This term is widely used by the media and the public.
What is Electro Magnetic Radiation?
EMR is a combination of fields. If electricity is produced in a power generating station (hydro, wind, nuclear or coal), it is transported to the customer via high power distribution lines to a transforming station. From the transforming station it eventually reaches your house and arrives at your breaker panel, from where it is distributed throughout your house. This is known as your household wiring system.
There are two things happening in your home:
1. THE MAGNETIC FIELD
If an appliance, a light bulb or any other device uses electricity, this electricity “flows” through the wiring system of your home – known as current flow. This current flow produces a magnetic field around the wires and appliances. If you move away from wiring and appliances you move “out of the field.” Therefore prudent avoidance can be applied.
2. THE ELECTRIC FIELD
The electric field is the second component which comes with modern electricity. When no electricity is used (i.e. at night in your bedroom), the wiring system is still energized and live. In Canada we have 120 Volts and 60 Hertz. These 120 Volts waiting to be used, produce an electric field – very different from the magnetic field. The electric field does not stay around its source but leaves it and “jumps” onto a conductive material. A perfect conductive material is the human body with its high water content. If the electric field “jumps” from the household wiring onto the body we call this effect “capacitive body coupling.” In over 90 % of Canadian households we can measure this effect known as body voltage.
Why should we be concerned?
International and domestic research clearly shows that there is a connection between body voltage and significant health effects, such as immune system compromisation, lowering of melatonin levels, birth defects, breast cancer and various other types of cancer. Children, the elderly and immune compromised persons are most at risk.
In most cases the fix is simple. The affected circuits are isolated in a home and are shut down at night, with an automatic demand switch, to ensure a safe, sound and healthy sleep for you and your family.