Radiation Review: Some People May be 'Allergic' to Cell Phones, Computers
May 15, 2009 By Lisa Zyga
Cell phone tower in Nyakrom, Agona District, Ghana. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
(PhysOrg.com) -- How exactly does the radiation from electromagnetic fields (EMF) affect the human body? Is it possible that cell phones, computer monitors, TVs, and other electronic devices - which operate within current EMF safety standards - cause illnesses, or are the people who claim to be sensitive to these devices just paranoid? The topic is one of the most controversial subjects in technology today, having important consequences in politics, consumerism, human rights, and health costs.
Olle Johansson, an associate professor and head of the Experimental Dermatology Unit, Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, has been investigating the effects of electromagnetic fields on human physiology since the early ‘80s. Johansson’s research has led him to become an outspoken supporter of the view that the dangers of EMF radiation from our gadgets are real, and that existing safety standards, which are based on acute thermal effects only, do not adequately protect public health.
In a review to be published in an upcoming issue of Pathophysiology, Johansson has summarized the results from dozens of studies that have investigated the effects of EMFs on the immune system in particular. As he explains, EMFs can act like an allergen, disturbing immune function by eliciting various allergic and inflammatory responses. Johansson hopes that this review, along with the reviews in the extensive Bioinitiative Report published in 2007 that have identified harmful effects from wireless technologies, will urge policymakers to create new public safety limits and limit the future deployment of untested technologies.
“The paper acts like a very strong warning signal and should evoke action,” Johansson told PhysOrg.com, noting that the Bioinitiative Report has already had an influence. For example, in the “European Parliament resolution of 4 September 2008 on the mid-term review of the European Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 (2007/2252(INI)),” the European Parliament acknowledges that exposure levels need to be based on biological factors, not just heating effects. A report from the European Parliament on February 23, 2009, “On health concerns associated with electromagnetic fields,” also investigates stricter exposure limits.
In the current review, Johansson explains that the human immune system has evolved to deal with its known enemies, and not with electromagnetic “allergens” (e.g. TV signals, radiowaves, microwaves from cell phones or WiFi, radar signals, X-rays, artificial radioactivity, etc.) which have been introduced within the last 100 years. Our immune systems have developed under the influence of the sun’s radiation and the practically static geomagnetic field, he explains, but not under electromagnetic waves at other frequencies, or the magnetic and microwave pulses generated, for example, by cell phones.
As Johansson explains, antigens are substances that cause the immune system to react in an excessive manner, so that the immune system becomes damaging to local tissue and the entire body in general. Such hypersensitivity reactions can be caused by environmental disturbances that are small enough to enter the immune system. Examples can include dust and drugs, which can enter the respiratory tract or at site-specific locations. Another example is EMFs, which penetrate the entire body.
Different electronic devices produce EMFs that vary in strength, frequency, and pattern. While some studies have found associations between, for example, power lines and leukemia, or brain tumors and cell phones, other studies point out that no biological mechanism causing these illnesses has been identified. As Johansson argues, many studies assume that the only biological mechanism that causes adverse effects is the acute heating of cells and tissues, although he says that non-thermal effects, such as EMFs acting as antigens in the immune system, can occur before heating can be detected, especially after long-term exposure.
In some of the studies that Johansson summarizes, people claim to suffer from subjective and objective symptoms when exposed to electronic devices. Electrohypersensitivity (EHS) affects an estimated 3% to 10% of the population, he says, and often leads to lost work and productivity. In Johansson’s review, some studies hypothesize that people who claim adverse skin reactions after exposure to computer screens or mobile phones may actually have a correct avoidance reaction to the radiation. As he explains, the skin contains mast cells, which are known to react to external radiation such as radioactivity, X-rays, and UV light. Studies have found that skin samples of EHS people after radiation exposure have a higher number of mast cells in the upper dermis, and mast cells infiltrate other layers of the skin that don’t normally have them. EMFs may also cause mast cells to “degranulate,” releasing inflammatory substances that are involved in allergic hypersensitivity, itching, and pain. In previous theoretical studies, Johansson has proposed a model for how a proliferation of mast cells (mastocytosis) could explain sensitivity to EMFs. As in an allergic reaction, EMFs likely affect people differently based on varying immune functions due to variations in genetic make-up.
Johansson points out that some of the studies in his and other’s papers have not been included in surveys by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), suggesting that these organizations have ignored relevant research due to incorrect assumptions of the levels of EMFs that can have a biological influence.
Johansson’s overall argument is that more research needs to be done on possible non-thermal mechanisms of EMFs’ damage to the human body, and investigations into immune system response in particular could lead to the discovery of a specific mechanism for biological damage. Considering that hundreds of thousands of individuals are estimated to have electrohypersensitivity, there is a lot at stake in the issue, including how to accommodate people with this functional impairment. Understanding the biological effects of EMF also makes economic sense, Johansson says, in terms of future public health costs. Importantly, he argues for a biologically based EMF exposure limit that can be presumed to cause no adverse impacts on human health. A completely protective safety limit based on today’s information, he says, would be zero.
“Of course, philosophically we can discuss this forever, but practically one has to allow for a certain level of uncertainty if a specific gadget or technique has unique advantages,” Johansson said. “If such unique advantages cannot be proven, then maybe the consumers should demand for a complete ban? It quickly boils down to if, for example, the future public health is less important than people's freedom today to use wireless technologies.”
More information: O. Johansson, Disturbance of the immune system by electromagnetic fields - A potentially underlying cause for cellular damage and tissue repair reduction which could lead to disease and impairment, Pathophysiology (2009), doi: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2009.03.004.
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Jun 27, 2006 |
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I know that sometimes when i first walk out into strong sunlight i will sneeze two or three times but have no other allergic symptoms or reactions other than that, so in my mind there is likely quite some merit to this research and more should be done along a similar line.
Except, like QubitTamer, I experienced the effects myself. With an early analog cell phone. After 10 minutes to my ear, that side of my head would be hot, and sweat would be pouring down.
It brings to mind a quote, "It's impossible to convince someone of something that would affect their paycheck."
Oh yeah, that could be radio waves (or even just a hot phone- they dissipate quite a bit of power internally); it's well known that radio waves can give simple thermal effects. But you can get the same thing by sticking your ear next to a radiator- that isn't risky either.
The major question is more difficult: to *exactly* what degree does our advanced civilization's EM smog have on our bodies and minds?
Maybe something will come of it, and for sure, we'll learn a lot.
He babbles about mast cells being affected by UV, x-rays and radioactivity and then compares this with radio waves and magnetic fields with no evidence or plausible mechanism of any kind.
If "Electrohypersensitivity" exists, it should be easy to find doing double blind tests.
This is the kind of junk-science that reminds me of the false link between MMR vacines and autism, which caused millions of people to not vaccinate their children, many of them died for no good reason.
Let's have some evidence, not baseless conjecture before we scare our scientifically ignorant population again.
That is a common fallacy.
Because you dont know, it must not be...
Until I see the exact mechanism of EM interference affecting proteins in the human body, I'm going to stick with the thermal energy mechanism (which is more than harmful enough in some situations). It's not enough to say Mast cells are sensitive to EM radiation. You have to say HOW. Give me a theory of misfolding due to excitation of atomic bonds, something, anything!
Take an anti histamine.
Light causes sneezing because momentary tearing affects the sinuses.
Maybe, since it is so hard to demonstrate the effect on an individual level, these researchers might show us a correlation between instances of "EMF allergies" or their symptom intensity with increased exposure over time. The number of waves we are exposed to has increased dramatically over time so there should be a dramatic increase in such "allergies". But then, everyone "knows" that violent video games cause people to become violent even though crime rates have dropped as games proliferate and become more graphic. So I guess observation and data is no longer a valid part of science.
Say what you will but the brain is an electromagnetic organ.
I use a microwave oven to heat left-overs but I would never stand in front of a working radar dish! and I also try to minimize cell phone use even though the danger is probably too small to quantify.
Second, I doubt the claims in this article. My guess is that an increased 'susceptibility' for cancer is probably caused by the changes in lifestyle that accompanied the invention of electronic devices in the last century, and not the devices themselves. Driving cars instead of walking, eating meat every day instead of as an occasional delicacy, as well as sleeping less than 8-9 hours a day, all play a real effect on the body. Each of these examples are changes from how most people lived in a world without cars, mass production, and electricity for indoor lighting. Each of these also came about shortly before EMF devices were invented.
Are you serious? I suppose it's obvious that people are addicted to EM radiation, and not that the devices are just useful.
However , when I arrive to within 1/4 mile of mt home at the end of my day , I begin to sneeze , I have extreme runny nose , for about 29 minutes. It is like I have been hit by every alergy known to man. Yet I have no alergies. Within 1/4 mile of my home is a 365 foot telephone cellular transmitter tower. Very high power for rural Canada service. Only in this area do I have such alergic symptoms. I concur with your studies Olle Johansson. martin.woodside3@gmail.com
An interesting example of another type of human body reaction on EM radiation represents seanse of NMR diagnostics of brain (NMR = nuclear magnetic resonance). After it, many persons feel some kind of euphoria, staying in very good mood. Without side effects.
I should have mentioned, but this is more on the subjective side...the heat on my head didn't feel like a heating pad or a hot water bottle...and I'm not sure the phone itself was hot. (Unfortunately, this was a long time ago, before this was an issue.) One person did tell me that this was a problem with analog phones, that was not as significant with lower-power digital.
All it takes is for the right electric or magnetic field to be near the right two molecules when they are close enough together. Even if the molecules are not themselves ions, but merely polar in their electric potential they will align and increase the chances of chemical reactions that occur in that alignment.
Straight to the heart of the matter lengould100, I couldn't agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I lived for 25 years in a very high voltage EMF very near an easement of a major power company. That long exposure (the buzz from the lines were audible in my home-touching the fence produced a shock) may or may not have resulted in the serious auto-immune diseases I've suffered from since. My immune system effectively short circuited-no family predisposition, I was the lucky first to have my immune system fail to recognize my own tissues. It started with my thyroid (remember the brain pituitary's is involved in those hormonal processes) and now has continued to erode to include other serious disease over time. Although EMF exposure might not be the sole cause, it could have played an important role, particularly since usual hereditary markers were not present in my particular case.
Could increased EMFs also account for increased infertility among subsets of women? Could EMFs account for earlier menses in girls in a relatively short time span? Could there be a correlation between EMFS and the increased incidence of bipolar disorders, sleep disturbances and other conditions? There are many avenues of influence which require closer examination. High EMF exposure over time could provide important clues to length of exposure from lower ones over long periods of time.
Crap!
Oh and Linda95959 the word is menses