Temporal Variation In Non-Ionising Radiation At A Single Location (part 4)

Further analysis of the GQ Electronics EMF-390 multi-function meter output

Back in part 3 of this series I introduced readers to my GQ Electronics EMF-380 multi-function meter that measures EMF, EF and RF EMR simultaneously every second. After waffling on about data capture I settled down with my crayons and we ogled three time series plots. What I’d like to do today is take those 595,536 observations for the period 11 – 17 September and churn out some error bar plots of mean values by hour to get some feel as to appliance use over the day, for it is our appliances that shape our local electrosmog profile.

The UK government have plonked a small section down on their GOV.UK website on the electrosmog matter under the heading Guidance: Electric and magnetic fields: sources and exposure, and it is well worth newcomers to the subject pouring out a cuppa and slurping this whilst they digest the contents. What this section carefully avoids is any hint of a discussion on potential harms of electrosmog, with the government neatly side-stepping the entire issue by focusing on electrical accidents alone. Here’s their safety advice in the smallest nutshell you’ll find anywhere:

Each year in the UK, people are injured or killed due to electrical accidents. The important safety message is to avoid electric shocks and fires.

That’s it. Don’t get electrocuted folks and you’ll be fine. There’s not even any mention of IARC/WHO press release No.208 in which we learn that the WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use.

This is a bold statement to make in a world ruled by communications technology and we should note this is their narrow position on just mobile phone use and just one type of brain cancer. I guess they better not investigate the zillion other sources of RF (and non-RF EMR) and the vast raft of potential associated health issues that researchers are steadily documenting. Better not even think about such studies let alone fund them! There are some worthy papers by folk who know their onions and I may well take a look at these in future articles.

Needless to say the research field is writhing in controversy, corruption and codswallop, as we have come to expect these days for any subject matter associated with a lot of money. I’ve no idea what the global communications industry is worth but I’ll bet it could be bigger than big pharma, big aggro or big oil. If that sounds a bit far-fetched then do realise I’m not just talking about cell towers and mobile phones, for I am thinking in terms of any electric device anywhere that broadcasts anything… and that includes my kettle!

A kettle does not communicate in the formal sense of communication (i.e. an exchange of information) but it does broadcast an electric field when in use, as I will demonstrate in a future article. Think kettle, think fridge, think oven, think wiring loom of your house, think office photocopier, think all white goods, think all black goods, think most medical devices, think weather, military and commercial radars, think electric vehicles (and starter motors in combustion engines), think corded and cordless drills, think electric toothbrushes and shavers, think lava lamp and vinyl player. When we start to think expansively and electronically like this we realise that big pharma, big aggro and big oil are subsets of the electrical kingdom.

And now for some slides, brought to you courtesy of that kingdom. I’d call that ironic.

Electromagnetic Field

Sources of electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the home include: Wi-Fi, Cell phones, cordless phones, smart devices, microwave ovens, fridges, freezers, air conditioning, electrical heating, TVs, remote controls, fluorescent lighting, bluetooth devices, laptops, desktops, circuit breakers, smart meters, electric shavers, hair dryers, solar inverters, dimmer switches, radiant electrical heating, the house wiring loom (especially if old)… and any of these in your neighbourhood. The good news is that these fields diminish with distance.

So this is the daily profile of EMF electrosmog as measured in the corner of my office window over a period of one week; and a fairly typical week at that. My office is laden with fizzing gadgets and sits above the kitchen so my device will also be picking up all the EMF gubbins from below. We typically rise at 6 - 7am and hit the sack at 9 - 10pm, with 6pm being the peak ‘chefing’ time.

As time permits I’ll start measuring the EMF of specific devices 1m on axis so we can get a feel for the relative output of some common sources. I’ll also be throwing the property into total electrical darkness by hitting the big red switch so we may see the influence of external sources.

Electric Field

Sources of electric fields (EF) in the home include the house wiring loom and all electrical devices plugged into this. Electric fields can be present in any appliance plugged into a power point: even if the appliance is ‘off’ and the power point is ‘on’ an electric field will be present, for we are talking potential and not current. The good news is that electric fields are shielded by most objects, including your skin, and their strength reduces rapidly as you move away from the source.

In the UK the A/C component of this smogfield will oscillate at 50Hz, though harmonics of 100Hz, 150Hz, 200Hz and beyond can be detected around some appliances. Poorly designed electrical devices will generate harmonic garbage that can contaminate the entire household circuit (and therefore other appliances) leading to something called ‘dirty electricity’ – more on this topic later.

The Human Potential

Though it might feel a little freaky to some readers the human body will develop an electrical potential (voltage) when immersed in an electrical field, including the natural electrical field of the Earth. The higher you climb from the surface of the planet the greater the voltage about your person! Thus your nose is at a higher electrical potential than your knees (unless lying flat or standing upside down).

You can measure this voltage using a well-grounded multi-meter and, as you move about your home, you’ll see the readings change. In the Dee household this reading is highest on the upper floor right above the point of entry of the A/C mains supply to the property via a breaker box – but more on body voltage in a future article!

Here we have the daily profile of electric field (EF) strength as measured by the device in the corner of my office window for that typical week. The first thing to note here is the overall mean of 93.3V/m, this being much higher than the typical background range of 1 – 20V/m quoted by the GOV.UK website, though they do qualify this by stating this may increase to a few hundred volts per metre very close to domestic appliances and power cables. Obviously I’ve gone and plonked my device in a hotspot and it will be interesting to see what readings I obtain in the various rooms around our property. There may also be an issue with the USB cable that is plugged into the GQ device 24/7 for this carries a 5V potential right into the innards.

Setting the hotspot issue aside I find it fascinating that peak EF should be measured 7am – 12pm with very little to show for the evening chefing moments. Indeed so, for the signal declines sharply at 5pm at the very moment I reach for my apron! What occurs to me is that directly below the device on the ground floor is the combi boiler, electric oven and dishwasher and these tend to be in use during this period more so than at any other time. I suspect this calls for a bit of appliance jiggling.

Also curious is the steady climb in EF strength from 10pm through to 5am. This is when the Dee’s are sound asleep with most appliances turned off (no standby mode for us, thank you). I can only conclude that this is due to restless neighbours, those working shifts and those having to commute sizeable distances all contributing to what is measured… I feel a big red switch moment coming on!

Also fascinating is the time lapse between peak EF (8am) and peak EMF (6pm). This is darn curious and suggests we are looking at different classes of appliance in use in the locality: we might call this phenomenon washing vs. watching.

Radio Frequency EMR

Sources of radio frequency EMR in the home boil down to your Wi-Fi, cell phone, Bluetooth devices, smart devices, DECT phone, laptop, notebook, iPad, Kindle and desktop. Nearby cell towers, broadcast/communications systems (including private mobile radio systems) will also register as will civil and military radar.

Some readers may ask why we call radio frequency signals a ‘radiation’ and not a ‘field’ since they are all part of the same glorious electromagnetic phenomenon. This boils down to the ability of some radio frequency signals to travel very long distances (e.g. VHF and LW radio) as well as penetrate objects like ionising radiation does. I prefer to use the word radiation to remind people that this isn’t a good thing to be immersed in.

The good news for moi is that the Dee household is located in an RF EMR blind spot with a weak to non-existent cellular signal. As a Wi-Fi free household we also enjoy a quiet RF existence unless one of us turns on a phone, Kindle or the router, with the strongest external source being the Skybox of our neighbour that emits electrosmog pretty much 24/7. Here’s what that quiet existence looks like:

As may be surmised, we tend to turn our router/phones on at 8am, this being a critical time when Mrs Dee needs to communicate with teaching colleagues. The 7am blip just prior is usually me fiddling with my phone in bed to obtain space weather reports, with the 12pm blip being Dee-to-Dee comms regarding lunch and the timing of baked potatoes. The 7pm spike is invariably Mrs Dee turning on the router and her Kindle to obtain another trashy novel. Apart from that we’re talking minimal RF bliss at around 0.01mW/m².

Coffee & Cogitation

OK, so we’ve eyeballed three electrosmog profiles but these have thrown up more questions than they’ve answered so I better get collecting data to understand which is causing what and how much is unavoidable background electrosmog.

The body voltage thing fascinates since this is a natural function of living on an electrically charged the planet as well as a function of man-made fields, so I need to go stand naked in a field holding my device, so as to speak.

Kettle On!