The Man Who Was Allergic to Radio Waves

Nice article... though either the author is schizophrenic or he had some "help" from the ad sales department. Those paragraphs that appear to be added by someone else are wrong: there is a clear risk of brain tumors from cell phones. See Lloyd Morgan's recent analysis of the literature. The figure showing can opener emissions to be the worst is terribly misleading: can openers are only on for a few seconds and don't emit microwaves (unlike cordless & cell phones, microwave ovens, and Wi-Fi).

And indeed there are published studies where at least some people could tell if they were exposed way better than chance (Rae's paper on "electromagnetic field sensitivity", and Kwon et al's "Perception of the electromagnetic field emitted by a mobile phone"... the latter had a p-value of 10^-25). The other papers I've read did not pre-test the subjects to weed out the psychosomatic cases, and did not control the exposure carefully--they don't even report the background magnetic field in the testing room or waiting rooms.

And why no mention of the evidence that Repacholi was accepting money from the industry? Still thanks for the info... almost as revealing as the impressive piece in last month's GQ on cellphones...

Uhh.. ok. Am I supposed to believe this guy actually feels excruciating pain every time a cellphone rings.It wasn't mentioned in this article if anyone tested this individual to figure out if this phenomenon is real or not. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. It should be easy enough to figure out if his symptoms are real. Sit him (or someone else like him) down in a room clear of elecromag. interference and see if he can tell if and when electromag. energy is being emitted from a device inside the room. It sounds to me like this guy and his buddies are making up this story to try and win some sort of lawsuit against their previous employer. Either that or this article was totally made up by the author. I think its borderline irresponsible for wired to print an article like this.

excuse me popsci

I feel sorry for Mr. Segerbäck. But I have a hard time understanding how he could be so sensitive as to be affected by lights, yet not be affected by the continuous transmission of mobile telephony base stations / towers, and the continual transmissions from mobile phone themselves, even when they are not transmitting. Then there are all the other services in the same frequency bands, like TV, paging systems, GPS signals, Digital Audio Broadcasting, public safety communication systems, etc.? And why risk any electric lights, when there are non-electric alternatives like candles or oil lamps?

Very sad.

The style and depth of this article makes me think that Popular Science magazine should soon be renamed to Tabloid Science. What's next, claims of alien abduction?
Sensing low power electromagnetic radiation is very paranormal experience indeed.

There may be space aliens and cell phone may cause cancer but until something can be replicated or observed by multiple independent observers, it can not be considered real or the process of obtaining the answers as science.

If someone can have such an immediate and violent reaction to electromagnetic radiation it should be trivial to prove whether it is even possible. In the best case, EHS sufferers require psychiatric help, in the worst case they are committing fraud.

If Sweden is the only country to recognize EHS as a disorder they should pay for a trip, in a Faraday cage, for one of EHS sufferer to visit the James Randi Educational Foundation (not-for-profit organization founded in 1996)
to take paranormal challenge for a chance to win $1,000,000.

Good Luck!

Maybe anyone who believes that microwaves are safe should throw a grape in the microwave, microwaves do not naturally occur. (at least not in the quantity that they are produced by man) Microwaving food destroys large amounts of antioxidants, (eg broccoli) and if you're still not convinced take 2 identical plants, one gets microwaved water that has cooled , the other water boiled on the stove. I'm not convinced about microwaves ability to cause cancer, but as a contributor to mental illness , parkinsons, alzheimers, and other disorders of dopamine and serotonin producing cells, killed off by cooking during long cell phone conversations. (cordless homephones are no better, pushing more microwaves out at higher power)

Until last summer I was, like most people nowadays, very fond of all my modern communication gadgets from wifi to mobile, from Palm to laptops and all their advantages.

From 2006 onwards I went several times to see a doctor for heart palpitations, but they couldn?t find anything wrong with me.

Then in July 2008 I suddenly started experiencing dizziness on numerous occasions, till it got so bad one night, suffering even from speech problems, that I ended up in A&E thinking I had a stroke or heart attack; in the following weeks I underwent many tests. The results showed I was absolutely fine, but the symptoms stayed. The doctors told me I just had been stressed, but the thing is I wasn?t stressed at all prior to this.

To my own shock and confusion I realized that my dizziness always occurred, when I was in close vicinity to Wifi, mobiles, Blackberries and mobile masts.
Other symptoms added themselves to the list: Headaches, excessive sweating during the night, memory and concentration problems, a pain in my head, and discomfort either side of my neck [Glands] pins and needles in my hands, a feeling of being static (I gave people electric shocks in that early period, when I shook their hands), prickly skin and even skin rashes. The latter, when I was sitting in front of my computer or the tv. Even certain light sources (energy saving light bulbs and neon lights) caused the skin problem to occur.

After medical professionals weren?t able to help, I started my own research and found many websites and blogs by people, with exactly the same problems as mine. They are sufferers of electro-sensitivity (ES), a condition fully recognized in Canada and Sweden as a medical impairment (with 250.000 sufferers in Sweden alone) but unfortunately ridiculed in the UK. I had never heard of it (this to show I am not a hypochondriac), but once I realized that this was the source of my problems, I started clearing my home environment from Wifi, DECT phones and non-essential electrical items. My problems immediately started to get noticeably better.

Since I am suffering from this condition, I have spoken to many people about it and even if not everyone has fully blown symptoms of ES, I have encountered many people who have some of the described symptoms.

So the problem might lie on a bigger scale than the assumed 3-5% of sufferers worldwide. This is the main reason of me contacting you, as I have the feeling that more awareness needs to be raised, as many many people suffer of a small portion of ES symptoms. Especially prevalent seems the following:

Most men carry their mobile in their jacket or trousers for easy access. I used to carry mine in my motorbike jacket?s front left pocket. When I stopped doing that the unexplained palpitations I suffered from for 2 years vanished immediately.

In conversations with friends, colleagues and fellow bikers I heard that many of them experience similar symptoms like pain or tremors in the chest area or what the American media refers to as ?phantom text messages?. Every now and then I?d think I had a text message, when carrying my phone in my trouser pockets, but when I checked there was nothing there.
According to Swedish scientist and ES expert Olle Johansson this is caused ?by high intensity bursts of extremely-low frequency electromagnetic field charges that your phone is producing and (that are) affecting your nervous system.?

This seems to affect mainly men, as men are more likely to carry their phone on their body than women, who mainly carry them in their handbags.

Of course I don?t know, if carrying your mobile is a cause of ES or if these phantom text messages are just another symptom and the causes could lie somewhere else, like problems with your immune system for example, which could to make you more susceptible to all the electromagnetic radiation around us, but in any case I guess it can?t be good to have heart palpitations.

I know: I have heard every joke about ?vibrating pockets? and have been many times referred to Ben Goldacre?s ?Bad Science? column. There are definitely pseudo-scientists out there making a lot of money from scaremongering, but we have to distinguish between those and the victims in all this.

Retrospectively I am convinced that my heart palpitations were an early warning sign for what was happening later on. I might have been able to avoid to come to down with electro-sensitivity, if I had known more about it. And believe me: ES is not an easy thing to live with.

During all this happening I thought for a short period of time, that it might just be my ancient phone causing trouble, so I opted for an iphone, but that just made things far worse, which brings me to another issue of widespread problems nobody seems willing to be talking about.

Now I know that the radiation emitted from an iphone/ Blackberry is far higher than the one of my old Nokia. (Measured in SAR ratings: iphone a whopping 2.0, the ancient Nokia a mere 0.57) In the US for example the guidelines are much tighter, the iphone on the market there has a lower rating.

Since then I have spoken to many proud owners of their Powerful 3G Phones.

Many of them experience sleep problems (most of them seem to wake up in the early hours of the morning (around 4.30 am) and find it difficult to get back to sleep) and/ or feel ill. Even though some of them admitted, that their problems started shortly after acquiring their new gadget, they are of course unwilling to put two and two together. As I was when it all started happening to me.

Our fast communication tools are just so wonderfully convenient, that we are very reluctant to think, there might be a problem.

And I?m not talking about some weird conspiracy theory. Just the reluctance to let go of something making our lives so much easier. But maybe the price we are all paying on the long run will be too high?
Even though it should be said, that of course the revenue of the communications industry is vast.

But smoking used to be a relaxing pastime, didn?t it?

If you are still sceptical, while reading this, maybe you can suspend your disbelief and convey an easy test: Maybe ask around in your office, if people are experiencing sleep problems and/ or the phantom text messages? Maybe ask willing participants to switch off their mobile and Wifi during the night, remove the DECT phone from the bedroom and not to carry the mobile on their bodies for a period to see if it makes any difference?

The phones, if kept switched on by your bed (i.e. used as an alarm clock) will not let your brain go into a proper sleep pattern and thus not allowing for your body?s necessary recuperation process to work over night.
There should be warnings on phones: Do not keep by your bed.
I am sure that the results of such a test will be very convincing.

Since all this has happened to me I have spoken to many fellow sufferers, as well. Many people, completely left alone by the NHS, forced to leave their jobs and in some cases even their homes. I am in writing contact with a woman who is now living in a tent, as it is the only place, where she can be symptom free. A desolate and lonely existence.

The people I have spoken to come from all walks of life: lawyers, bankers, actors, lighting technicians, librarians etc. They all suffer the same symptoms. If they were all hypochondriac, how come they all have the same set of symptoms? Surely this can?t be some sort of mass hallucination or hysteria.
Even the though numbers are growing ES sufferers and anyone trying to ask for more research are being ridiculed.

So far research hasn?t come up with any conclusive results, but as a sufferer of ES I know, that has just to do with the fact that the scientists undertaking the trials don?t understand (or worse don?t take it seriously) and so the lab environment is a problem in itself for most sufferers.

The whole scenario reminds me very much of the case of ME (especially because of some of the similarities in symptoms between the two illnesses). Sufferers of ME were ridiculed for years as having ?yuppie flu?. Maybe there is even a link?

For more information:

2 British websites about ES:

.es-uk.info

.electrosensitivity.org

A Canadian website about ES:
.weepinitiative.org

The Swedish website about ES:
feb.se/FEB/feb_techman.html

safeantenna.org/

fullsignalmovie.com /index.html

wifiinschools.org.uk/

The following website and articles are about the (proven!) negative effects of energy saving lightbulbs (for everyone, not just ES sufferers) and the planned ban of tungsten bulbs by the government this year:

spectrumalliance.org.uk
timesonline.co.uk/tol/lifeandstyle/health/ article4915472.ec
.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1161899/Low-energy-light-bulbs-cause-rash es-swelling-sensitive-skin-warn-experts.html

Recent articles in the press.

gq.com/cars-gear/gear-and-gadgets/201002/warning-cell-phone-radiation?currentPa ge=1

.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/mobile-phone-radiati on-wrecks-your-sleep-771262.html

.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/2552553/Wi-fi-wave s-make-top-DJ-Steve-Miller-sick-Steve-Miller-aka-Afterlife-Allergic-to-wifi-Wifi-allergy.html

telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthcomment/geoffrey-lean/6175172/Mobiles-and-cancer-the-plot-thicken s.html

.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6805895.ece

.expres s.co.uk/posts/view/61725/Is-wi-fi-putting-our-children-in-danger-

nytimes.com/2010/01/ 02/us/02cell.html?hpw

.express.co.uk/posts/view/149235/Police-force-sued-by-officers-wh o-claim-that-radios-are-making-them-ill-

Other problems to come include the widespread ideas of rolling out wifi over whole cities and the installation of so-called smart-meters, that will send your electricity usage reading wirelessly to the providers.

I am already scared, how I will be able to live my life and cope at my job with the increasing EMFs and Wifi everywhere.

Looking back it would have been great, if I had known more about the possible problems of overexposure to modern communication.

We all should be more careful until it is really proven that there are no dangers involved in using wireless technology to the extent we do at the moment.

Personally I'm really worried for the future of all my friends and family living in this country. I believe we are sleep walking into a really big problem for our health.

Please take the time to look at the sites above, and talk to others!

I read about per sergerback many years ago, when I myself became EHS, caused by a mobile phone mast with multiple transmitters on it, next to my house, there are many people like me who suffer phyical painful symptoms due to the constant 24/7 exposure from these transmitters, I now have to live with screening materials covering the roof and walls in order to be pain free, I do not have reactions to electricity, only to microwaves, I can detect WiFi and Dect base stations,in houses even when i cant see them.

I read in one of the comments a suggestion that James Randi should take this up, I have conntacted his organisation, they wont touch it, he might lose the $1 mil, however if he reads this, I am willing to take up the challenge.

I was surprised to see EMF, radiation, wave frequency and other terms used interchangeably in the article. In my case, I seem to have trouble with fields over .4 milligauss at any frequency around 60 hz, as far as I can tell. The higher the field strength, the quicker and stronger my reaction. I do not become unconscious, but sometimes get a headache, many times get nauseous and always become paralzyed with floppy muscles and collapse while remaining fully conscious. MRI machines and metal detectors (such as the ones used in airport security) turn me into a rag doll, unable to speak or sometimes even move my eyelids, within seconds to minutes depending on how close I am to the field. What I want to point out is that in my case the waves from radio towers, wireless routers, etc. do not bother me unless I am close enough to the tower or router that the magnetic field from its power source (electrical current) can effect me. I can only assume that is because the wave frequency of the radio waves themselves are too high. Power lines or florescent lights, on the other hand, quickly collapse me into a puddle on the ground until I am moved far enough away. I seem to have an ion channelopathy similar to hypokalemic periodic paralysis, and although medication and management help my symptoms and I am less sensitive than I was prior to medication, I still need to avoid chronic low level and/or acute strong EMF fields in the 50-60ish hertz range as they are a major trigger. Other neurological channelopathies include migraine and epilepsy. I have seen studies that show that EMF can effect cellular ion concentrations as well as cell signal transduction. I am guessing that those of us with cell membrane channel disorders, whether inherited or acquired, diagnosed or not, would be among the ones so severely affected by EMF. I hope to see this line of research followed in the future not only to help explain why some of us are 'allergic to electricity,' and what we can do about it, but also to help elucidate the effect of EMF on biological systems in general - for better or for worse.

This is an interesting story, but I wanted to hear more science. There's just so many questions that should be answered in the article.

Did he have these symptoms as a child or did it manifest over time?
When did he move to the nature reserve or has he always lived there?
What was his parents account of his childhood?
Do other people do his shopping?
Has he been tested?
What symptoms do the other 250k swedes have? Do they pass out too?

They could've randomly alternated between playing a recording of a ringing phone in close proximity to him and actually having a call go through and see if he passes out.

This is an interesting story, but where's the science?

I read the article.
And I read the comments.
I remembered an old BBC article about a woman who had her house plated with metal because of EHS.
I'm keeping an open mind-- but the Skeptic in me still hasn't heard an argument or evidence that firmly closes the door on a kind of Hypochondriacal nuerosis as an explanation, with the condition ratcheting itself into serious Phobia Territory where it becomes near impossible to reverse course from.

I mean it's only a lay, joe-smoe analysis-- but the first stages of the age of Electrification did not produce massive outbreaks of paralytic collapse in large portions of the populace in the cities. I would figure that before the 1900's since Man only experienced EM in Electrical storms that AC/DC current all over the place would have had an effect on the population as a whole if we had the tendency to be deleteriously sensitive to it.

It's like people who say they can 'feel' when lightning flashes-- except their eye and the edge of their vision saw that characteristic actinic flicker. Even on an unconscious level, the eye is VERY sensitive.

The same argument go against people who say they can't sleep with a cellphone next to them. If anything, most people have "Pavlov'ed" themselves into a twitchy state in anticipation of any and every chirp from their Blackberry or iPhone. Of Course you can't go to sleep! For that reason, I NEVER use the alarm function of my phone. And I turn the thing OFF at night. Nor is it by my bed. That Twitchy Trigger Response Arousal is DIRECTLY connected to your heart rate. It's called Stress. Too Much Stress WILL lead to Heart conditions like palpitations.

To actually test someone's claim to 'detect' an electronic device in action--WITH their knowledge-- is almost a garantee of positive detection every-time with a lot of false positives. While to do the same thing WITHOUT their knowledge-- they would construe as abuse.

On the slightly humourous side-- imagine. . . A Woman who CANNOT abide any electronic device! Is that a Blessing or a Curse?

I wonder what happens to him when solar storm activity rises?

The author,James Geary, starts his article out, "Your cellphone does not in itself cause cancer." How misinformed can one be or the better question is how deep into the pockets of the cell phone industry is he?

Anyone who could take this position hasn't done any recent research on what researchers are discovering:

Watch Video: U.S. Senate Hearing: "Cell Phones and Cancer" (Source: www.bit.ly/c4zPke)

Watch Video: Columbia University Law School - Wireless Hazards Panel (NOTE: This is a 60min. video, but pay special attention to Dr. Martin Blanks presentation on EMF/DNA/Biology (Source: www.vimeo.com/8521392)

Watch Video: Australia's Dr. Khurana (Brain Surgeon - Cell Phones/EMF) (Source: www.bit.ly/9RliCg)

Read: "Cellphones and Brain Tumors 15 Reasons for Concern " (Source: www.bit.ly/bu1MTj)

Look at him. His hair is grey. It is a sign of increased free radicals in his body. Consider this FACT. They have shown the body contains a substance known as ferritin. This substance stores IRON. When the radio waves hit this ferritin this ferritin releases its load of iron and this iron causes .. ? .. free radicals .. rust .. oxidation.
Pretty simple solution. Target the iron for removal by bloodletting and a very low iron diet .. vegetarian diet without added iron IE: fortified foods .
Imho ..
-----------

EMF-cancer link: the ferritin hypothesis.
by Shao T
published in: Med Hypotheses 1993; 41 (1): 28 - 30 ( PubMed Entry )

-------

Here is a man that lives in the cold dry air (lots of static charge), under the northern lights, within all the over horizon radar from Russia and Sweden, all the telluric currents underneath his feet, all the radio traffic beaming around him, and I am expected to believe that this is not psychosomatic?

So now Apple is attacking electronics companies so that when they unveil their telekinetic-powered cell phone, people will snap it up.

If energy (EMF here) interacts with the matter in a system (human body here) it will affect that matter in some way and that will change the way the system works (even in a small scale). That’s why I don’t get people who say EMF has no adverse affect on people when will live in a world where too much of anything has adverse affects on the human body.

So EMF my not have a direct connection like ionizing radiation does but even secondary effect can cause problems. I mean even a drop of water will wear a hole in stone over time.

everything in connected and so will effect everthing else.

uh, there seem to be more than a few comments here by people who claim to have EHS.

Well if you have EHS, how are you able to post a comment (or even use your computer in the first place, wifi or not)? FUD

MIT must have low standards these days, any motor that uses brushes will emit rm radiation all over the spectrum, think of it like a spark gap transmitter going off several times per revolution.

I don't know about "cell phones don't cause cancer" but they certainly cause a fair amount of stupidity in those addicted to their phones.

Example one: the idiot who simply must check his phone every other minute while in the darkened theater watching a movie. Yeah, I really enjoy being blinded by your blue LCD display.

Example two: the idiot who talks LOUDER in the elevator when the doors close, cutting off the radio waves clearly playing havoc with his (few remaining) brain cells.

Example three: the idiot who must tell half of the known world about all of his problems because the cell phone killed all sense of propriety and inhibition within his deep-fried brain. True story: I was standing in line at the bank and this fella was barking into his phone: "I'm at the bank because you can't stop spending money!"

The FCC should grow some balls and allow selective jamming. The world would be a better place. Or, at least a quieter place.

Radiation causes nausea and dizziness. I know. I've experienced it myself.

When IR remotes where new (and I was little) I knew radiation was something terrible dangerous. But thrill seeking as I was I experimented with a TV remote and directed it to my head. Immediately I felt nauseous and dizzy. I stopped the experiment at once.

Later I learnt that the IR radiation is not "so" dangerous. The remote didn't make me nauseous any more...

Don't underestimate hypochondria. The feelings are real.

I'll bet he could detect earthquakes 48 hours before the actual event. FEMA should pay this gentleman to relocate to a rural part of the San Andres fault and provide a flare gun to fire when he feels the earth's static start to crackle and snap, if such could be a warning of impending doom.

Huh?

This belongs in the grocery store checkout lane.

I wonder if the guy has tried putting a circle of crystals around his home and grounding his tennis shoes with titanium spikes yet? That would most certainly cure it -- although, he wouldn't be getting $$ from the socialist government that has listed this supposed issue as a disease, would he?

So far none of these nutjobs have managed to pass a double-blind test, where neither they nor the research assistant knows when the device is turned on.

In other words, these people have something seriously wrong with them but it is more in the mental health department.

Ironjustice; that's a load of crap. Chemical bonds are strong; the amount of energy they contain is roughly on the order of the amount of energy in visible or UV light.

Radiowaves and microwaves contain a million times less energy that required to directly break bonds. Even 2-photon reactions are very rare and require enormous illumination levels; you're certainly not going to have a million-photon reaction. These tiny quantities of energy per quanta correspond to various vibrational states of molecules, i.e. if you microwave something it will heat up. Don't linger in RF fields strong enough to cook your inards and you'll be fine.

As long as there is no double-blind apporach to verify the paranormal "senstivity" of this person, I dont believe a single word.

This is complete nuts.

(Please excuse my english as I am from germany.)

This magazine is turning into a rag. What a crock. What kind of testing was done to corroborate this? None. They took his word for it. I have this guy's diagnosis right here: L.U.D.D.I.T.E.

I typically don't comment on many articles, however, I will to this. The nay Sayers to the effects of EMF exposure need to wake up and become more open minded before they find themselves subject to the pain and inconveniences that can seriously handicap, cripple and endanger an unsuspecting individual. Heightened or hyper reactions are not uncommon. The hypoglycemic has a reaction to the lack of sugar. Big deal right? I'm pretty certain it can kill and in the right (or unfortunate) context could kill many. It doesn't matter how the reaction comes about or whether one knows the true origin, the fact that it is makes it what it is. Absence of detail doesn't lessen the fact that it's present. There are a lot of unknown and unexplained bodily reactions that warn of impending danger.

So what's my story? I've got a condition wherein the skin on fingers and hands dry and crack. Its very painful at times to the point that it is certainly a handicap. How many doctors I have seen…several. Dermatologists, Neurologists, my primary in addition to a vet have no clue. Its been going on for years and, up until a recent revelation, was progressively getting worse. That revelation, my cell phone. I'm not talking about reading about it. I seen and felt it first and then did the research.

My condition started shortly after a divorce. One finger tip just simply started peeling. No matter what I did I could not get it to heel. After a year it was just about all fingers including thumbs. I looked at many factors beyond the typical dietary deficiency recommendations. The following year I'm on an extended conversation with my gal friend and my phone, holding it in my hand, is getting warm. It happens I noticed the progressive rash that was plaguing now most of my fingers and parts of my palms was predominantly worse around the antenna. I even have some on the side of my face. There was a Tira Banks beauty show where one of the models had a similar rash on her face. I swear you could almost read the numbers from the dial pad on her cheek.

Sadly, the exclusive use of the cell was to cut costs. I ponied up for another land line and put the cell phone away and my condition subsided significantly. Knowing this I proceeded to turn it (the rash) on and off basically at will by virtue of using my cell.

Its not just my cell. To get the ails of the rash to go completely I'm afraid I have to isolate myself from not only mine but other cell phones as well as wireless routers, laptops and networks. How do I know… my wireless router in combination with my laptop imparts similar results.

Does this concern me? Hell yes it does. I am a component analyst that spends approximately half of his waking day in front of a tube. In my environment I'm still on a hard line network but its only a matter of time before a wireless system is put in place. I got a radio broadcast tower peppered with cell transponders less than a mile away. I can't go visit my club wherein there could be any of three to thirteen of us sitting in close proximity watching a hockey game… all with cell phones. I literally feel the tingle. Its not paranoia. Its real.

I commend the Swede government for taking it seriously. I need to have somebody on this side of the pond do the same. I've got date with a occupational dermatologist guru at the Cleveland Clinic soon. I hope that this group doesn't laugh me out of the office like the nay Sayers. I'd like to see any one of them try to type with third degree paper cuts on the tips of their fingers. Without years of endurance I'd bet they only get out one word… help! Keep posting. I'm going to use this article as a push for cause.

Hard to tell the veracity of this story…but in the comments someone mentions "phantom texting" from cell phones; I had never read about that, but feel I have experienced it. I often have my cell phone in a cargo pocket and have had unexpected, unexplained "buzzing" on that leg. I in fact chalked it up as psychosomatic...just having some little twitch and associating it with the cell phone vibrate. But, it certainly never has occurred on the other thigh.
And as I recall, there is proven association between intense power line fields and cancers (leukemia, I think?) My only point is, this may be an unreliable story, but I think it's dangerous to assume "everything's OK" just because we're addicted to electronics and want to think everything's OK.

"I typically don't comment on many articles, however, I will to this. The nay Sayers to the effects of EMF exposure need to wake up and become more open minded..."

Sorry, my mind is not a public lavatory.

"...before they find themselves subject to the pain and inconveniences that can seriously handicap, cripple and endanger an unsuspecting individual."

If I ever suffer from a non-existant illness; delusional parasitosis, EMF sensitivity or any other load of bilge; I certainly don't want to indulge me, I want you to point me to a mental health professional so they can figure out what's going wrong in my brain.

"And as I recall, there is proven association between intense power line fields and cancers (leukemia, I think?)[...]"

No there isn't. There's two things going on here; the first is that there are cancer clusters which are largely unexplained; some of them occur near power lines but no more frequently than they occur anywhere else(i.e. there is no apparent correlation with power lines).

The second thing is selection and publishing bias. If you define a statistically significant result as one which has less than 5% probability of occuring by random chance, then 5% of studies will report an apparent correlation even if there is none. If many studies are conducted and those which find a spurious link between powerlines and leukemia have a higher probability of being published than those which do not find a link or find a negative correlation(i.e. powerlines appear to reduce leukemia incidence) then it biases the result. If studies which do not find a link are underreported in the media then it biases the perception of risk in the public.

Proper meta studies(studies that aggregate the results of many prior studies to get higher statistical resolving power) only include studies which they are able to ascertain would have been published regardless of the result. When you do this, there is no correlation between power lines and lukemia.

There is another problem; correlation would not necessarily imply causation. If there was a correlation it could be for other reasons, such as the crummy, rundown neighbourhoods on average being situated closer to the powerlines.

For those who are making comments about "research"...Here is just one such report you should review: "Cellphones and Brain Tumors 15 Reasons for Concern" Source: www.radiationresearch.org/pdfs/reasons_us.pdf

BreadNcircus, some random weirdo's homepage is exactly the place to go if you're looking for selection bias, confirmation bias and ideologically based spin. For actual research you go to meta studies in well regarded peer-reviewed journals.

I am from Sweden. Per is a crazy person and nobody here takes him seriously. Why does popsci have this "story" at all? Anyone with basic knowledge in physics can tell you that this is utter bullshit.

This is pseudoscience in its worst form.
1. Per is most likely just a disgruntled ex employee.
2. He has no scientific backing and there has been double blind trials which conclusively show that people like him only get a reaction when they KNOW there is a mobile phone present.
3. did I mention that this is bullshit?

There is also a woman I know that have this.

the house she live in is special build to block these kind of signals and most of the electrical equipment in the house is of a kind that does not give away much of there waves.

before entering you have to turn of you cellphone

bullsh*t

... cough ... BULLSH*T ... cough ...

I'm going to start reading the articles at the check out at the grocery store for real science news...

I would just like to express my appreciation to PopSci for covering this issue. The article does at times mischaracterize the current scientific understanding of the effects of sub-thermal non-ionizing microwave radiation–in fact, many bioeffects have been identified to date, and many mechanisms postulated. The notion that such effects are impossible, while still the official position within certain agencies heavily tied to the wireless industry (and among the vast majority of the ignorant lay public), is simply not borne out by the research.

As others have noted, the article did have a bit of a schizo tone–perhaps the result of some heavy-handed editing in order to include the required dose of industry propaganda from the Repacholi's of the world. And the distinctions between different types of EMFs were glossed over more than they should have been–when it comes to health effects, a can opener most definitely does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath (or graphic) as a cell phone.

All in all, though, it will help get the public thinking about this issue–a most important service.

Josh, if it was a real condition it would be possible to produce a double blind study in which people are able to distinguish between real and sham electromagnetic fields.

The only documented cure for EHS has been Cognitive-behavioral therapy. When they say it's in their head, they're not kidding.

"Electromagnetic fields (EMFs)"

Actually by tradition the acronym EMF stands for ElectroMotive Force, not Electromagnetic Field. So they are not the same thing, nor are they even equivalent. Of course, real scientists know this. So does one Popular Scientist (me - wake up!:). It's Popular Science that has trouble getting much right.

As for the comments about Tabloid Science, [sigh] you are unfortunately bang on. The story is definitely suspect, due to under-reporting, if not mis-reporting.

My own research has turned up more info (took 30 secs - now that's research for ya!)
Per Segerbäck worked at Ericsson, the mobile phone manufacturer, till 1989 when his sensitivity suddenly became apparent. He continued working there in shielded rooms which provided him the protection of a Faraday cage.

In fact about 50 other ('highly educated', it said?!) employees of Erisson were affected the same way, specifically while using hi-res color VDTs (Vid. Disp. Terms.) which were new to the market at the time. However, Segerbäck's sensitivity remained with him even after using the terminals, and soon began to affect him in more situations.

For a while, he was also sensitive to ordinary light, but that disappeared.

What is apparent, though, is that these people cannot detect radiation in double-blind experiments. Which is VERY strong evidence that this is an example of the "nocebo" effect, which is the polar opposite of the placebo effect: people only get sick when they know they should, and not if they don't know.

Without proper reporting (this story is from the late 80s/early 90s, you know) we cannot know whether a phenomenon exists. This article has cleared up NOTHING. I've provided more information in a single comment, over just 10 minutes, than the entire article could produce.

Sources:
www.electroallergie.org/Openingspagina/Engelse%20samenvattingen/per%20segerback.pdf
www.google.com (of course).

The "SEA OF RADIATION" we are swimming in does not naturally consist of the frequencies used by cell phones and other devices. The sea we evolved in had none of the frequencies we are discussing ergo we have not evolved biological mechanisms to deal with them. An apt analogy would be fish swimming in the sea for a few million years and, all of a sudden, we start dumping a whole bunch of new liquids into their sea changing it's composition.

Cell phone company assurances of safety are no more reliable than a tobacco company's assurances that cigarettes don't cause cancer. Cell phones companies reap enormous profits for Wall Street and the "haves" while shielding them from any personal liability for the actions they do as a corporation. No one ever went to jail for lying about the health effects of tobacco. No one lost his/her fortune because they made that fortune lying about tobacco. So why should we expect anything different from the cell phone companies.

Nobody knows whether this radiation exposure is harmful, helpful, or neutral as the data is just starting to trickle in; there is no historical perspective to exposure to this radiation. Current studies overwhelmingly show no dangers from cell phone radiation. When industry funded studies are discounted, approximately three quarters of the remaining studies show potential danger.

The only documented cure for EHS has been Cognitive-behavioral therapy. When they say it's in their head, they're not kidding. - I agree!

www.manhattanbizbroker.com

Us boomers can remember crystal (i.e. Germanium Diode AM)radios that used only the energy of the radio waves sent by radio transmitters.

AM radio transmitters send out enormous amounts of energy (tens of thousands of watts). Wolfman Jack's radio station, XERB, put out several hundred thousand watts of power. The Wolfman used to comment that birds would drop dead out of the sky whenever they flew close to the transmission antenna. And that cars parked at the base of the transmission tower would have their headlights would light up on their own with the engine turned off.

Multiply this effect by the thousands of other high power transmissions (Digital TV, airport/FCC radar, wireless, etc) and we are indeed surrounded by a sea of high powered EMFs. The consequences noted or predicted by this article are not far fetched.

If people can be deathly allergic to the sun and water than anything is possible. I myself can walk into anyones house, large or small, and instantly know if they have a TV on, even if the volume is all the way down or muted. I noticed this ability as a kid after a bout with scarlet fever.

Wow, I cant even begin to imagine what that must be like.

Lou
www.total-anonymity.us.tc

Popular Science, You should change your name to Popular Tabloid. Many of your statements in this article have been refuted by mainline researchers. Your lack of checking the validity of your claims is just poor journalism. Your whole magazine has deteriorated the last few years. Kind of sad since it used to be a good publication. I do not plan to renew my subscription.

Commenters, I really appreciate the humor; some of it is really good; actually much better than the actual article. I do feel sorry for those individuals that are not feeling well, but you really need to get to the real source of your malady. The psychosomatic power of the human body is massive; RF fields' risks are insignificant by comparison.

This section is taken from the 3G iphone manual? Please read your manual if you have a 3G or any new phone, are we covering oneself now?

iPhone’s SAR measurement may exceed the FCC exposure guidelines for
body-worn operation if positioned less than 15 mm (5/8 inch) from the
body (e.g. when carrying iPhone in your pocket). For optimal mobile device
performance and to be sure that human exposure to RF energy does not
exceed the FCC, IC, and European Union guidelines, always follow these
instructions and precautions: When on a call using the built-in audio receiver
in iPhone, hold iPhone with the dock connector pointed down toward your
shoulder to increase separation from the antenna. When using iPhone near
your body for voice calls or for wireless data transmission over a cellular
network, keep iPhone at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) away from the body, and only
use carrying cases, belt clips, or holders that do not have metal parts and that
maintain at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) separation between iPhone and the body.
If you are still concerned about exposure to RF energy, you can further limit
your exposure by limiting the amount of time using iPhone, since time is a
factor in how much exposure a person receives, and by placing more distance
between your body and iPhone, since exposure level drops off dramatically
with distance.

Well I am no expert but the people in Sweden seem to eat a lot of fish. Fish contain mercury something we put into the environment. Mercury never leaves the body it settles in our fatty tissues. The brain is almost entirely fatty tissue. Mercury is a metal. Metals conduct electricity. It stands to simple reason that just because a person can survive with a certain amount of mercury in his/her system, it does not mean that they will not have adverse effects from it even when the dose is not fatal. I suppose if I dropped a spagetti of bare wires in my television at some point my TV would short out. Perhaps that is what is occuring in sweden. It would not surprise me to learn that there are more occurences in countries where the diet is composed of mainly fish.

I have a similar allergy.

I get headaches and nearly pass out in the presence of bullshit.

Almost could not read this article. Having worked on high frequency equipment or high EMF machinery since High School I can tell you I have never experienced anything this article claims.

For the "nutsos" who are so worried about the magnetic fields around high tension lines or high current transmissions: I have to tell you that I have been able to sleep right next to equipment that had so much current that a bar magnet would vibrate at a distance of 4 feet. A 4"x4" Steel plate would generate over 400 volts measured to ground.

I am 62. For the past 45 years the only people I met who were afraid of electricity, in any form, were stone age LUDDITES with little or no knowledge of anything beyond their own genitalia.

My health is not in question. There is no problem. None.

Click Click

Claiming that the small EM radiation from a cell phone could cumulatively still cause your face to cook is the same as claiming that a birthday candle placed under a Liter of water for sufficiently long will cause it to boil. You cause more of a change to your anatomy when you hop into a cold pool or hot shower than you do by a 10 minute conversation on a cell phone!
There have been sufficient reports of individuals who have reactions due to contact with specific devices to legitimize the hypothesis that there are some problems, but I would be more inclined to investigate said devices for lead, arsenic, and other hazardous materials leaking from the components than to the EM radiation itself.

Follow the money. It sounds like in Sweden that people with this "condition" receive the same type of disability benefits as those given to people who are blind or deaf, ie, those with actual verifiable legitimate medical disabilities. "Hmmm, i'm too lazy to work for a living, how will i feed myself?"......."I know!!! I'll claim that i have this unprovable medical condition and the government will pay me money to sit on my lazy rear in a cottage in the woods!!!"------->Profit

The end

The Evidence showing harm is overwhelming.

In 2007, the Bioinitiative Working Group, an international collaboration of prestigious scientists and public health policy experts from the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and China, released a 650-page report citing more than 2,000 studies (many very recent) that detail the toxic effects of EMFs from all sources. Chronic exposure to even low-level radiation (like that from cell phones), the scientists concluded, can cause a variety of cancers, impair immunity, and contribute to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, heart disease, and many other ailments. "We now have a critical mass of evidence, and it gets stronger every day," says David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and coauthor of the public-health chapters of the Bioinitiative report.
Source: www.bioinitiative.org/report/index.htm

Want some proof? Hundreds of Scientific Studies on the negative Impacts of Electromagnetic Fields and Microwave Radiation.
Source: www.powerwatch.org.uk/science/studies.asp

It would be reasonable to test him to see if he knows when radio waves are present, and when they are not. A cellphone could be in his presence, controlled from a distance.

If he has an attack when it is turned off, that would be informative. If he fails to have an attack when it is on, that would be, also.

One could also test the effect of medications. If his allergy is relieved by antipsychotic medications, that would also be telling.

Lengthy interviews with him and with people who know him well might show whether he has other peculiar perceptions, beliefs and experiences.

One word: Psychosomatic...

Its Interesting how defensive and angry some people can get, when EMF of wireless radiation is mentioned as a problem?

Would they be so unkind to anyone with a food allergy or someone with a rare cancer, ME or even {Gulf-War syndrome. Which has very similar effects as ES.] Microwave weapons used for the first time in GulfWar1 and 2.

Just because they have not come down with this illness themselves. They know for a fact its not real? It can be very frightening and dnisabiliting in modern world. And to be ridiculed by many people does not help.

Most tests are sponsored by the phone industry, and carried out by psychiatry thats not a good start?? Somedays are good, and some are bad, at withstanding the bombardment.

Just think about it if it was someone in your family with ES? I wish it was Psychosomatic, or Bul.....it. So to disappoint you, its real, its a major problem for us all.

In Reply to DOCBRADY and SOYLENT, first of all i do use a computer, the only reason I can, is because it has been sanitised, screened cables, and good earthing, as far as testing is concerned, I have proven under double blind conditions, that I can tell when a mobile mast signal is on or off, I did this for 2G (GSM) and umts (3G), and i have the results to prove it, I even correctly identified the signal type, the worst type of signal that i can feel is the police TETRA system, as used here in the UK, there is an incredible amount of pressure being applied by government's to play this problem down, because of the amount of money involved, it will effect more and more people as time passes, people who are effected get worst over time, there is no cure, only prudent avoidance works.

I'll give this guy a shiny new $100 bill if he can detect which cell phone is actually transmitting in a double blind test.

100 phones laid out in a circle in a large field, with a battery in one should be sufficient.

Although I feel bad for the guy, I think my risk of losing $100 is pretty slim.

Also, Pop-Sci should be embarrassed at even publishing this. It belongs in the National Enquirer, not here.

Looks like its scarring 'Pushf popf' Science isnt all clear cut.

Yes, yes, we are all being bombarded with killer radiation everywhere we go, and yet, with people generally living unhealthy lifestyles as far as diet and exercise go, life expectancies continue to rise. I work with high power comm. equipment and 4160v VFD's that power 1-3000hp electric motors and other heavy electrical industrial equipment day in and day out. No one that i know of or have even heard of in the last 15 years has suffered any ill effects from proximity to this equipment. You are going to have to present more that a few studies done by anti-capitalist luddites with an agenda to convince me.

Dear @Sir, @Madam,
©MINDCON’S THEORY OF INFOWAR AGAINST CIVILIANS!
ht tp://mindcon.wordpress.com/category/%C2%A9mindcon%E2%80%99s-theory-of-infowar-against-civilians/
Thank you!
Yours sincerely.

"some have shown that cellphone-frequency EMFs do produce physiological effects in some people, both those who report EHS symptoms and those who do not (although the EHS patients performed no better than chance when asked whether they were being exposed)."

Thing is, the whole article could be cut down to that one paragraph (on page 3):
People who claim hypersensativity to radio waves CANNOT PROVE IT in double blind experiments.

What was the rest of the article for again?

In the attention of PHILIPWATTS and SPINNEYHORSE

Dear both,

many thanks for your very useful posts !!

I am a medium to severe EHS for a few years, with symptoms very close to you both and I am very interested to learn more about the shielding methods you used (you seem to have reached good results with this, while I am still struggling every day and night). If you do not mind sharing your experience, is there any way I could get in direct contact with you by email, please?

I react badly and diffrently to wifi (increased and arithmic heart beat , diziness, nausea, loss of memory, loss of concentration, anxiety, lack of sleep until 3-4 am), DECT phones & home weather stations with radio transmission (lack of sleep), and mobile masts (1800 -2500 GH)(normal rate but extremely intense heart beat, lack of sleep, immediate and severe head aches when in close range <100 m from the antenna). I also can feel antennas and wifis if in close range. Most symptoms amplified during the night, I manage to sleep only a few hours per night and have been trying with little success several shielding options. Perfectly healthy when at country side, no symptoms at all, for months.

I would appreciate very very much your advice, if possible by email, thanks.

Good luck and nerves of steel to all EHS people. Don't give up!

LF

Kudos to everyone who tagged this article as fit for the checkout line at Kroger.

Meantime dig this video. (This guy's underwear glows in the dark):

www.flixxy.com/helicopter-cable-inspector.htm

Hi Little Flower, I wont put my e-mail address on this blog, but you can contact me, by using the contact us link on this website www.es-uk.info/ your mail will be diverted to me.
Best Wishes
Phil Watts

Folks, not to pick nits but I b'lieve the correct term for a contemporary who abhors technological advancement is "NEO-luddite."

(Actual luddites are all dead now).

And the correct term for someone who makes posts like this is neo-smartass.

Let us see....

I grew up across the street from a tandem run of high tension lines in a house that was directly under a landing pattern of O'Hare Airport.

Spent 6 years working on a low powered radar but stationed on a ship that had enough high powered Radar/Communications gear to produce its own Ozone layer when operating.

After the Navy I worked repairing civilian data processing equipment for 30 years.

I would think that the FCC or DoD would have plenty of research data.

If this is such an issue why aren't the VA Hospitals flooded with "brain cancer" patients?

I don't think I'm going to worry too much about my cell phone.

Ultrasound-mediated release of iron from ferritin.
Morrissey JM, Taylor KD, Gilman SD.
Cavalier Discovery Incorporated, Mason, OH, USA

We investigated the release of iron from ferritin in aqueous solutions exposed to high-frequency ultrasound (US).
Our data suggests that superoxide produced as a result of ultrasonic cavitation acts as a reducing agent, enabling the
release of iron from ferritin.

I'm going to start reading the articles at the check out at the grocery store for real science news...

www.tendances-de-mode.com/marques

Radio frequency magnetic field effects on molecular dynamics and iron uptake in cage proteins
Bioelectromagnetics
Volume 31, Issue 4, Date: May 2010, Pages: 311-317

"After 2 h of exposure, the proteins have a reduced iron intake rate of about 20%."

I assure you, folks, that electrosensitivity is very real... I sincerely wish it wasn't.

I am another MIT alumnus, an aerospace engineer who works for NASA designing spacecraft. (So I am not some fruitcake technophobe, and I understand basic physics and electromagnetism). I, too, experience terrible headaches if I get within about 6 feet of a cell phone. It is getting more and more difficult for me to do my job, because everyone is carrying cell phones and laptops with wireless cards in them these days. I even had to shield my desktop computer at work with mu-metal (look it up) just to stop it from giving me heart palpitations! If I attend a meeting at work, I have to try to sit as far away from people with cell phones and laptops as I can. The projectors that project computer screens are the worst (and they are in every conference room these days). Needless to say, I avoid business travel at all costs because I can't ride on a commercial airliner. I can't go into a crowded movie theater. I even have trouble waiting in line at the supermarket or post office, because there is ALWAYS someone crowding in right behind me yakking away on their cell phone, oblivious to me edging away from them. And if you politely try to ask people to please keep their cell phones away from you, they actually get *hostile*! (*They're* the ones physically assaulting *me*, and they're getting hostile?!)

The symptoms I get start with headaches, but can include a feverish feeling and nausea, and in extreme cases heart palpitations. The headaches come on gradually over a period of time (usually a couple of minutes), but last for many HOURS, even after I move away from the source of the EMF.

I recently went into an old, disused vault where they used to do classified processing, and it was incredible the amount of pain that suddenly drained out of my head (because that room was completely electromagnetically shielded). It's *terrifying* to realize that's how much my head hurts ALL THE TIME now because of the electromagnetic pollution we live in these days.

I can't afford to move, and wouldn't want to take my son away from his school, friends, and father's family in this area anyway. So I'm stuck here, for a few more years at least. I just hope I survive until then.

Then trust me: I'll find a simple little cabin in the woods just like Mr. Segerbäck, as far away from electromagnetic fields as I can possibly get.

But I fear for my son, and for everyone else's children, too...

Do watch on Youtube / Senate Hearing Confirms Dangers of Cell Phones

.
Finally the US Government are taking notice!

Just because some of you dont feel wireless radiation yet, doesn't mean ES sufferers are mad! You will thanking us in years to come.

I just random-searched on my fathers name and I found this. I am from sweden so I'm sorry if my english isn't perfect. I've read all your comments, and it makes me so sad, you can't imagine. Maybe you never heard anyone say anything bad about your dad, but.. well... reading you comments made me cry. I understand if you dont believe it, it's so confusing if you never heard about this before. Some of my friends were confused too when I told about this, but now they know and understand. My whole life, my father has been this ill. My whole life, and he hasn't been there. He wasn't there the first time i started school, or when i learned how to ride a bicycle, I've never gone to the theater with him, or anything, and it breaks my heart, and it breaks HIS heart. I dont understand why you think he actually wants to leave his whole family, his work to live out in the woods where he barely has a toilet??!?! he cant go to the store (he buys all his food very expensive at a gas-station) or do anything!! He haven't seen a movie in 25 years or so!! I'm sorry if you dont understand the illness, but I promise you that a lot of people has it. But please do not think that he is just making this up. That breaks my heart.

The way most of you who has commented the story about Pers illness should be ashamed of yourselves.
Who are you to judge someone else based on your theories, your thoughts, either you're unintelligent or just very sad in real life to be sitting here, posting this load of crap, hurting not only pers own family who might just be reading your childish comments but also other people with the same illness, because believe me , it's not a scam or as someone said, a way to be special?
The illness is real, why would someone otherwise be sitting in the middle or nowhere without his family, not being able to watch a movie or anything involving electricity?

Before cancer was discovered, do you think that people acted so tough as you guys are? saying that they just "had a fever" or "needed some attention"
think before you act, you might just harm someone for life just by saying your opinion.

Would they be so unkind to anyone with a food allergy or someone with a rare cancer, ME or even {Gulf-War syndrome. Which has very similar effects as ES.] Microwave weapons used for the first time in GulfWar1 and 2.

And why no mention of the evidence that Repacholi was accepting money from the industry? Still thanks for the info... almost as revealing as the impressive piece in last month's GQ on cellphones...

Just because they have not come down with this illness themselves. They know for a fact its not real? It can be very frightening and dnisabiliting in modern world. And to be ridiculed by many people does not help.

www.protesesilicone.org