Unplug to Uplift? Why Reducing Exposure to Wireless Radiation Can Improve Mood

Unplug to Uplift? Why Reducing Exposure to Wireless Radiation Can Improve Mood

by | Aug 14, 2026 | Blue Ridge EMF Solutions, EMF Consultant NC, EMFs and Mood

Have you heard of the effects of wireless radiation on mood? 

Over the past 18 months, I have been tapping into my background in public health, previous work as a psychiatric nurse, and my nerdy love of science for a deep dive into the best of the science on wireless radiation) to understand why and how it affects mental health. Why? Because I have seen and heard of stunning improvements in mood and overall mental when EMF exposure is measurably reduced to low levels.  As a nurse who does EMF assessments, I am essentially doing home visits that are “environmental nursing” – helping clients change their environments to both improve and prevent a wide range of chronic health conditions. One of my psychiatric heroes, Dr. Daniel Carlat, helps me stay focused with the question for each client encounter:  How am I going to make this person’s life better?  And of course when our moods are betters, our lives are better, our functioning is improved, and we engage more patiently and lovingly with all those we care about.

Fortunately, lots of Americans are well-aware of the numerous mental health effects of excessive screen use on the brain.  The policy train is traveling quickly nationwide to reduce phone use in schools. As of August 1, 2026, there are now 24 US states that have passed bell-to-bell policies (from the first to the final bell of the school day).   As SafeTech NC has previously reported, NC still needs such a policy.

The current mental health crisis among youth worldwide is not simple about the devices’ addictive design and content.  Here in this blog, I want to unpack the more complex, unpopular part of this story.   Thanks to collaboration with the Environmental Health Trust, several EMF scientists and EMF-expert physicians, below I have highlighted some of the most important, well-designed studies over the past five decades. These studies point to strong correlations between anxiety, depression, and irritability (which is a symptom of major depressive disorder).   There are already sources that do a great job of citing the effects of wireless radiation on learning, memory, and behavior. (These studies are not included here, and are easier to find on reliable websites, like Environmental Health Trust.org and Physicians for Safe Technology.)

Below is the best of the evidence!

Review Articles focused on Mechanisms of Action

Cellular and molecular effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields  (See diagrams on page 8 for a comprehensive view of effects, including mood symptoms.)  The concept that biological response to electromagnetic fields (EMF) is a ‘cellular stress response’ explains many observed effects, such as nonlinear dose- and time-dependency, increased and decreased risks of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, enhanced nerve regeneration, and bone healing.

Oxidative mechanisms of biological activity of low-intensity radiofrequency Radiation; Analysis of the currently available scientific literature reveals molecular effects induced by low-intensity RFR in living cells; this includes significant activation of key pathways generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), activation of peroxidation, oxidative damage of DNA and changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes. It indicates that among 100 currently available peer-reviewed studies dealing with oxidative effects of low-intensity RFR, in general, 93 confirmed that RFR induces oxidative effects in biological systems. A wide pathogenic potential of the induced ROS and their involvement in cell signaling pathways explains a range of biological/health effects of low-intensity RFR.

Update on Oxidative Stress: The latest summary of oxidative stress and RFR can be found here: Effects of Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields: Thirty years of research, posted by Joel Moskowitz, PhD and compiled by EMF scientist Dr. Henry Lai, Professor Emeritus, Dept of Bioengineering, University of Washington.  As of 6/09/26, Dr. Lai has found 89% of 438 studies on radio-frequency radiation and oxidative effects (or free radicals) published since 1997 reported significant effects.

Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression,. Non-thermal microwave/lower frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) act via voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) activation. Calcium channel blockers have been shown to block EMF effects. VGCCs occur in very high densities throughout the nervous system and have near universal roles in release of neurotransmitters and neuroendocrine hormones. The mechanism of action of microwave EMFs, the role of the VGCCs in the brain, the impact of non-thermal EMFs on the brain, extensive epidemiological studies performed over the past 50 years, and five criteria testing for causality, all collectively show that various non-thermal microwave EMF exposures produce diverse neuropsychiatric effects.

Other Review Articles:  The first three studies below are the oldest U.S. government studies on wireless radiation:

Epidemiologic Studies  (on people – not animals)     While the studies below are older, they are well-designed studies on humans, with strong statistical significance and without the confounding factors of multiple devices radiating in participants’ living environments.

Investigation on the health of people living near mobile telephone relay stations: Incidence according to distance and sex.  Comparisons of complaints frequencies show significant increase as compared to people living > 300 meters or not exposed to base station, until 300 meters for tiredness, 200 meters for headache, sleep disturbance, discomfort, etc. 100 meters for irritability, depression, loss of memory, dizziness, libido decrease, etc. This first study on symptoms experienced by people living in vicinity of base stations shows that, in view of radioprotection, minimal distance of people from cell phone base stations should not be < 300 m.

Electromagnetic hazards: RF radiation: Biological effects: Sharp controversy over the effects of electromagnetic radiation may subside in the wake of new understanding and modified standards | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore    This study of 1300 workers found those with relatively low exposure levels had an approximate doubling of neurological complaints.  Those with substantially higher exposure had approximately triple of neurological complaints over the controls.

Exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation from mobile telephony and the association with psychiatric symptoms, In this cross-sectional study in Brazil, 440 individuals were interviewed to investigate the association between exposure to EMFs from mobile base stations and mental symptoms.  Exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation related to living between 100 and 200m from a mobile phone base stations and individual behavior in the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices were associated with some psychiatric symptoms, particularly depression, after adjusting for various variables.

Neurobehavioral effects among inhabitants around mobile phone base stations  The prevalence of neuropsychiatric complaints as headache (23.5%), memory changes (28.2%), dizziness (18.8%), tremors (9.4%), depressive symptoms (21.7%), and sleep disturbance (23.5%) were significantly higher among exposed inhabitants than controls. The last available measures of RFR emitted from the first mobile phone base station antennas in Menoufiya were less than the allowable standard level.

Modification of clinically important neurotransmitters under the influence of modulated high-frequency fields – A long-term study under true-to-life conditions   Over 1.5 years, 24 out of 60 participants were exposed to a power density of < 60 µW/m² of radiofrequency radiation, 20 participants to 60 – 100 µW/m², and 16 participants to more than 100 µW/m² .  The effects showed a dose-response relationship and occurred well below current limits for technical RF radiation exposures.

Animal / Experimental Studies

The effect of pulsed electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone on the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in four different areas of rat brain  Exposure to EMR resulted in significant changes in dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the four selected areas of the adult rats’ brain. The exposure of adult rats to EMR may cause disturbances in monoamine neurotransmitters and this may underlie many of the adverse effects reported after EMR including memory, learning, and stress.

Effect of 2400 MHz mobile phone radiation exposure on the behavior and hippocampus morphology in Swiss mouse model.   In exposed mice compared to control mice, a significant increase in anxiety-like behavior was observed. In the RF-exposed hippocampus revealed a significant decrease in neurons compared to controls. Findings suggest that 2400-MHz RF-EMR cell phone radiation affects the structural integrity of the hippocampus, which would lead to behavioral changes such as anxiety.

Long-term exposure of 2450 MHz electromagnetic radiation induces stress and anxiety like behavior in rats   Male rats were exposed to EMR (900, 1800 and 2450 MHz) for 28 (1 h/day) days. Long term exposure of EMR (2450 MHz) induced anxiety like behavior. Necrotic and apoptotic cell death of the amygdala were evident after EMR exposure. Histopathological studies also revealed a significant decrease in neuronal cells in amygdala. The above findings indicate that long-term exposure of EMR radiation (2450 MHz) acts as a stressor and induces anxiety-like behaviors. 

 Analysis of emotionality and locomotion in radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation exposed rats:). The modulatory role of mobile phone radio-frequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) on emotionality and locomotion was evaluated in adolescent rats. RF-EMR exposed rats were exposed to RF-EMR (900 MHz) with a peak power density of 146.60 μW/cm2 for 28 days. Results indicate that mobile phone radiation could affect the emotionality of rats without affecting general locomotion.

Electromagnetic field exposure-induced depression features could be alleviated by heat acclimation based on remodeling the gut microbiota  Depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors in 6-week old mice were detected by behavioral experiments. EMF exposure not only led to depression-like neurobehavioral disorders, but also to gut microbiota imbalance.

On the vagus nerve’s involvement in EMFs:  In addition to peer-reviewed studies, Neil Nathan, MD, does a thorough job of explaining the role of the vagus nerve in EMF effects in his recent release: The Sensitive Patient’s Healing Guide: Top Experts offer New Insights and Treatments for Environmental Toxins, Lyme Disease, and EMFs.  See Chapter 3.

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Another resource to learn about this topic of EMFs and mental health is this 2025 webinar from SafeTech International: Unplug to Uplift.  Specifically, check out the talks by Theodora Scarato and Debra Fry.

In short, the outcomes of low-EMF living can have stunningly positive outcomes not only on physical health, but also on our mental health.  Hoping I have the opportunity to work with you and your family to create a healthier home – and lift you mood in the meanwhile.

I welcome your feedback or comments about the studies included here.    

warmly, Mary Anne Tierney, RN,MPH, EMRS      BlueRidgeEMFsolutions.com

Delusional or EMR Syndrome? Understanding Electromagnetic Sensitivity

Delusional or EMR Syndrome? Understanding Electromagnetic Sensitivity

by | Jun 8, 2026 | EMF assessments, EMF Consultant NC, EMF Sensitive, Uncategorized

As an EMF Consultant, I get frequent inquiries from EMF-sensitive individuals whose healthcare practitioner have called them “delusional” and/or diagnosed them “Delusional Disorder.”  This can be heartbreaking for anyone.  The reality it that those who react quickly to EMF exposures typically feel perfectly normal in low-EMF environments.  There are now thousands of peer-reviewed studies over at least 40 years that have documented EMFs’ wide range of serious health effects.

With a long history as a psychiatric nurse, my antenna is always Up when a healthcare practitioner makes this “delusional” misdiagnosis.  The root causes of this misdiagnosis are rooted in two major problems: (a) the void of medical education on this environmental toxin and its wide range of health effects and (b) the stunning conflicts of interest within our our government in supporting companies that make and provide services for wireless devices. These conflicts of interest are well-documented in Harvard’s School of Ethics investigative report, Captured Agency: How the Federal Communications Commission Is Dominated by the Industries It Presumably Regulates.

So that you understand “Delusional Disorder,” the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) defines it as: “the presence of one (or more) delusions with a duration of one month or longer.”   The “specifier” of this diagnosis that is most related to EMF sensitivity is the “somatic type…when the central theme of the delusion involves bodily functions or sensations.“

We Building Biologists across North America have found that clients’ “somatic sensations” usually completely resolved when EMF exposure is reduced to safer levels, as defined by the European Academy of Environmental Medicine, with their quantitative standard for exposure also reflected in the Evaluation Guidelines of the Building Biology Institute. (I’m very grateful to be certified by BBI as an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist.)

Fortunately, there is a better explanation than “delusional”: Electromagnetic Radiation Syndrome or EMR Syndrome. This is “a medical condition associated with exposure to man-made electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from wireless technologies and electromagnetic fields. Sources of man-made EMR include cell towers, antennas, cellphones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ‘smart’ utility meters, ‘smart appliances’, implanted medical devices, airport body scanners, and more. These biologically disruptive EMR exposures have been rapidly increasing and making millions of people sick….People with EMR Syndrome experience a constellation of symptoms from mild to life-threatening, including heart arrhythmias, memory-cognition problems, vertigo, headaches, fatigue, tinnitus, burning skin, and sleep disturbances. EMR Syndrome is presently estimated to occur in 3-5% of the world population, with many millions more reporting mild symptoms.”

My heartfelt thanks to the EMRS Syndrome Alliance for distilling down decades of years of debate on the many names that EMF-related sensitivity has been called, and providing a rich resource with so many gems, including:

In addition to this wonderfully informative website, there is also other high-quality medical education that is available for any provider or inquirer. The EMF Medical Conference 2021, which provided CME (continuing medical education) for 2.5 years, still has its 40+ lectures available for free.  The most important lectures for the purpose of understanding and diagnosing this complex condition are lecture numbers 10, 14, 28, 29, and 31. (You can even find my own presentations there at lecture numbers 46 and 48.)

Sharon Goldberg, MD, Integrative Physician in Santa Fe, NM, who was the Course Director for the 2021 EMF Medical Conference, recently said: “The current mindset that we have of thinking that the electromagnetic environment is irrelevant to health has to change. There is so much science and evidence to show this is simply not the case, including the rise of EMR Syndrome.”  

Dr. Goldberg is one of the most experienced physicians in North America on treating EMR-S and she also does remote consults.  Find her at Dr.SharonGoldberg.com.

Dr. Stephanie McCarter, also highly experienced practitioners in treating EMR-S and another presenter at the EMF Medical Conference 2021 has an informative yet brief video that you can share with your : healthcare professionals  Dr. McCarter’s # 1 Advice:   Reduce your EMF exposure!

The medical doctor in Western NC with the most experience in diagnosing and treating EMR-S is Natalie Sadler, MD, in Black Mountain.  Dr. Sadler diligently stays on top of how to successfully address EMR-S and a wide range of other environmental sensitivities with her holistic approach.  Here is her website. For more practitioners in the Carolinas and the Blue Ridge Region, check out the NC Integrative Medical Society, and then go to their Practitioner Directory.

This First Step is overwhelming prescribed by EMR-informed healthcare practitioners worldwide.  And that is my favorite work:  measurably reducing all four types of EMF exposure during a comprehensive assessment, following the standards of the Building Biology Institute.

More details about EMF assessments – including my prices – can be found here. If your budget is limited, or you just want guidance on how to get started, I am also happy to offer one-hour remote consults.   You can find more info here at my webpage for EMF Health Coaching.   

Blessings to you and yours on your healing journey!  Mary Anne

Mary Anne Tierney, RN, MPH
Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist

 

Why Kids Need Phone-Free Schools! The Most Important Public Health Policy of the 21st century?

Why Kids Need Phone-Free Schools! The Most Important Public Health Policy of the 21st century?

by | Jun 4, 2026 | EMF assessments, EMF Consultant NC, reduce RF/EMF exposure

I rarely mix my work doing EMF education and policy advocacy and EMF assessment work.  Yet my blog is an opportunity to share publicly what is poorly understood: children’s exposures to radio-frequency radiation (RFR – or wireless radiation) in schools is extreme, as one recent study in Brazil has documented.  There are now viable solutions to reducing RFR exposure with what is likely the most important public health policies of the 21st century:   statewide and local policies that keep cell phones out of sight and out of reach from the first bell to the last bell of the school day.   Dozens of cell phones in classrooms add a stunning level of RFR exposure to an already hazardous environment for our children, in addition to what is emitted from all the overpowered wireless access points and laptops.  As the science clearly demonstrates, children are highly vulnerable to wireless radiation, and will have a lifetime of cumulative exposures.

We have a window now in which to jump on the phone-free schools movement, and here are a few reasons why:

  1. The US Surgeon General 2023 Report on social media is well documented, outlining how “persuasive design” has contributed to isolation, loneliness, and screen addiction.
  2. The latest large study on social media addiction has found this: Researchers at Cornell, Columbia, and UC-Berkeley have linked addictive screen use by adolescents to an increase in suicidal behaviors. The study followed 4,285 U.S. adolescents over a four-year period, and the results imply overwhelmingly that the key element driving risk of suicidal behavior is not total time but rather addictive use of social media, mobile phones, and video games.  “This is the first study to identify that addictive use is important, and is actually the root cause, instead of time,” said lead author Yunyu Xiao, assistant professor of psychiatry at Cornell Medical College.
  3. The release last March of the best-selling book The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (by NYC Professor Jonathan Haidt, PhD) has sparked a national-wide movement of statewide and local policies from “bell to bell.”    As of today, 6/27/25:  There are now 23 US states that have already passed bell-to-bell cell phone policies.  Another 16 states are in the process of passing legislation to limit screentime in schools.  Like NC, many of these are “local control” states – in which state policies do not interfere with what local officials can control.   Yet elected officials in these states clearly understand the urgency of the youth mental health crisis, and how social media has contributed to this very sad situation.  Even our neighboring states of VA, SC, and GA are included in the 24 states which have passed bell-to-bell policies.  Yet the NC General Assembly has refused to budge.  Our elected officials are now in the process of passing what is likely the weakest school cell phone policy in the U.S.

 Limitations of “Instructional Time Only” Policies

The data is very clear now that policies that cover “instructional time only” have little to no effect on children’s mental health, on reducing their social isolation, and improving school safety.  In NC, Dr. Karl Johnson, Assistant Professor at UNC-CH’s School of Public Health, has distilled the complex research that finds that “instructional time only” policies may actually perpetuate addiction, particularly for the most vulnerable students. The addictive design of smart phones induces the desire to use the phone at every break, with that desire building up between class periods, leading to a surge of dopamine with each access throughout the day. This experience could be explained as “positive intermittent reinforcement,” in which addictions are more likely to manifest when there are intermissions between use and the level of reward is unpredictable.  There are numerous studies now demonstrating how these “restrictive” policies often do not work at all, and put the burden of enforcement on teachers. (See more here and here to better understand why). This 12-min video describes why mere restrictions fail, while complete bans (bell-to-bell policies) succeed through three powerful scientific mechanisms: compliance issues, craving cycles, and memory consolidation: Why Cell Phone BANS in School Work (and Restrictive Policies Fail) (Jared Cooney Horvath, 2025)

Locally in Buncombe County, NC (Asheville), I am grateful that the local school district has drastically reduced the baseline levels of wireless radiation levels from wireless access points by at least 90%.  Yet it is very disappointing that the Buncombe Co Board of Education appears too hesitant to create a bell-to-bell policy for K-12 because of some student and parent pushback.

Benefits of Bell-to-Bell Policies

Attached is “Top 10 Reasons to Support Bell-to-Bell Policies” – compiled by Dr. Karl Johnson, along with me and Lina Nealon, a national expert in child exploitation.   This document has lots of resources for local schools to utilize! Dr. Johnson has been assessing the benefits of varying cell phone policies in NC’s Granville County Schools.  He confirms some of the positive effects found internationally.  The majority of Granville Co teachers report increases in academic performance (80% of teachers noting improvements), decreases in class disturbances (89%), decreases in bullying (74%) and increases in teacher satisfaction (74%) associated with their bell-to-bell policy. As a result, Granville Co Superintendent Stan Wilborne will expand the bell-to-bell policy to every school for the upcoming academic year, and create a new policy of “Tech-free Tuesdays and Thursdays” – no Chromebooks to be used! Superintendent Dale Cole of Brunswick County Schools also found that chronic absenteeism dropped significantly, by almost in half in one schools, and by 24% in another school from their bell-to-bell policy. Administrators attributed the drop to an improved social climate at the schools, with reductions in students using social media or group messages to cyberbully, spread rumors, and plan fights. A gold-standard study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health found significantly improved academic outcomes, along with reduced use of mental health outcomes, pointing to a potential future reduction in costs of mental health services.

As a public health professional with 35 years of experience, I believe that cell phone policies in schools will surely be the most important protective public health policy of the 21st century. How our NC General Assembly members and local school board members finally vote will have a stunning effect on students’ mental health, safety, academic performance, teacher satisfaction and teacher retention for many years ahead.

 Please urge your school board members and members of the NC General Assembly to adopt a bell-to-bell policy, and provide education to parents and students about WHY this is critical.

Low-Cost Options for Storing Phones

Yondr Pouches – used by some well-resourced schools – are NOT shielded to protect from wireless radiation exposures.  (This was recently confirmed for me by one of their reps.)   In the midst of the necessary budget cuts that many NC schools are facing, expensive Yondr pouches for phone storage are not a viable option.  For phone-free schools on a budget, check out these two videos below. Learn from the success stories of schools in urban Ohio and rural Vermont on how they successfully implemented a bell-to-bell school policy at almost no cost, using padded envelopes and plastic milk crates, or wooden organizers.

Phone-Free Schools on a Budget – 15 Min
Phone-Free Schools on a Budget – 40 Min

Phone-Free Schools Improve Student Safety Every Day!

While a vocal minority of parents are concerned about contacting their children in the event of a school shooting, the research shows that students are actually safer without phones, both during an emergency and every day.   The National Association of School Resource Officers, which has found that in the rare case of a school shooter, student are safest without phones, focused instead on the adults in front of them providing instructions, with their location not revealed by a phone’s lights and binging, and clear access open to the school for faster arrival by first responders.  NASRO also states that students are safest every day without phones, related to fewer fights, and fewer incidents of cyberbullying and privacy violations.  It is critical that all parents understand this reality.

Critical Resources for Schools                   

For help with creating and implementing bell-to-bell policies, check out these resources:

In closing: Let’s not let our children be political pawns to avoid pushback and unpopularity.  School administrators in the late 1980’s did not ask children’s opinions about smoke-free school policies.  The first few weeks will not be easy to implement, but once a bell-to-bell policy is implemented, parents, teachers, and students will be grateful. As the United Nations has recommended in its UNESCO 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report, not only is a “ban” needed on all cell phones in all schools, but also education for both students and parents on why this is needed.

Let’s work together to create phone-free schools for all children in every state and every school! 

Blessings, Mary Anne
“Show me the Proof”: EMF Assessments and Education Grounded in Science

“Show me the Proof”: EMF Assessments and Education Grounded in Science

by | Jun 1, 2026 | Blue Ridge EMF Solutions, Building Biologist NC, EMF assessments, EMF Consultant NC

When I am called to work as an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist (EMRS) in the home of two or more people, there is usually at least member of the family who serves in the role of “Doubting Thomas.”   “I am not sure I really believe all this,” one husband said to me recently.   The doubts typically subside to some degree when family members can witness the numbers popping up from the meters I use to measure the four types of EMFs – making the invisible visible!

Yet the doubts are understandable, since the web is full of industry-funded studies that seek to “war game the science”, as an internal memo from Motorola executives revealed in 1994, thanks to the investigative work of Microwave News.

My work doing EMF inspections and teaching EMF science and solutions has always flowed from my long-term love of radiant health and prevention, grounded in peer-reviewed science that is not confounded by conflicts of interest.  In my deep dive on this complex issue over the past 14 years, I have found that the science of EMF health effects is plentiful and very clear.  We just need to know where to look for it, and to be discern which studies are not confounded by conflicts of interest.

To make the search easier, below are several of the most reliable websites on the health effects of EMFs (electromagnetic fields):

Some of the latest news on Wireless Radiation and Health

Dr. Moskowitz recently shared this new update: Effects of Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields: Thirty years of research  Featured here are summaries shared from Dr. Henry Lai, Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, Editor Emeritus of the journal, Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, and an emeritus member of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of EMF. Dr. Lai’s sets of abstracts cover from 1990 through May 8, 2025. “Dr. Lai reports that the preponderance of research has found that exposure to radio-frequency radiation (RFR – wireless radiation) and extra-low frequency fields (ELF – like from wiring in your home and power lines) produces oxidative effects or free radicals, and damages DNA. Moreover, the preponderance of studies that examine genetic, neurological and reproductive outcomes has also found significant effects. Among hundreds of studies of RFR, 72% – 89% reported significant effects. Among hundreds of studies of ELF, 77% – 91% reported significant effects.”

To narrow this down: As of Dec. 11, 2025:

  • 89% (n=375) of 420 studies on radio-frequency radiation and oxidative effects (or free radicals) published since 1997 reported significant effects
  • 91% (n=313) of 345 extra-low frequency fields (EMF) and oxidative effects (or free radical) studies published since 1990 reported significant effects

You can find far more effects from Dr. Lai if you follow the link to the studies.  Yet oxidative stress undergirds the pathophysiology of nearly every chronic condition. So it is a great starting point for looking at EMF health effects. Oxidative damage advances aging, causes inflammation, increases pain, and makes it difficult to repair DNA, thereby increasing cancer risks.

Another important recent study: The World Health Organization partially funded a very important study on cancer and wireless radiation: Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure on cancer in laboratory animal studies, a systematic review, published in April in Environment International. This analysis of 54 animal studies concluded that there is high certainty of the evidence linking cell phone radiofrequency (RF) radiation to two types of cancer in animals. In response, leading scientists from the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) are calling for immediate policy action to protect public health and the environment, warning that further delay could have serious consequences amid the global surge in the use of wireless communication devices. While some countries have policies to protect children from the adverse effects of wireless radiation, we do not (yet!) have that protection in the U.S.

To get a sense of what children are often exposed to:   Oncologist and cancer epidemiologist Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD, recently published High Radio-Frequency Radiation in the Surroundings of 10 Schools in Öbro, Sweden.  This study found that maximum levels in and around schools ranged from 10,716 to 68,452 μW/m2 . These levels far exceed the European Academy of Environmental Medicine’s EMF guidelines for daytime RF radiation exposure:  10 – 1,000 μW/m2 (microwatts per meter squared), nighttime 1-100 μW/m2, and for sensitive persons 0.1-10 μW/m2.  (It is always crucial to use the maximum exposures, as these are what cause the most damaging biological effects.  An assessment like this is only a snapshot of what is occurring 24/7).

These extreme levels reflect my own findings.  (However, in local Buncombe County Schools in the Asheville area, levels are much lower after the district was intentional about reducing the radiation risks, following much of the guidance we provided in this webinar by SafeTech NC.)  Since children typically are exposed to extreme exposure levels in most schools, it is imperative for them to recover from those exposures in a safe, low-EMF environment at home.  Children are most vulnerable to wireless radiation, and will have a lifetime of cumulative exposures.

So what can we do about all of this bad news?  Here are some easy ways to get started:

1. Create a low-EMF sleep sanctuary! This is the most important intervention, preventing all four types of EMF exposures overnight, so the body can be protected when it is most vulnerable (during sleep) and can heal from the day’s exposures.   This is the most important intervention I assist with during an EMF assessment.

2. Hard-wire internet connections, or at least use one of several means to measurably reduce exposures, like reducing the power level of your router, turning it off at night, or covering it with certain shielding fabrics.

3. Use your cell phone only sparingly, keeping it off your body and brain. The non-profit I manage, SafeTech NC, hosts some ideas on safer ways to use your phone.

I’m happy to assist you in creating a healthier home!  The best way to reach me is through my Contact Form.  Blessings on your journey, Mary Anne

Safer Tech Gifts: Simple Gifts for Healthy Living

Safer Tech Gifts: Simple Gifts for Healthy Living

by | Nov 27, 2024 | EMF Consultant NC, EMF products

This holiday season, consider giving simple gifts to assure and inspire safer tech use for those you love. 

Updated Nov 15, 2024 —  I love these words from Maya Angelou, and she reminds me: As we learn and teach others about reducing exposure to wireless radiation, it is easier to make better choices to live a healthier life.  

For Holiday Giving: It is with great caution that I recommend ANY products, as many folks want easy and quick all-in-one solutions to reduce EMF exposure. Below are some very carefully selected, simple products that can measurably reduce exposure to wireless radiation.

Shield Your Body’s Air Tube Headset for cell phones absorbs radiation so that it does not reach the brain. Then: Ditch the Air Pods!   This headset lasts much longer than all the other brands I have tried.  And the company is owned by the son of the late, brilliant EMF Scientist, Martin Blank, PhD.  I trust all their products.

 

 

                                                             Tech Wellness’ Stylus Pen for texting provides critical distance from the device. I always order multiples, since these are easy to lose.  It takes a bit to get used to texting with the stylus.  But our fingers have many nerve endings. And our nervous system is more vulnerable to wireless radiation than any system of the body.  This is a worthy habit to form for the New Year!

 

 

Help your loved ones sleep better! Both wireless radiation and electric fields (from wiring) increase our stress hormone, cortisol. The most important EMF protection: Replace the cell phone at the bedside with a battery-powered alarm clock. There are two brands that are silent, dark, and inexpensive: Casio and Braun.  While some will advise  “Just put your phone on Airplane Mode,”   Wi-Fi, Blue Tooth and other apps are likely still emitting wireless radiation. And most importantly: Since most folks are now dependent (if not addicted) to checking their phone, we should expect that “checking” to continue during a sleepless period during the night.  The blue light and wireless radiation both suppress melatonin production, which is essential for sleep.

Need a gift for those committed to having Wi-Fi? This Low RF router from TechWellness puts off 90% less radiation, has an on/off switch, and “sleep mode. ”  So it can emit nothing when no device is connecting to it (if you chose that option). ElectraHealth.com provides great support to get folks started on using this router (and other one very similar to it). There is no other company in North America providing routers like this. This is a great tool for family compromise on Wi-Fi!

 

 

To reduce the wireless radiation from Video Games: Buy the Nintendo Switch and then
• hardwire the device to ethernet with a USB to Ethernet adapter: UGreen USB to Ethernet Adapter
• use the docking station that comes with the game
• then use a hard-wired Power A Nintendo Switch Wired Charger

I want to be really clear:  I am NOT recommending video games. However, as the mom of a 12-year old boy, I am aware that not having any video games can cause a child to experience nasty taunting from friends. It is best to DELAY this as long as possible, and then to have clear boundaries about what, when, and how these are used. How to reduce the risks of gaming addition can be researched at the non-profit ScreenStrong.org, particularly their books and podcasts.

Books to Consider:
The Wishing Tree  A Building Biology Inspired Fairy Tale  This children’s book encourages compassion for family members with environmental illnesses and teaches natural ways to clean. It also  introduces Building Biology, the science of healthy buildings.  Congratulations to my colleagues Scott Ricker and Chris McPhie on a gorgeous, original story!

 

24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week by Tiffany Shlain. While this book does not acknowledge the health effects of wireless radiation, it does provide the blueprint for a beautiful weekly practice that has lasting effects all week long. More Calm, clarity and creative juices that flow – What a Gift for the New Year! Plus better connections with partners and family! Practical means are offered to get started on a weekly Tech Sabbath. For more details, you can see my Tech Sabbath blog, or listen to my recent interview with Lloyd Burrell.

Happy, Healthy Holidays to you and yours! Warmly, Mary Anne

In Love with Low EMF Living: Vulnerability & Joy on the Journey

In Love with Low EMF Living: Vulnerability & Joy on the Journey

by | Mar 1, 2021 | EMF Consultant NC, reducing EMF Exposure

This month I celebrate 10 years since I became sensitive to wireless radiation, or radio-frequency radiation (RFR).  Why celebrate? While the sudden cascade of symptoms and the rapid upheaval of my employment and housing felt like it turned my life upside down, what I realize now is that the whole experience eventually turned life Right Side UP! And so now I am in love with low EMF Living.  Below is how I have found joy on the journey. 

This story helped put it all together for me:
“Sea Gypsies,” including the Moken ethnic group of western Thailand, maintain a nomadic, sea-based culture, with pronounced physiological adaptations to help them thrive underwater for harvesting of seafood. They have the extraordinary ability to hold their breath and see under water for a time that far exceeds the capability of ordinary, healthy humans. And this ability – along with a sixth sense – enabled all of them to survive the 2004 tsunami that ravaged South East Asia.

It was Dr. Erika Mallory-Blythe who shared this story at the first U.S. EMF Medical Conference in 2019. She wisely pointed out that EMF sensitivity and the low-EMF lifestyle changes that follow as a result could serve as a positive adaptation to better weather the oncoming “tsunami” of EMF exposures, and enable us to live longer, healthier, and more joyful lives.

This theory turned my attitude around, and helped me to feel fortunate about my own EMF story. And while I prefer not to talk about my story, it is the foundation from which I do this work.  It was my own experience – from challenges to Joy on the Journey – that drives my passion and my compassion. I believe it is crucial for those of us who understand the complex health effects of EMFs to be vulnerable. We need to share our stories and/or concerns, and then to refocus on the one before us – to help prevent others from unnecessary suffering.

“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.
Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.”
~ Dr. Brené Brown, acclaimed author and professor of social work at the University of Houston.

My mother, who was a self-professed “health food nut” in the early 1970s, was an early adopter of new health behavior.  Though she died young, she left me the gift of a healthy curiosity for wellness and prevention. That curiosity sprouted for me at age 23, during my service as a Peace Corps volunteer and health educator in Senegal, West Africa.  I learned from my village’s health professionals and elders about the too-common tragedies of infants and toddlers losing lives to malaria and dehydration. Inspired by my Peace Corps instructors of public health, I dove into learning how life could be well lived when prevention is a fabric of our daily lives. It need not be fear-based, but a fact-based lifestyle decision.

Today, as an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist and director of SafeTechNC, prevention remains the focus of my practice, just as it did in the 25 years I spent as a public health educator and RN. The Precautionary Principle makes more sense to me than any other advice: When there is significant evidence of harm, yet lack of scientific consensus, it is better to be safe than sorry!

While the science of EMF health effects is complex, the solutions are relatively simple (as my Resources page will point out). Yes, public health policies on wireless radiation in the U.S. and most of the world lag far behind where they should be, as well documented by the Environmental Health Trust. This is particularly concerning, given the startling peer-reviewed science of EMF health effects, as well documented in the 30,000+ studies found on reliable websites like EMF-Portal, hosted by Aachen University in Germany. So I will continue to stand on the side of Prevention. Given the realities of how most folks use their devices, I will remain razor-sharp focused on the Good News – the simple steps we can take to reduce our EMF exposures.

Living a low-EMF lifestyle is a huge adjustment – initially. And then it becomes a habit, a cherished value we want to share. Friends can adjust to how they contact us. Partners work through their frustration and then realize that home can be a place for healing from exposures in the wireless workplace. And children grow up learning healthy tech habits that will lower their cumulative exposures for a lifetime.

On my own journey to wellness, I am embarrassed to admit to you – and to my husband – that we likely wasted at least $5,000 dollars on gadgets and medical treatments that did nothing to help me. I was Desperately Seeking EMF Solutions for too long!

What did help me was (1) changing jobs to a low EMF work place, (2) lowering the EMF exposure in my already hard-wired home with the help of a Building Biologist, (3) having mercury fillings removed along with heavy metal detox, and then finally, (4) retraining my brain’s limbic system, which helped not only my physical health, but surprisingly lifted my mood, my attitude, and my vision for a healthy, happy life.

Limbic system retraining expert Rick Hanson, PhD, psychologist, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Hardwiring Happiness, teaches the practice of Holding the Good – the positive moments of our day, our life. While no longer tied all day to a wireless device, I have found myself so much more capable of doing this – and joyful as a result! How sweet to be fully present for small wonders, like my son’s break-dance in the kitchen…the dog sticking her head all the way out the car window…and new growth sprouting from the stump of a toppled pine tree.

Teach your children well. Last week I left my old iPod out on the dining room table after downloading photos. “Mommy, I really want one of those!” my 12-year old son begged at least three times.  It was a lesson for me: While kids can see others use devices out in the world, what their parents do is what they want to model. When this battle gets tougher, I will lean on the experts in minimizing screen time, like Screen Strong, Dr. Victoria Dunckley, and Dr. Nick Kardaras. Yet for now, I need to keep my minimally-used devices Out of Sight, Out of Mind, just like my Nana taught me.

Be – Hear – Now 
Yes, the spelling here is intentional! Father Greg Boyle, a Jesuit priest, counselor, and organizer of rehabilitation for gang members in Los Angeles, stunned me with this advice in his podcast teaching with Krista Yippet of public radio’s On-Being. Fr. Boyle admitted how much he needs this focus both to soothe himself and be fully present with what his clients are sharing. Without the distractions of a smart phone seducing me for attention anymore, I can better practice this lovely form of mindfulness myself….to Be Hear Now with the blessed one before me.

Fact-based, not a fear-based approach: While I admit I spent years with rising fear about escalating EMF levels in our world, particularly 5G, it was the Building Biology Institute’s joyful, holistic approach to the science of healthy buildings  that changed my perspective and my approach. We can control so much of our EMF exposures – particularly in our homes, even if it means uprooting to a new location to rebuild a healthier life.

So this occasional blog will focus on the abundance of low EMF living and how to tackle its challenges with simple solutions. I’ll provide ideas on how to feel good in the present moment, and also feel better about the future – our prospects for health and longevity.

Seek what sets your soul on fire. This work of EMF coaching, assessments and education is indeed what sets my soul on fire. My hope for you and yours is to have abundant health – aided by a low-EMF lifestyle – so you can more readily follow what sets your own soul on fire.

Blessings & Joy on the Journey.