Did you know that long distance travel can exposure you to an enormous amount of EMF radiation?
If you’ve read articles on EMF Academy, you know how much EMF radiation can be present in our homes, and what we can do about it. What most people don’t think about is how to minimize radiation exposure when we’re traveling.
Let’s talk briefly about the dangers of EMF radiation, and then we’ll dive into how to minimize your exposure on the go.
Is EMF Radiation Actually Dangerous?
Absolutely.
Take a look around my website, or around the web, and you will realize that there are thousands of scientific studies directly linking long-term exposure to EMF radiation to all sorts of harmful health effects. These include but are certainly not limited to:
- Glioma and other brain cancers
- Male and Female Infertility (see my post for more on this)
- Mood Disorders
- Childhood Cancers
- Heart Disease
- Severe depression
- Heart Disease
- Anxiety
- Muscle Pain
- and much more
For a much more in depth look at common and uncommon symptoms, check out my full post on EMF Exposure Symptoms.
The World Health Organization in 2011 classified radiation from cell phones and some other wireless devices as possible Class 2B carcinogens.
in 2013 a study in the United Kingdom of almost 800,000 middle-aged women concluded that those who had used a cell phone regularly for more than 10 years were more than twice as likely to develop a certain type of brain tumor called acoustic neuroma.
The Hardwell Research group out of Sweden also concluded that there is “a consistent pattern of increased risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma associated with use of wireless phones.”
Hundreds of studies in total have come to the conclusion that EMF radiation exposure certainly harms, and alters our biological systems.
The scary thing about EMF radiation, is that many of us are exposed to much more than we think or realize. Some individuals have what is called Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). These individuals, since they are so sensitive to EMF radiation, have very physical symptoms and most know when high levels of radiation are present.
However, most people are not that sensitive, and you are unlikely to feel the amount of radiation that your body is absorbing. This is why it can be so important to educate ourselves on the dangers of EMF radiation so we can step measurable steps to reduce it in our own lives and the lives of our families.
Sources Of EMF Radiation
You likely have a grasp that a large portion of the EMF radiation you are exposed to comes from wireless devices. These include cell phones, tablets, WiFi, and tons of other sources (including that darn smart meter).
What most people don’t think about is the amount of EMF radiation coming from the wiring in their homes. When most homes were originally designed to have 50/60 Hz power, most devices used and required this. However as time has gone on, and devices have demanded more, or less, or different power from these same electrical lines, the smooth sine waves that were once present are no longer there. The spikes and surges that result from things like dimmer switches, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and many other devices now result in unusable dirty electricity. This dirty electricity sits in the electrical lines and emits EMF radiation.
You can read my post on dirty electricity here, or read about dirty electricity filters here, if you’re interested in finding out more about this.
It’s important to remember that studies now tell us that this radiation exposure is cumulative, so whenever we have the opportunity to avoid radiation or reduce our exposure to it, we need to take it.
Now let’s talk about the unique exposure to EMF radiation that travel can have on us.
EMF Radiation From Air Travel
Airports are an absolute hotbed of high powered devices that emit radiation.
Nearly all airports today have either free, or pay-to-use, WiFi throughout the entire airport. The way airports have a single WiFi connection available through such a large building is through the use of repeaters, or WiFi extenders, all throughout the airport. These devices are essentially just routers that are set to bridge the connection instead of pushing their own, but they push just as much EMF radiation as any other router.
Probably the scariest culprit during air travel though, is the full body scanners most passengers go through each time they go through security. Although when these scanners were first introduced, transportation security departments like the US based TSA denied that the radiation was harmful, we now know that it is a type of ionizing radiation that can be extremely harmful.
In fact these scanners (the ones that you step inside and put your arms up) shoot over 100 million microwatts/m² of radiation. To better understand just how much this is, many building regulatory agencies define 1000 microwatts/m² as potentially harmful. The amount of radiation these body scanners put out has been shown to be enough to cause all types of biological harm.
Individuals that do have EHS, and are highly sensitive to radiation often find it extremely difficult to travel because this extreme amount of EMF exposure makes them quite ill.
How To Avoid Full Body Scanners
At least in the United States, it is your right to “opt-out” of the full body scanner. Although this does mean that you will have to get a manual pat down from a TSA agent, it is certainly a better option than exposing yourself to the ungodly amount of radiation that the scanner would put you through.
When you get to the front of the line and slide your gray plastic tubs with your belongings in them into the x-ray machine, simply tell the TSA agent that you would like to “opt-out” of the full body scanner, and they will assist you through to a manual pat down.
Do Planes Expose You To EMF Radiation?
Something that you wouldn’t think about, is the increased ionizing radiation you receive from flights simply from supernovae. Due to the high elevation, planes are exposed to unique radiation that our atmosphere typically protects us from.
The BBC wrote a long post about how this radiation effects both passengers and pilots. In the post, they talk about various studies that have concluded that this radiation is likely to be the cause of higher rates of cancer and melanoma in pilots.
On top of this, there is also tons of radiation from the various onboard computer systems, communication systems, wiring, radar, onboard WiFI and much more.
Much like I talked about in my post about EMF radiation in cars, planes are a giant metal tube that have the effect of bouncing radiation, which accumulates and can intensify the damage.
EMF Radiation From Automobiles
I won’t go to in depth on this, because I have an entire post on it, but here is the outline:
Automobiles today have much more, and advanced, computer systems than cars used to. There are tons of systems on automobiles, hybrid of not, that emit radiation. The metal body of the car has a tendency to bounce this radiation around and cause cumulative and intensified effects.
If you’re looking to reduce your radiation from automobiles, here are some steps you can take:
- Try to select vehicles with the least amount of electronics and computer systems. This will typically be older vehicles. Make sure that you aren’t selecting a vehicle so old that it doesn’t have modern safety features like airbags.
- Reduce radiation by choosing vehicles with simpler sound systems. Systems that utilize subwoofers and large speakers will inevitably produce more EMF radiation. Tip: On the settings of your sound system, adjust it so that the rear speakers are providing most of the sound. This may lower the quality some, but will reduce the EMF exposure by increasing the distance between you and the speakers producing the sound.
- Avoid purchasing a vehicle, or using, remote control systems when possible. If you already have a vehicle with these systems, try to hold the remote out a distance from your body when you use it.
- Try to select vehicles without the large LCD display screens. Not only is the light distracting and harmful, especially to those with EHS, but the radiation from the computers system can be quite significant. In most vehicles with these types of screens, you can not turn the screen itself off, but you may be able to have a technician retrofit an on/off switch.
- Some new vehicles have built in WiFi. Obviously avoid these cars when possible, as the close proximity and constant exposure will certainly be harmful.
- Try to pick vehicles with little or no Bluetooth capability.
- Try not to use your phone in the car, for the obvious reasons. Put your phone on airplane mode or turn it off until you reach your destination. If you must use it while driving, put it on speaker phone or use a pair of headphones to reduce exposure (as well as keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road!)
Reducing EMF Radiation In Your Hotel
Finally, you’ve arrived at your hotel! Phew, you survived the airport, the plane, another airport, and the rental car.
The best thing you can do to reduce your exposure at a hotel is to request a room that is as far from the router or server room as possible. In my experience the hotels will usually be happy to comply. On occasion the hotel attendant I was booking with either wasn’t sure what I was talking about, unsure why it would matter to me, or unsure where this even was. Usually with a bit of chatting they are happy to help you out.
I personally like to travel with one of my EMF meters because i’m always curious about the exposure wherever I am, this can also help you to understand what hotels are great, and which you should avoid in the future.
I hope that this post helps you to have a safer vacation. If you found it helpful, please consider sharing!
