Building Biology Blog

A smart meter records household electrical consumption and communicates that information back to the utility provider for monitoring and billing purposes, by enabling two-way communication at regular intervals between the meter and the central system. These meters can produce significantly high levels of radio frequency (RF) emissions depending on many factors (location of meter in relation to occupied space, duty cycle or frequency of RF transmissions, reflection and re-radiation of RF, multiple meters at one location, collector meters, etc).

Power transmitters that will relay information from appliances inside buildings with wireless smart meters produce high, localized RF pulses. Any appliance that contains a power transmitter (dishwashers, washers, dryers, ranges and ovens, convection ovens, microwave ovens, flash water heaters, refrigerators, etc) will create another layer of RF signals that can cumulatively increase RF exposures in your home from the smart meter.

These meters are coming to your home soon; they’re already being installed in homes and condos/apartments in California. To tell us how you feel about it, click below on “Leave a comment”.

According to Dr. Henry Lai, a University of Washington scientist, 70 to 80 percent of emissions from a mobile phone antenna are absorbed in the head. Due to this, children under the age of ten should not be given a cell phone. Their brains and bodies are still developing, their skulls are thinner than those of adults, and the frequencies emitted by a cell phone can cause them permanent harm.

The only safe way for adults to use a cell phone? As little as possible. When you do use one, we recommend you use an air-tube hands-free headset. The air-tube and earpiece contain no metal conductors, and expose you to far less radiation than is present in typical hands-free units. If you prefer to not use an air-tube, a wired headset should be used, with the phone held as far as possible from your head. In the absence of a headset, try alternating the phone from one ear to the other every 15 seconds so the signal is not concentrated on one side of your head. When not using your phone, turn it off (especially if it’s a Smart Phone); even in standby mode it radiates a signal. And remember, when you’re in a poor reception zone, your phone boosts its signal, trying to reach the nearest tower. . . even when you’re not making a call.

Bluetooth devices are usually up close and personal items like headsets, mice, keyboards and printers. This assures the user of exposure to digital microwave signals at thousands of times the recommended levels. Headsets may be the riskiest, being worn not only long-term but in close proximity to the inner ear, eye, brain and salivary glands, any of which can develop tumors with suspected links to microwave radiation. Operating in the 2.4 GHz range, Bluetooth was designed to penetrate solid objects; its specifications mandate a minimum range of 10 meters, but manufacturers are free to adjust that range to meet their goals. So, hey: is the added convenience of fewer cables cluttering your desk worth the added risk?

Your wellbeing and that of your family is constantly affected by your indoor environment. You’re absorbing toxics through your skin and from the very air you breathe, and through electric and magnetic fields, carrying the polluted environments of where you live and work within you. From the foam in your mattress to the pesticides you track into your home to the products used to clean your office when you’re not there, where you dwell plays a role in your health. Our website offers more than a dozen free courses and videos that will help you better understand the effects of the built environment on human health. Check them out, then surf back to this blog to post a comment or a question. Simply click on “Leave a comment”, below, tell us what you learned or want to know!

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