50

In· 1994, the American Bar Association Journal reported that EMF cases were being filed
at the rate of about one per month. These are primarily power line EMF cases; ES cases
are coming but so far are not an established area. Worker's compensation needs are also
-
well handled regarding ES cases. As ES becomes more well-known and
~ccepted, benefits will eventually foll~w.
Carpal tunnel syndrome cases have had similar problems. According to the
National Association of Working Women in their book VDT Syndrome, computer-related
health problems generally have not been recognized as work-related. Reasons they cite
include the variety of pain symptoms which are not outwardly apparent, gradual
development and the possibility of many potential causes or co-factors. They also point
to the ~ncy of doctors to avoid risking their professional reputation where scientific
data is lacking.93 ers cases now are many, with some successful results. (See Legal
Resources, page 73.)

\ Now that the Americans with Disabilities Act is law, environmental illness patients
are testing the limits of it. ES patients are faced with electronic barriers to employment.

1
Also, EMF barriers restrict shopping and social outings too. If a person cannot access the
workplace due to ES, that. person has a disability.
r--- -----..,
Maybe they can access another
workplace instead; maybe they cannot They might be able to work only from home; they
might not be able to work at all.
Electrical Sensitivity Treatment Options
Is there a cure for ES? If you find one, please let us all know! Presently, there are
ways to improve your health and reduce your symptoms, but there is not one clear path
for everyone besides avoiding those things that bother you.

W ARNING~ The following treatment options are ways some chemically sensitive andlor
electrically sensitive patients have sought relief of' symptoms. You must decide for
yourself what course to take, if any; medical guidance in making your decision is highly
advisable.
 51

1. Improving the Environmental Qualitv of Your Home

Avoidance of electricallEMF sources as much as possible is $e most satisfactory
means of reducing ES symptoms. (See EMF Reduction in the Home, page 67.)
Other unhealthy factors beyond EMFs in the home entail chemical emissions from
synthetic materials in plastics, carpeting. furniture, drapery, clothing, bedding, cleaning
products, building construction materials, etc. MCS patients often fmd that they need to
minimize all synthetic materials in their home and have basic, untreated natural materials
_ cotton, wood,porcelain tile, etc. - instead.49• 78. 86. 94.106 (See Infonnation Resources,
page 72, for guidance in your individual situation.)
Having an environmental illness often requires a person to become housebound or
have restricted activities beyond the home due to their inability to control environmental
exposures beyond their home.
If the home is unlivable/unhealthy for the environmentally ill person, then the
•
patient feels that they have no safe place to be away from chronic chemicallEMF
exposures. This is very stressful and frustrating.
A perfect example of this predicament recently occurred in the United States
government's new and first low-income housing for the environmentally ill, Ecology
House in California. Soon after the MCS tenants moved in, they became more ill reacting
to the building's unhealthy construction materials. EMF problems may be an
unsuspected factor in the Ecology House, too. These already ill people are further ill
from their new home. Several Ecology House residents have had to sleep outside, sleep
in the bathroom, breathe from an oxygen ~ or go to a friend's house to escape the
unhealthy environment within their own home.98.116
ES patients have similar problems. Many ES and MCS patients have resorted to
camping out in the wilds to avoid both electrical and chemical exposures to the utmost.
Only then do they feel better.
Sorting out which factors are bothering you is very helpful on the road toward
feeling better again. Other sensitivities as noted in Diagnosis. of Electrical Sensitivity,
 52

page 37, should also be considered.

2. Natural Fiber Clothing
Clothing made of synthetic fibers (polyester, acrylic, rayon, etc.) ~dversely affect
many of the chemically sensitive. Undyed, untreated, organic cotton clothing is
preferable for MCS patients.
ES patients need to worry about the electrical, rather than the chemical, properties
of clothing fibers. Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, and silk are better for the ES
patient too.
f Synthetic fibers in general create static electricity problems, may act as an EMF
t wave-guide material, attract positive ions, hold heat and are best avoided.Sl • 97 For
example, a woman with a burning skin reaction from computers in the office may fmd
wearing nylons intolerable at work. Nylon, electrically. is an insulator. When EMF
exposure creates induced currents in the body and produces heat, nylon prevents adequate
release of the induced heat, intensifying the reaction.
3. Metal Avoidance
Metal jewelry, watches, and metal enclosures can be troublesome for some ES
patients. Avoiding these items may be necessary.9.1O. lOS (See Metal Sensitivity. page 42,
and Reactions to Watches, page 43.)
4. Grounding
When you walk across a synthetic carpet and reach for the metal doorknob,
sometimes you get that familiar electric shock. That shock discharges the energy stored
by the friction of walking across the floor.
Storing electricity in the body can build up stress. To release stored electricity,
. -
walking barefoot on the bare ground or grass is helpful. Distancing yourself from power
lines and other EMF sources while doing this grounding technique is best. This method is
called grounding from the electronics term relating to discharging electricity to the earth.
The Environmental Health Center in Dallas has- recommended this grounding
technique to ES patients. Twenty minutes per day of grounding has helped some- ES -
 53

patients. An alternate method is to lie down on the ground if the weather does not permit
bare feet.
5. Product Waming
Beware of all eroducts claiming to reduce your EMF exposure or reduce the \
effects of EMF exposure. The author has tested some of these-only to fmd that they did
not stop her ES symptoms from occurring when EMF exposed.
An important point to keep in mind is that if the gaussmeter can still measure
EMFs, the product is not 100% effective in protecting you. Induction heating would still
be occurring.
All EMF protection products should be copsidered strictly experimental. If you
choose to test any of these yourself, check the refund/return policy of the dealer frrst.
Some products are emitting a field of their own which is claimed to counter other
EMFs, ES patients would do best to avoid all adF-producing products of any sort.
------ ~
S~ence needs to understand that the best way to reduce EMF reactions is not by using

one EMF to cancel/fight another EMF, but EMFs be redpced as much_as

---
aU· need to
~

possible. Metal E1vfF shielding technology implanted at the time of product design is a
. -~-----_...:..-----.;;.-------------
necessity needed now on all electrical appliances. -
Magnets have an energy field also. Any magnet therapy should also be considered

-
questionable and experimental for the ES patient, particularly when placed near the
head, 105
6. Antigen Therapy
A common method of treating environmental illness patients in general is frrst by
allergy testing of foods, chemicals, and sometimes metals. Once allergic substances are
pinpointe~ those substances can be avoided. Also.. chemical antigen' shots may be
administered representing neutralizing doses for those allergens. EMF reactions have
been neutralized chemically, but documented infonnation in this area is scant4.. 10
While chemical antigens have provided some reported symptom relief for food and
chemical "allergy" symptoms, daily shots are usually required to maintain the program.
 • »-1m $ 2' r ..

54

A question arises regarding the long-term use of antigens made from your reactive
foods/chemicals. The body produces antibodies upon antigen injection for fighting
symptom reactions.
7. Charged Water Technique
Another allergy test involves determining the ES patient's reactive EMF
frequencies and non-reactive frequencies. The focus is on finding at least one non-
reactive frequency. (See Diagnosis of Electrical Sensitivity, page 37.)
For EMF "allergy" treatmen~ vials of water ~ charged at a specific non-reactive
EMF frequency or frequencies. The water used is saline or mineral water that the patient
does not react to. The ES patient is told by the doctor to grasp the vial of charged water
for five minutes once or twice daily to reduce' general EMF sensitivities. Also, they can
4
hold a charged water vial to reduce ES symptom reactions from EMF exposure. • 10

Once non-reactive EMF frequencies are determine~ future vials can be charged
without the patient present. Then, the vials can be mailed to the patient without need of a

'.
doctor's visit each time.
After using a charged-water vial to neutralize a severe EMF reaction, ES patients
may feel the effects of that vial discontinued - drained. Charged vials lasted about two
weeks in the United States while England's water held the EMF charge for about one
month or more. 10
EMF neutralizing vials of charged water representing individualized non-reactive
EMF frequencies has been done by Cyril W. Smith,. Ph.D., in 'cooperation with Dr. Jean
A. Monro at the Breakspear Hospital in England. The. Environmental Health Center in
Dallas, Texas, has also used this technique with Dr. William J. Rea's cooperation.
This technique may provide a way for the' patient t~ neutralize aD. EMF reaction;
however, the initial EMF testing session can provoke all symptoms.. EMF testing may
also elevate sensitivities, particularly if a reactive EMF· frequency is held for more than
20 seconds. Charged vials could create a dependence. on' certain EMF frequencies to the
point that those frequencies also produce "allergic" reactions. At that time renewed
 55

testing is needed to reveal current neutralizing frequencies. 10

8. Salt Water Bath
Some ES patients report that bathing in salt water, either a salt water bath (using
rock salt) or in the ocean, is helpful to temporarily alleviate their symptoms. to The reason
could be because the salt water is electrically conductive and helps absorb the ES
patient's own EMF ·signals. (See Metal Sensitivity, page 42.) Ordinary table salt
includes additives, including an aluminum derivative,. so is best avoided, even for
bathing. tOO
9. Detoxification
If toxicity from chemical or metal exposures is present, detoxification can reduce
stored toxins in the body.s9 By detoxification, the body may reduce EMF sensitivity as
well as reduce chemical sensitivity. UDetox" includes exercise and saunas to sweat out
toxins. Home saunas can be a problematic EMF source, so turning.. the sauna off after
preheating it may work better for ES patients.
At the Environmental Health Center m Dallas, detoxification has included
medically supervised saunas with vitamin B3 (niacin) supplements and exercise to draw
out poisons through the skin. This therapy is called the Hubbard Technique. 86 Other
vitamin and mineral supplements are medically adjusted to compensate for the body's
loss of these during sweating.
Also, detox means not adding back poisons that are being excreted. One way to
reduce toxic intake is by using fresh, organically grown foods - no pesticides,
herbicides, fungicides, or chemical fertilizers. Also healthy is avoiding packaged foods
which contain artificial ingredients such as sweeteners, dyes, colorings, flavorings,
pesticides, flavor enhancers, preservatives, etc. Food additiveshave.been implicated in
some cases of attention deficit disorder (ADD) in hyperactivechildren.58 The Benjamin
F. Feingold, M.D. diet has helped some hyperactive children return to nonnal health. A.
basic natural foods diet like Feingold's can determine whether food additives are a factor
in ADD or in a person's MCSIES symptoms.
56

An elimination diet - eliminating one food at a time - could be used to check

whether specific foods are producing allergic reactions. By keeping a list of your foods
eaten, you can assess whether a particular food is causing a reaction if eaten again.
Varying your meals so that you eat a good variety of species and types of food helps
reduce food allergy reactions caused by eating one food too often. Three of the most
common food allergens are milk, wheat, and com. Using variety in your diet may mean
switching to other grains such as spelt, quino~ and amaranth.47• 48
Herbs can also playa part in the detoxification process to help cleanse the liver,
colon, kidneys, and blood of stored toxins. I07. 108 The liver is the body's main
detoxification organ.61 • 124 A naturopath who understands herbs may be helpful if you are
interested in herbal therapy. MCS patients may not be able to use some or all herbs,
particularly if the herbs are not organic.
Periodic fasting is an old form of detoxification. Patients who are already weak or
malnourished should not attempt fasting as it will further weaken them. Fasting can help
remove stored toxins, particularly if lots of pure water is taken. Chemically sensitive
patients often develop intensified symptoms when hungry or fasting, because stored
toxins are resurfacing in the blood.
Detoxification can be very difficult for the chemically sensitive; Care needs to be
taken that "detox" is done gradually, and preferably medically-supervised to minimize the
reactions and ill health possible when the stored toxins further mobilize in the body. The
detox method can seem like you feel worse before you feel better.
An intensive doctor-assisted detoxification program may be warranted when all
else fails to help the MCSIES patient The Hubbard Technique is one example. Another
interesting example is Gerson Therapy, carried out at a Mexican hospital, and used
primarily for advanced-stage cancer patients. This "detox" and rebuilding therapy
primarily consists of 13 glasses of fresh, raw organic fruit and vegetable juices per day,
three organic vegetarian meals daily, enemas to speed detoxification, pancreatic enzymes
and selected vitamin/mineral options individualized to the- patient's needs. This therapy
1I is outlined in Max Gerson, M.D.' s, boo~ A Cancer TherapY.60· 61
57

Other healing and

!
detoxification programs have also used raw organic vegetable and fruit juices with a
natural diet. The Bircher-Benner clinic, Zurich, Switzerland begun in 1897 is another
example. 37 One drawback is that using an electric vegetable juicer is going to be off-
limits for most ES patients without help.
Detoxification of any kind is assisted by exercise. Aerobic exercise like bicycling,
jogging, swimming, etc., can be a great stress reliever, too. Many factors determine our
health - quality of our diet, exercise, air, water, mental attitude, etc.
10. Energy Balancing
The body is electromagnetic. When a person is ES, their adaptability to other
EMFs is impaired.
Toxic chemical exposure, metal toxicity, and prolonged EMF exposure are all
possible ways the body could become electromagnetically impaired. Each type of
chemical and metal is electromagnetically unique. A preponderance of certain chemical
or metal deposits in the body could change the way that the body reacts
electromagnetically with its surroundings. Nervous system and immune system damage
from toxic exposures may also impair the body's EMF tolerance capabilities.
The philosophy of the acupuncturist is that the body manifests energy imbalances
before physical symptoms appear. By correcting energy imbalances early, disease
processes are diverted before symptoms manifest, thereby averting disease at its earliest
stage. 73
A medical example of the promise for electromagnetic interpretation of disease
comes from medical experiments at Yale University in the 1970's. Ninety-eight percent
~
J

of the female cancer patients studied showed a negative electrical potential at the cervical
.I cancer site relative to the abdomen. When female non-cancer patients were examined, a
I positive electrical potential was measured 81.9% of the time instead. The conclusion
I proposed from this study was that cancer is the result.of changes in the body's
I r

1I organizational electromagnetic fields. 42

I
 « ••

58

Apparently health and disease each have their own electricity. There is also
evidence that every disease has an electromagnetically unique pa~tem.8S Finding the
electricity of health and reducing the electricity of disease in whatever fonn (chemicals,
metals, electromagnetic exposure, etc.) appears to be the challenge of the twenty-fIrst
century.
Perhaps in the future a mere blood sample checked by spectrum analysis for
absorption rates at various EMF frequencies could disclose foreign bacteria, viruses,
fungi, chemicals, metals, etc., invading the body. A c.heck for unhealthy EMF frequency
absorption rates could indicate the problem and lead to acustom-designed remedy suited
~-----
to the patient's EMF picture. A cataloging of homeopathic remedies by their EMF
absorption rates could provide a ready remedy electromagnetically compatible with that
person.
The use of EMF's in the treatment of illness by conventional medicine is in the
early discovery stages. This trend is called energy medicine or electromedicine.

.. Doctors at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Californi~ recently used a battery-operated

EMF device to induce sleep in insomniacs. By placing this device on the patient's tongue
for 20 minutes before bedtime, sleep was caused in 80% of the insomnia sufferers. This
EMF gadget delivers pulses of 27 MHz (27,000,000 Hz) EMFs to the brain.8o Therefore,
brain waves are being affected. . Notice how EMFs induce sleep in this case and with
some ES patients toO.'02 Some people can get insomnia from EMFs instead; both are
neurological changes that can be caused by EMFs. 39
ES patients should avoid such EMF-treatment devices which may only make them
worse. These EMF-emitting devices are experimental and highly questionable in light of
the potential health hazards of EMF's, particularly cancer~ (See The EMF Cancer Issue,
page 62.)
Many forms of alternative healing methods rely on the balancing of the body's
"vital energy" as the Chinese call it Acupuncture is an ancient technique used to balance
the body's electromagnetic. fields. Other energy balancing forms are acupressure,
 59

homeopathy, Therapeutic Touch, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. 56• 74. 76. lOS. III These alternative
therapies are designed to help the body balance its own electromagnetic field energy
without artificial EMF sources.
Some ES patients and allergy patients claim to have been helped by various energy
balancing therapy. lOS. III How you proceed is your own decision - what helps one
person will not necessarily help another person. as each person is electrochemically
different. It would seem to make sense for detoxification to accompany any energy
balancing where chemical or metal exposure is a suspected ES initiator, so that the
corrections would be more lasting.
11. Miscellaneous
A few other possible factors that may determine the severity of ES reactions
include antioxidants, minerals, acid/alkaline balance (pH), and enzymes.
Antioxidants are a group of vitamins, minerals, etc., that are known to reduce
cellular damage from radiation and other degenerative processes. Antioxidants work by
diminishing free radical activity caused by toxic chemical and metal exposures, EMFs.
and stress. lOS Common antioxidants are vitamins C, E, and the mineral selenium. Some
herbs such as chaparral also have antioxidant properties. Superoxide dismutase is an
enzyme with antioxidant properties.24• 52
Whether antioxidants are helpful in delaying or diminishing ES symptoms from
EMF exposure is not yet clear.
Electromagnetic field exposure has been shown to displace minerals, particularly
calcium. Minerals are the body's metals. All minerals in the body are called electrolytes
and have a small electrical charge.28 Minerals help in the. transmission of nerve signalS
through the body. When an imbalance of minerals is presen4 then the body's electricity
may become imbalanced too.
Dr. Max Gerson found that the body's potassium is inactive relative to sodium in a
chronic disease state. 61 A September, 1991 Journal of Hypertension article (p. 167)
parallels that concept by stating how a potassium deficier..·y can have an adverse effect on
 .. 1.;.

60

the body's nervous system. The article cites the sodium-potassium pump on the nerve
cell membrane as the problem location. As previously noted, neurological problems are
quite frequently noted in ES patients.
The place for minerals in the ES picture needs research.
Another factor needing further investigation relative to the ES picture is the body's
acid/alkaline balance (pH). Blood is nonnally slightly alkaline. Maintaining an alkaline
basis in the blood may reduce microorganism infestations, as most microorganisms
cannot live in a high alkaline environment.43
Some ES patients have experienced increased symptoms when taking acid-fonning
foods such as alcohol and sugar. Eliminating these products is recommended in general
............... -...
for environmental illness patients, according to Sherry Rogers, M.D., an environmental
medicine physician. S9
Alkaline-forming foods are primarily vegetables and fruits.
EnzYmes help the body process foreign material to detoxify the body. MCS
patients are often low in some enzyme levels, perhaps due to chemical overload. Enzyme
function and enhancement is another research question regarding ES symptoms and their
diminishment 94. 106
12. Drng Intervention
Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) has been used experimentally in the treatment of
ES symptom reduction. l34 Currently, GHB treatment is not available iil the United States
because GHB cannot be legally sold here. GHB has known central nervous system
effects including insomnia relief and muscle relaxation. Apparently, it is because of these
neurological effects that GHB has been shown to temporarily reduce some ES symptoms
that have a neurological basis. The relief from ORB is a fonn of symptom suppression,
not a cure. Daily pills are required to maintain the effects. However, the outcome of
using a muscle-relaxant for long periods of time-- is- unknown.. This method should be
considered experimental.
 61

What are Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs)?

Electromagnetic fields (EMF or EMFs) are fields/waves of energy that are emitted
by all electrical sources. EMFs are also produced by the earth and natural weather
conditions. Common electrical sources of EMFs are electric power lines, electric home
and office appliances, motors, wall wiring, electrical substations, transfonners, and
radio/radar/microwave transmitters. These sources create non-ionjzing radiation -
radiation which is not currently known to break molecular bonds like x-rays and
ultraviolet (ionizing radiation) do.
The sequence of EMFs from low-energy to high-energy is displayed in the
electromagnetic spectrum diagram which follows, showing all of the wave fonns relative
to each other, based on their alternating current (AC) cycles per second. Extremely low
frequency (ELF) sources are all electrical utility dependent products. Very low frequency
-
(VLF) products include computer monitors and television sets. Direct current (DC) (no \
alternating cycles) occurs at the zero point on the chart.
, Some ES patients may be
bothered by DC, but generally DC is much less troublesome than AC.
The more the alternating current cycles per second, the more energy in the EMF
wave. Therefore, x-rays have more energy than most EMFs while power-line type
radiation (ELF) has the least energy.
Science has been debating the health hazards of non-ionizing radiation for over
twenty years. The more EMFs have been studied, the more health hazards are becoming
apparent.
Currently, low-frequency EMFs are being investigated primarily in connection
with Alzheimer's disease and canc:r.87• 95. 113. 128 Other likely health hazards of low-
frequency EMFs are miscarriage, birth defects, and electrical sensitivity.2.S3. 68. 69
I
 ..
62

/2- I
/0 - I I
.!
.a
ii
Powe, AM "i Ult....
Lines

1
10Hz 10 2
n nn
Radio

10·
TV Rada,

10' 10· 10"

I
Infrared

10 u 10'·
violet

lfrlzoraysl
10"
Gamma rays

10'.
1
10 2 '
'-,-+-1--'-,-11--.-1--<-1......I--i-j-1--+-1--.....j-..-I-'=+=1 I ! I I I I
o 100 10' 10' 10' 10'· 10 01 10" 10'· 10'. 10 2 • 10 22 Hz

~...l..--...._J~_f
ELF VLF VHF Microwaves
IL....,---,~....,.-.-l
Ionizing Radiation

Source: United States Department of Energy 127

Hz =Hertz, meaning cycles per second
103 =10 x 10 x 10 = 1,000 cycles per second
ES patients can have EMF frequency sensitivity problems at any frequency.
Inexpensive gaussmeters cannot measure most frequencies in the VLF range.
Inexpensive equipment for measuring radio frequency and below in the home would be
an interesting and useful item, but is not currently commercially available. When these
instruments become available, ES patients will more easily fmd and "see" fields they may
be reacting to.
The E:MF Cancer Issue
Do electromagnetic fields (EMFs) like those found near electrical power lines and
appliances cause cancer? Scientists in over 22 countries are investigating the possible
EMF/cancer link, with more than 200 health-related EMF studies now underway
worldwide. 128
Evolution of the cancer issue has brought a. focus, to certain cancers that appear
frequently in EMF studies: leukemia, breast c~cer; and brain cancer. l28 Studies of
children living near high-voltage power lines and workers'exposed to .higher-than-normal
EMFs (electricians, utility linemen, etc.) both show increases in leukemia. Electrical
 63

workers in the United States and Sweden both develop a higher-than-average rate of brain
cancer.:n.. 77
Another aspect of the current EMF debate involves the sometimes noted increase
in breast cancer incidence among both men and women in high electrical exposure
occupations. The National Cancer Institute's statistics indicate that lout of every 8
women in the United States will get breast cancer. Power line EMFs in some studies
--
reduce levels of the
------- EMFs
melatonin,
- _~gJlllo_n.e_ m~tonin, a natural tumor suppressor.
"-~--------
By reducing
are suspected of promoting and perhaps initiating the cancer

---
~ ~

process. I I!. 128

I n the National Cancer Institute's June 1994 Journal, a University of North

Carolina study found that female electrical workers had above average breast cancer
deaths. The electrical workers' exposures to power line EMFs as telephone repairers,
installers and line workers is suspected as a factor in their increased breast cancer
incidence.
Several prior studies of male electrical workers also found higher-than-normal
breast cancer rates for them. For example, in 1990 the Hutchinson Cancer Research
Institute in Seattle, Washington studied 250 male breast cancer patients. They found that
workers with the most EMF exposure - electricians, power workers, and utility linemen
77
- had six times the level of breast cancer as workers without high EMF exposure.
According to the United States Department of Energy's new booklet, Electric
Power Lines, "Laboratory studies have shown that it is unlikely that EMF can initiate the \
cancer process. Some studies suggest, however, that power-frequency EMF may promote
development of certain existing cancers.,,128 Studies now on-going are testing both the
ability of ~s to cause cancer promotion and cancer initiation.
.
Many toxic chemicals are known or suspected cancer initiators. A 1992 study by
Frank Falck, M.D., at the University of Connecticut sbowedhigh levels of the chemicals
PCB, DDT, and DOE in cancerous breast tumors compared with benign breast lumps. A
subsequent study at Mount Sinai School of Medicine,. New. York. found. four times the
 5 a 50 r 'm7.

64

44
level of breast cancer risk for women with the highest DDE blood levels. A United
States study of 200 chemically sensitive patients found DDT and DD.E pesticides in 62%
of patient blood samples. These pesticides occurred more often than any other type of
pesticide found. 94 Chemical exposures combined with EMF exposures sound like a
recipe for cancer.
Prudently. the Swedish National Electric Safety Board in 1993 announced that
.....the Board will act on the assumption that there is a connection between power
frequency magnetic fields and childhood cancer, when preparing regulation on electrical
installations. ,,128
Electromagnetic fields are not only found near power lines, but also emanate from
home and office electrical appliances. Computer monitors, fluorescent lights, microwave
ovens, and electric clocks are common EMF sources. At work, computer users are
exposed to EMFs for prolonged periods of time.
The time has come to plan and implement preventative measures that reduce EMF
exposure throughout our electrical society. indoors and out. The potential health and
legal implications of not doing so are immense.
Warning Signs of EMF' Problems
Certain signs of possible EMF exposure situations can be noted without having a
meter, merely by looking around. (Or for an ES person, just by being there.)
An environmental problem should be suspected- when an ES patient repeatedly
reacts to a particular location. The question needing to be solved is specifically what the
person is reacting to. Keeping chemical exposure possibilities and other sensitivities in
mind, EMF sources need close analysis.
Clues of EMF exposure can be detected by static on radio station channels ,or
distortions apparent in the television set picture or computer momtor screen. Sources of
EMF-caused interference include power line radiatio~appliances, and wall wiring
electrical problems.
Locating the source of all EMFs is necessary for ES patients in order to plan EMF
 65

reduction strategies for minimizing symptoms.

A look outside may find EMF sources such as electric power lines, power line
transformers (metal cans on the utility poles or metal boxes on the ground), an electrical
substation, and radio/radar/microwave transmitting towers. All of these can be
troublesome for the ES patient.
After a thorough check for potential EMF sources, measuring EMF emissions is
the next step. Either using an EMF testing service or obtaining the measuring equipment
and testing EMFs yourself will help you "see" what levels of EMFs are present, where the
highest readings are, and where hidden EMF sources are. (See EMF Resources,
page 74.)
What a Gaussmeter Will and Will Not Tell You
A gaussmeter is a measuring device to detect low-frequency magnetic fields.
Electromagnetic fields have two components - an- electric field and a magnetic field. An
ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) gaussmeter will measure the 60 Hz (United States)
magnetic field from power lines, household wiring~ and some electrical appliances. The
ELF magnetic field is currently of most concern in ongoing scientific cancer studies
regarding EMF health effects. An ELF gaussmeter is the type of equipment most
commonly used for home EMF measurements.
However, ES patients can be troubled by both electric and magnetic fields at any
frequency. Therefore, both ELF electric and magnetic field readings ideally would be
taken at the home of the ES patient. An ELF electric' field meter measures the 60 Hz
electric part of the EMF. EMFs in the ELF through microwave range are generally most
limiting and troublesome in the daily lives ofES patients.
Measuring higher frequency magnetic fields, such as very low frequency (VLF)
from computer monitors requires a VLF gaussmeter. fnexpensive ELF gaussmeters are
often inaccurate for measuring computer monitors and.other appliances that also produce
these higher frequency fields. VLF fields record high- readings in ELF gaussmeters not
sophisticated enough to differentiate between ELF and. VLF magnetic. fields. Before
 w rz ; .

66

purchasing a meter, fIrst ask meter manufacturers what fIeld(s) their meter is designed to
measure and what (power lines, computers, etc.) you could accurately measure with the
meter.
1. Gaussmeters generally do not measure electric fIelds (E-fIelds), only
magnetic fIelds (H-fields) from electrical sources. Some gaussmeters have an electric
fIeld measuring component in addition to the magnetic one. Power line and electrical
appliance emissions are 60 Hertz electric and magnetic fIelds. You would need an ELF
electric field meter or a gaussmeter with an electric fIeld measuring feature to measure
the electric component of the ELF field. (See diagram below.)

E-Field ELF Electric Field VLF Electric Field

H-Field ELF Magnetic Field VLF Magnetic Field

2. Gaussmeters do not measure all forms of electromagnetic radiation, only

low frequency magnetic fields. Sound waves, x-rays, radon, microwaves, etc., require
other types of detection equipment instead of gaussmeters.
3. Gaussmeters do not read magnetic field levels below their own level of

-
sensitivity. For ELF gaussmeters, a sensitivity level down to .1 milligauss is preferable;
for VLF gaussmeters, .01 milligauss. The magnetic field reduces with distance from the
source, but does not reach zero when your meter does - the field reduces to infinity.
Someone sensitive to these magnetic fields may become ill at levels below those you can
measure. (They may also be reacting to other types of fields - sound,. electric field,
microwaves, radio wave harmonics, etc.)
4. Most inexpensive gaussmeters will only measure one direction of the field
.at a time. To find the highest reading, turn the meter horizontal, vertical. and sideways to
the EMF source. A triple-axis meter will measure the three diInensions at once for one
combined milligauss reading.
5. Gaussmeters show you where measurable magnetic fields are and their
 •
'-'
urns: m 3m? 7 't • n" r •

I 67
t
!
I
measurement. However, there are no United States government health regulations
regarding power line radiation.
E:MF Reduction in the Home
Time Magazine, October 26, 1992, reported on a milestone Swedish study linking
extremely low frequency (ELF) electricity to cancer. The study, conducted by
Stockholm's Karolinska Institute, evaluated cancer incidence among almost 500,000
people who lived within 328 yards of high-voltage electrical lines from 1960 to 1985.
They found a direct correlation between childhood cancer incidence and incremental
increases of ELF magnetic field exposures. Cancer in children was lowest below 1
milligauss exposure. Cancer rates were three times higher where 2 milligauss levels
occurred and four times higher where three milligauss levels occurred. Leukemia was the
cancer type noted in the study.22
The conservative consensus building now is that ELF magnetic field exposure
levels above 2 milligauss are best avoided by the public at large. 12 United States
government guidelines or regulations have not yet entered this area. Of note, the
Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Oregon - an agency of the Federal
government - discourages access of their electrical power line right-or-ways for new
uses (playgrounds, parks, etc.) which would increase public EMF exposure. 128
For electrical sensitivity patients, EMF exposure should be as low as possible,
given the economic feasibility of doing so.
. Having your home tested for EMFs may uncover some surprises. One often noted \
problem that is fairly easy to correct is imlT'perly grounded electrical wiring in the home. \ \
Published accounts of ES patients using EMF testing technicians point to wiring
problems from ungrounded electricity as a common item that can be. resolved, reducing
EMF exposure.6S • 109
An EMF testing survey entails measuring power line' radiation, wall wiring, and
appliance EMF emissions". Power line radiation coming" into the home can be detected by
shutting off all electricity in the house at the electrical fuse box. Then, power line
 ...

68
104
radiation coming indoors can be measured with ELF testing equipment.
If you are having a problem with power line EMFs, ask your EMF testing
technician to assist by acting as a negotiator when discussing the power line problem with
your electric utility. Power line remedies are, however, usually difficult to get done, may
prove expensive to the customer, and may not be helpful enough for the ES patient.
While EMF testing is useful, it is important to keep in mind that people who are
electrically sensitive may feel reactions to EMF levels below those easily measured. For
instance, some j.everely sensitive patients report reactions to power lines or ~ort r~
one mile or more away. Only very sensitive meters could detect power lines that far
away.
Being ES means that you are hypersensitive to EMFs, even small amounts. While
your electric utility company and your independent EMF testing technician may say that
your home has very low EMF levels, for you that may not be enough. This is how many
environmental illness people become homeless, of sorts. Moving may be your best option
in this case, but the question is "Where can you safely move to?"
Checking your home for EMF wiring and grounding- problems is done by
measuring the ELF field inside with all of the lights turned on. A map of the home's
floor plan may be drawn and EMF readings recorded at various points. Levels of ELF
magnetic fields recorded above three milligauss near walls without appliance or power
line intervention are commonly miswired circuits out of compliance with the National
Electrical Code (NEC).I04 All changes made to grounding and wiring must comply with
NEC and any local building code to minimize fire hazards and be legal with current
building regulations. An electrician can help with needed corrections.
Locations in which you spend more time should be thoroughly checked. Appliance
emissions could be tested too, but for the ES patient, using or being near operating
electrical appliances is best minimized anyway.
In addition to EMF testing. some EMF technicians provide EMF reduction
services and make suggestions as to how you can reduce EMF exposures. Some electric
 -------_ ..
69

utility companies now measure ELF magnetic fields inside and outside the home as a free
service. However, they usually do not give advice for home EMF reductions.
The four primary ways to reduce EMF exposure are by I) increasing your distance
from the EMF source(s), 2) reducing time spent in unavoidable EMF areas, 3) using
appliances with no or reduced EMF emissions, and 4) s~elding, when econO~Cal1Y/
--
feasible. 128
ELF magnetic fields easily penetrate walls, so power line radiation is penetrating,
even indoors. These magnetic fields are difficult to shield, usually requiring a special
nickel-iron
•
alloy of the -e
Mumetal variety or low-carbon_
steel. Generally, the-
more nickel
content in the alloy and the thicker the metal sheet, the more shielding is provided.
Mumetal is helpful for reducing small EMF source problems, but expensive and
l
...
c!!IIlbersome for large products. 2. 35 EMF technicians sometimes have magnetic
shielding material for EMF reduction jobs. (See EMF Resources, page 74.) ELF electric
fields are easily shielded by electrically grounded metals such as copper or aluminum.
T4~~J~~c fields are less penetrating than the magnetic fields and are reduced somewhat
----------------
by walls and other obstructions.
The most ill ES patients tum off electricity to all or a part of their house to reduce
ES reactions and to sleep. Essential equipment needs to be accounted for during the
electrical "down~time". Refrigerators cannot be safely turned off for more than one hour,
unless other arrangements are made for food contents - like using an ice box, etc.
Electric clocks will need to be reset after the down~time, so battery-operated ones are
preferable. unless the ES person is troubled by battery sources as well. Computer data
needs to be saved prior to down-time, if you or someone else in the home is still using a
computer..
How do you feel when all electricity in the home is shut off? Some ES patients
fmd significant help using this technique - particularly for sleeping at night after turning
.
the electric circuit to the bedroom off. This is a good way to check whether other factors
may be bothering you also.
 .. .

•
70

When a patient is both MCS and ES, a serious question develops regarding what
utilities they can use to cook with and to heat their home - natural gas or electricity?
Usually electricity is used for MCS patients. because many are very sensitive to the
natural gas. Once electricity becomes an unhealthy factor for them, some turn off
electricity to part or all of their home in order to minimize ES reactions. Doing daily
living tasks then becomes very difficult or impossible without help.
Ways to reduce EMF exposure for the ES patient include unplugging all unused
appliances, discontinued use of the television set and computer, using gas (if not MCS) or
other substitute appliances, and using incandescent light bulbs but not energy-efficient or
fluorescent bulbs.
Some appliances have EMF readings when plugged in, but turned off, so
unplugging unused appliances is most helpful for EMF reduction.
ES patients may become sensitive to a television set at 40' feet or more, even one
turned on next door. 9 So, ES patients often not only do not watch television from a
distance, they do not have one operating at all in the house. Television EMFs easily
penetrate walls and are difficult to reduce. For the ES. reduction is usually not enough.
Gas appliances are sometimes helpful for ES patients that are not MeS. Gas
stoves, refrigerators, heaters and ovens can reduce EMF exposure. Older gas appliances
have a pilot light that burns a small amount of gas fuel constantly which may increase or
lead to chemical sensitivity problems, although use no electricity. Newer gas models
generally have an electronic feature that only activates the gas when you turn the
appliance on. This electronic part is electrical, thus an EMF source. Newer gas
appliances may need to be EMF tested prior to purchase. to detennine whether they suit
your situation.
The most severe ES patients cannot use a standard phone, due to the EMF
"-""

exposure from the phone earpiece.. Some United States patients are using
- .
a speaker
phone to remedy this problem. An airhose phone adapter is available in Sweden to allow
ES patients to use a phone at a distance of six feet away.
 .
1--".3--'7.7.'••••:----5..:1.7.-'7---7--'72' ;~?
7

71

Fluorescent lighting is a common irritant to ES patients. Unfortunately,

fluorescent lighting is economical relative to other lighting and is therefore in most
commercial and governmental buildings. Doctor visits may uncover fluorescent lighting
there too. Environmental medicine doctors have foundit necessary to turn off fluorescent
lighting in the patient area when ES patients are there. Use of daylight from windows and
floor lamps with incandescent bulbs instead may avoid or reduce EMF reactions that
could occur with lighting from fluorescent bUlbs.92
Other innovative solutions to EMF reduction problems reported by severely
sensitive ES people include grounding metal window and door frames, removing non-
essential fuses from the car (clock, etc.), disconnecting built-in electric clocks, re-wiring
the house with Teflon-coated wire, re-wiring lamps with metal-shielded wire, and turning
the knob in the refrigerator to "off' to prevent the motor from running while in the
kitchen.
Endnote
This book can in no way describe the broken dreams, the failed marriages, lost

,--
careers and homes, shattered family relations, ridicule, and hopelessness that haunt the
e~vironmentally
.

ill.
-

Their voices echo similar words, even when they know no others likewise affected.
When the Europeans explain their own symptoms and so describe us, we feel whole again
- validated.
And, by finding others with familiar problems, we find friendship with those who
understand us without explanation. After the difficult journey, it is good to find a friend.
I
I Though we may not be able to help each other get well, we discover that we are not alone.
j
I
72

RESOURCE GUIDE

Information Resources:

• National Center for Environmental Health Strategies, 1100 Rural Ave.,

Voorhees NJ 08043, Phone: (609) 429-5358.

Chemical sensitivity infonnation and newsletter The Delicate Balance.

• The Environmental Health Network, P.O. Box 1155, Larkspur CA 94977,

Phone: (415) 541-5075.

Support group network for chemically sensitive with newsletter - The New
Reactor.

• Human Ecology Action League (HEAL), P.O. Box 49126, Atlanta GA 30359,
Phone: (404) 248-1898.

Chemical sensitivity infonnation and newsletter The Human Ecologist.

jo Electrical Sensitivity Network, c/o Weldon Publishing, P.O. Box 4146,

Prescott AZ 86302.

United States electrical sensitivity group in the formative stages. Contact the
publisher for current group information.

Association for the Electrically and VDT Injured, P.O. Box 15126, 10465
Stockholm, Sweden, Phone: (011) 46 8 7129065. INTERNET (worldwide
web address): http://www.isy.liu.sel-tegenlfebost.html

International contact for electrical sensitivity groups worldwide. Their

INTERNET information is excellent and available- through many public
libraries.

Medical Resources:

• American Academy of Environmental Medic.ine," 4510 W. 89th St., Prairie

( Village K.S 66027, Phone: (913) 642-6062. .
 E'iX 7 7 7 7 S'S Me nrt an

73
,
Environmentally ill patients who seek medical doctors specializing in
environmental medicine can get referrals in their area.

• Environmental Health Center, 8345 Walnut Hill Ln., Suite 205, Dall~ !X I. \'l.\~c\"
75231, Phone: (214) 368-4132, Fax: (214) 691-8432. rv<l Q...f' f; 11/I+ ~ '-;- .>

William J. Rea, M.D. is the chief physician at this medical clinic for the
environmentally ill. A pioneer in the experimental treatment of ES patients
with the charged water technique.

• Allergy and Environmental Medicine, Ltd., Breakspear Hospital, Belswains

Lane~ Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP3 9HP, England, Phone: 01442-61333,
Fax: 01442-66388.

Dr. Jean Monro is the medical director. English pioneer of the charged
water technique for ES patients.

• Gerson Institute, P.O. Box 430, Bonita CA 91908, Phone: (619) 472-7450.

Information center for the Gerson Therapy, an intensive detoxification

program. Primarily used for alternative cancer treatment and not
environmental illness, but may be useful where other methods have failed
and chemical detoxification is needed.

• Check your local phone directory.

Legal Resources:

• Robert Strom Foundation

Michael Withey
Schroeter, Goldmark & Bender
810 Third Avenue, Suite 500
- I Seattle WA 98104
·1•
Phone: (206) 622-8000
I
, 1

1
Current central contact for EMF-related legal cases. Referrals to EMF
1
I lawyers in your area.
I
j
74

• Check your local phone directory.

EMF Resources: , 1'

"? 11'\:]
~'

/.
\

National Electromagnetic Field Technicians Association (NEffA), 628-B

Library Place, Evanston n.. 60201, Phone: (708) 475-3696.

Organization of independent EMF testing technicians that provides referrals

to members in your area - United States and Canada. Some have metal
EMF shielding material.

VDT News, P.O. Box 1799, Grand Central Station, New York NY 10163,
Phone: (212) 517-2802, Fax: (212) 734-0316.

Provides publications VDT News and Microwave News regarding the

health hazards of EMFs. List of gaussmeter manufacturers available for $1.
Back issue reprint packets on current EMF topics, EMF· Resource
Directory, etc. Sample issue ofVDT News, $5.

National EMR Alliance, 410 West 53rd St., Suite 402, New York NY
10019, Phone: (212) 554-4073, Fax: (212) 977-5541.

Publication Network News provides current information on EMF· activist

efforts, general EMF news, and has adopted the electrical sensitivity issue
as an on-going feature in the newsletter.

• The Labor Institute, 853 Broadway, Room 2014, New York NY 10003,
Phone: (212) 674-3322.

Informative booklets entitled Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) in the Modem

Office and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities at Work.. Other booklets and
videos also available from this labor union group concerning worker health.

• University of California, Labor Occupational Health Program, School of

Public Health, 2515 Channing Way, Berkeley· CA 94720, Phone: (510)
642-5507, Fax: (510) 643-5698.