Waking Times
Quebec-based magazine La Maison du 21e siecle asked physician David O. Carpenter,
former founding dean of the University at Albany (NY)’s School of
Public Health, to comment on a letter published in the Montreal daily Le Devoir last
May 24. This letter claimed wireless smart meters pose no risk to
public health. Some forty international experts contributed to the
following rebuttal.
We, the undersigned are a group of scientists and health
professionals who together have coauthored hundreds of peer-reviewed
studies on the
health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs). We wish to correct some of the gross misinformation found in the
letter regarding wireless “smart” meters that was published in the Montreal daily Le Devoir on May 24. Submitted by a group
Quebec engineers, physicists and chemists,
the letter in question reflects an obvious lack of understanding of the
science behind the health impacts of the radiofrequency (RF)/microwave
EMFs emitted by these meters.
The statement that « Thousands of studies, both epidemiological and
experimental in humans, show no increase in cancer cases as a result of
exposure to radio waves of low intensity… » is
false (1). In fact, only a few such studies — two dozen case-control studies of mobile phone use,
certainly not thousands, have reported no elevations of cancer, and
most were funded by the wireless industry. In addition, these reassuring
studies contained significant experimental design flaws, mainly the
fact that the populations followed were too small and were followed for a
too short period of time.
Non industry-funded studies have clearly demonstrated a significant
increase in cancer
cases among individuals who have suffered from prolonged exposure to
low-level microwaves, transmitted notably by radio antennas. The effects
were best documented in meta-analyses that have been published and that
include grouped results from several different studies:
these analyses consistently showed an
increased risk of brain cancer among regular users of a cell phone who have been exposed to microwaves
for at least ten years.
Brain Cancer Rates
Furthermore, the argument that brain cancer rates do not indicate an overall increase in incidence is not evidence that
cell phones are safe:
the latency for brain cancer in adults after environmental exposure can
be long, up to 20-30 years. Most North Americans haven’t used cell
phones extensively for that long. The evidence of the link between
long-term cell phone use and brain cancer comes primarily from Northern
Europe, where cell phones have been commonly used since the 1990s.
Children are especially at risk. In May 2012, the
U.K.’s
Office of National Statistics reported a 50 percent increase in
incidence of frontal and temporal lobe tumors in children between 1999
and 2009. This statistic is especially disturbing since in May 2011,
after reviewing the published scientific literature regarding cancers
affecting cell phone users,
the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radiofrequency radiation as a 2B, possible human carcinogen.
Despite the absence of scientific consensus, the evidence is
sufficiently compelling for any cautious parent to want to reduce their
loved one’s exposure to RF/microwave emissions as much as possible, as
recommended by
various countries such as Austria, Belgium,
Germany,
Russia and the
United Kingdom.
Electrosensitivity
Public fears about wireless smart meters are
well-founded. They are backed by various medical authorities such as the
Public Health Departments of
Santa Cruz County(California)
and of Salzburg State (Austria). These authorities are worried about
the growing number of citizens who say they have developed
electrohypersensitivity (EHS), especially since for many of them, the
symptoms developed after the installation of such meters (it takes some
time for most people to link the two events).
Since the turn of the millennium, people are increasingly affected by
ambient microwaves due to the growing popularity of wireless devices
such as cell phones and Wi-Fi Internet. Therefore, the mass deployment
of smart grids could expose large chunks of the general population to
alarming risk scenarios without their consent. According to
seven
surveys done in six European countries between 2002 and 2004, about 10%
of Europeans have become electrosensitive, and experts fear that
percentage could reach 50% by 2017. The most famous person to
publicly reveal her electrosensitivity is Gro Harlem Brundtland, formerly Prime Minister of Norway and retired Director of the World Health Organization (WHO).
While there is no consensus on the origins and mechanisms of EHS, many
physicians and other specialists around the world have
become aware that EHS symptoms (neurological dermatological,
acoustical, etc.) seem to be triggered by exposure to EMF levels well
below current international exposure limits, which are established
solely on short-term thermal effects (2). Organizations such as the
Austrian Medical Association and the
American Academy of Environmental Medicine have recognized that the ideal way to treat of EHS is to reduce EMF exposure.
Therefore, caution is warranted because the growing variety of
RF/microwave emissions produced by many wireless devices such as smart
meters have never been tested for their potential biological effects.
Well-known Bioeffects
While the specific pathways to cancer are not fully
understood, it is scientifically unacceptable to deny the weight of the
evidence regarding the increase in cancer cases in humans that are
exposed to high levels of RF/microwave radiation.
The statement that « there is no established mechanism by which a
radio wave could induce an adverse effect on human tissue other than by
heating » is incorrect, and reflects a lack of awareness and
understanding of the scientific literature on the subject. In fact,
more than a thousand studies done
on low intensity, high frequency, non-ionizing radiation, going back at
least fifty years, show that some biological mechanisms of effect do
not involve heat. This radiation sends signals to living tissue that
stimulate biochemical changes, which can generate various symptoms and
may lead to diseases such as cancer.
Even though RF/microwaves don’t have the energy to directly break
chemical bonds, unlike ionizing radiation such as X-rays, there is
scientific evidence that this energy can cause DNA damage indirectly
leading to cancer by a combination of biological effects.
Recent publications have documented the generation of free radicals,
increased permeability of the blood brain barrier allowing
potentially toxic chemicals to enter the brain, induction of genes, as
well as altered electrical and metabolic activity in human brains upon
application of cell phone RF/microwaves similar to those produced by
smart meters.
These effects are cumulative and depend on many factors including
RF/microwave levels, frequency, waveform, exposure time, biovariability
between individuals and combination with other toxic agents. Clear
evidence that these microwaves are indeed bioactive has been shown by
the fact that low-intensity EMFs have proven clinically useful in some
circumstances. Pulsed EMFs have long been used to successfully
treat bone fractures that
are resistant to other forms of therapy. More recently,
frequency-specific, amplitude-modulated EMFs have been found useful to
treat
advanced carcinoma and chronic pain.
High frequency EMFs such as the microwaves used in cell phones,
smart meters,
Wi-Fi and cordless ‘‘DECT’’ phones, appear to be the most damaging when
used commonly. Most of their biological effects, including symptoms of
electrohypersensitivity, can be seen in the damage done to cellular
membranes by the
loss of structurally-important calcium ions. Prolonged exposure to these high frequencies may eventually lead to cellular malfunction and death.
Furthermore, malfunction of the parathyroid gland, located in the
neck just inches from where one holds a cell phone, may actually cause
electrohypersensitivity in some people by reducing the background level
of calcium ions in the blood. RF/microwave radiation is also known to
decrease the production of melatonin, which protects against cancer, and to
promote the growth of existing cancer cells.
Early Warning Scientists Attacked
In recommending that the Precautionary Principle be applied in EMF matters, the European Environment Agency’s Director
Jacqueline McGlade wrote in 2009:
“We have noted from previous health hazard histories such as that of
lead in petrol, and methyl mercury, that ‘early warning’ scientists
frequently suffer from discrimination, from loss of research funds, and
from unduly personal attacks on their scientific integrity. It would be
surprising if this is not already a feature of the present EMF
controversy… » Such unfortunate consequences have indeed occurred.
The statement in the
Le Devoir letter that « if we consider
that a debate should take place, it should focus exclusively on the
effects of cell phones on health » is basically an acknowledgement that
there is at least some reason to be concerned about cell phones.
However, while the immediate
exposure from a cell phone is of much greater intensity than the exposure from smart meters, cell phone use is temporary.
Smart Meters
Wireless smart meters typically produce atypical,
relatively potent and very short pulsed RF/microwaves whose biological
effects have never been fully tested. They emit these millisecond-long
RF bursts on average 9,600 times a day with a maximum of 190,000 daily
transmissions and a peak level emission two and a half times higher than
the stated safety signal, as the California utility
Pacific Gas & Electric recognized before
that State’s Public Utilities Commission. Thus people in proximity to a
smart meter are at risk of significantly greater aggregate exposure
than with a cell phone, not to mention the cumulative levels of
RF/microwaves that people living near several meters are exposed to.
People are exposed to cell phone microwaves primarily in the head and
neck, and only when they use their device. With smart meters, the
entire body is exposed to the microwaves, which increases the
risk of overexposure to many organs.
In addition to these erratic bursts of modulated microwaves coming
from smart meters that are transferring usage data to electric, gas and
water utilities, wireless and wired smart (powerline communication)
meters are also a major source of ‘’dirty electricity’’ (electrical
interference of high frequency voltage transients typically of kilohertz
frequencies). Indeed, some scientists, such as
American epidemiologist Sam Milham,
believe that many of the health complaints about smart meters may also
be caused by dirty electricity generated by the « switching » power
supply activating all smart meters. Since the
installation of filters to reduce dirty electricity circulating on
house wiring has been found to relieve symptoms of EHS in some people,
this method should be considered among the priorities aimed at reducing
potential adverse impacts.
Rather Be Safe Than Sorry
The apparent adverse health effects noted with smart
meter exposure are likely to be further exacerbated if smart appliances
that use wireless communications become the norm and further increase
unwarranted exposure.
To date, there have been few independent studies of the health
effects of such sources of more continuous but lower intensity
microwaves. However, we know after decades of studies of hazardous
chemical substances, that chronic exposure to low concentrations of
microwaves can cause equal or even greater harm than an acute exposure
to high concentrations of the same microwaves.
This is why so many scientists and medical experts urgently recommend
that measures following the Precautionary Principle be applied
immediately — such as using wired meters — to reduce biologically
inappropriate microwave exposure. We are not advocating the abolishment
of RF technologies, only the use of common sense and the development and
implementation of best practices in using these technologies in order
to reduce exposure and risk of health hazards.
1. Scientific papers on EMF health effects
2. Explanation and studies on electrosensitivity
3. Governments and organizations that ban or warn against wireless technology
•
David O. Carpenter, MD, Director, Institute for Health & the Environment, University at Albany, USA
•
Jennifer Armstrong, MD, Past President, Canadian Society of Environmental Medicine, Founder, Ottawa Environmental Health Clinic, Ontario, Canada
• Pierre L. Auger, M. D., FRCPC, Occupational medicine, Multiclinique des accidentés 1464, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
•
Fiorella Belpoggi, Director Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center, Ramazzini Institute, Bologna, Italy
•
Martin Blank,
PhD, former President, Bioelectromagnetics Society, Special Lecturer,
Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University
Medical Center, New York, USA
•
Barry Breger, MD, Centre d’intégration somatosophique (orthomolecular medicine), Montreal, Quebec
•
John Cline,
MD, Professor, Institute for Functional Medicine, Federal Way, WA, USA,
Medical Director, Cline Medical Centre, Nanaimo, BC, Canada
•
Alvaro Augusto de Salles, PhD, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
•
Christos Georgiou, Prof. Biochemistry, Biology Department, University of Patras, Greece
•
Andrew Goldsworthy, PhD, Honorary lecturer in Biology, Imperial College, London, UK
•
Claudio Gómez-Perretta, MD, PhD, Director, Centro de Investigación, Hospital Universitario LA Fe, Valencia, Spain
•
Livio Giuliani, PhD, Senior Researcher, National Insurance Institute (INAIL), Chief of Radiation and Ultrasounds Research Unit, Rome, Italy
•
Yury Grigoriev, PhD, Chair Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, Moscow, Russia
•
Settimio Grimaldi,
PhD, Director, Institute of Translational Pharmacology (Neurobiology
and molecular medicine), National Research Council, Rome, Italy
•
Magda Havas, PhD, Centre for Health Studies, Trent University, Canada
•
Lennart Hardell, MD, Professor of Oncology, University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden
•
Denis L. Henshaw, PhD, Professor of Physics, Head of The Human Radiation Effects Group, University of Bristol, UK
•
Ronald B. Herberman,
MD, Chairman of Board, Environmental Health Trust, and Founding
Director emeritus, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, USA
•
Isaac Jamieson,
PhD Environmental Science (electromagnetic phenomena in the built
environment), independent architect, scientist and environmental
consultant, Hertfordshire, UK
•
Olle Johansson, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience (Experimental Dermatology Unit), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
•
Yury Kronn,
PhD, Soviet authority on physics of nonlinear vibrations and high
frequency electromagnetic vibrations, founder of Energy Tools
International, Oregon, USA
•
Henry Lai, PhD, Professor of Bioengineering, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
•
Abraham R. Liboff, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA
•
Don Maisch, PhD, Researcher on radiation exposure standards for telecommunications frequency, EMFacts Consultancy, Tasmania, Australia
•
Andrew A. Marino, MD, PhD, JD, Professor of Neurology, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA, USA
•
Karl Maret, MD, M.Eng., President, Dove Health Alliance, Aptos, CA, USA
•
Sam Milham, MD, former chief epidemiologist, Washington State Department of Health, USA
•
Joel M. Moskowitz, PhD, Director, Center for Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
•
Gerd Oberfeld, MD, Public Health Department, Salzburg State Government, Austria
•
Jerry L. Phillips, PhD, Director, Center for Excellence in Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, USA
•
John Podd, PhD, Professor of Psychology (experimental neuropsychology), Massey University, New-Zeland
•
William J. Rea, MD, thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon, founder of the Environmental Health Center, Dallas, Tx, USA
•
Elihu D. Richter, MD, Professor, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
•
Leif G. Salford, MD, Senior Professor of Neurosurgery, Lund University, Sweden
•
Nesrin Seyhan, MD, Founder and Chair of Biophysics, Medical Faculty of Gazi University, Turkey
•
Cyril W. Smith, PhD, lead author of “Electromagnetic Man”, retired from Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Salford, UK
•
Morando Soffritti, MD,
Scientific Director of the European Foundation for Oncology and Environmental Sciences “B. Ramazzini” in Bologna, Italy
•
Antoinette “Toni” Stein, PhD, Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE-EMF Working Group), Co-Coordinator, Berkeley, CA, USA
•
Stanislaw Szmigielski,
MD, PhD Professor of Pathophysiology, Consulting Expert, former
director of Microwave Safety, Military Institute of Hygiene and
Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland
•
Bradford S. Weeks, MD, Director, The Weeks Clinic, Clinton, WA, USA
•
Stelios A. Zinelis, MD, Vice-President, Hellenic Cancer Society, Cefallonia, Greece
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