Does Wood Block EMF Radiation?

Does Wood Block EMF Radiation?

The answer is absolutely no, wood does not block EMF radiation. However, wood, like many materials, does attenuate (or reduce) the amount of radiation you are exposed to as it passes through.

Let’s talk about this in a bit more detail.

So How Does Wood Reduce EMF Radiation?

When you’re looking at materials ability to block EMF radiation, just understand that very few materials completely block radiation. Usually, they attenuate radiation. In physics, attenuation is a gradual loss in force as something passes through a material. A couple of examples:

• Walls attenuate sound as it passes through.
• Your tinted windows attenuate sunlight
• The lead vest you wore at the dentist attenuates the x-rays.

Materials like mylar, copper, aluminum, attenuate EMF radiation by absorbing or scattering the photons as they pass through. I’ve talked in other articles a bit about the inverse-square law, which essentially means that as you double your distance from a source of radiation, you quarter your exposure to it. So when calculating how much EMF Radiation you’re being exposed to, you have to look at both the attenuation of materials between you and the source, as well as your distance from it.

So, when we’re looking at any materials ability to reduce EMF radiation, like wood, we have to find a way to measure and compare its ability with others. This is done with the measurement decibels (dB). Take a look at the chart below to understand a bit better how a decibel value relays a materials ability to attenuate EMF radiation.

How Do We Even Know How Much EMF Radiation Wood Reduces?

So in 1997, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a paper called “Electromagnetic Signal Attenuation in Construction Materials,” which luckily is completely free to the public.

Now, unfortunately, they didn’t do this research out of concern for the public over the danger of EMF radiation, but instead for concern that future wireless control systems might not work through certain materials.

So now to the actual question, does wood, or lumber, actually block or shield EMF radiation?

Does Wood Block EMF Radiation?

Wood does not block, or shield, EMF radiation, but as you probably assume by now, wood does attenuate the radiation. When NIST tested to see what the attenuation of wood was, they tested thicknesses up to 6 inches. It is likely that the heavier and denser the lumber being used it, the better shielding properties it will have, but this was not tested.

They did discover however that fresher lumber with higher water content did shield slightly better than dried, aged, lumber. Check out the table from NIST testing below to get an idea of what the dB attenuation was.

If you’re looking to reduce your exposure to EMF radiation, check out some of my favorite tips below.

Basics of EMF Protection

First of all, I would check out the following articles:

11 Ways To Reduce EMF and Dirty Electricity Exposure

Smart Meter EMF Protection – A Complete Guide

How To Eliminate EMF Radiation In The Bedroom

11 Ways To Reduce Computer Radiation Exposure

A Non-Tinfoil Guide To EMFs (This one does cost a few dollars, but is a fantastic book)

If you don’t have time to get through all of these articles, here are a few of my absolute favorite tips:

• Turn your mobile phone off at night, or if you must use it for an alarm (I’d suggest a simple mechanical alarm clock) then at least put it in airplane mode.
• Don’t use WiFi; whenever possible use ethernet cables instead.
• Don’t have a microwave
• Do something about your Smart Meter
• Try to really limit your use of tablets and cell phones.
• When using your cell phone, try to use speakerphone or headphones, try to not put your cell phone right up to your head.

I hope you found the answer you were looking for in my article: “Does Wood Block EMF Radiation,” If you enjoyed it, consider sharing!