to address all your concerns about EMF radiation for your optimum protection.
Have a look at our products to get started!