Hazardous product warning: DECT phones
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=355
Comments on DECT phones
From Katharina Gustavs:
Don, Yes, wireless cordless phones using the DECT technology (or here in Canada it usually says 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz on the base station) are the stuff nightmares are made of. I would rate it the single most trouble-causing device in modern homes. This technology was first introduced to Europe, around 1988 I believe. When I took my building biology training in Germany, Leberecht von Klitzing, a medical physicist from the University of Luebeck who observed EEG changes during cell phone radiation exposure (von Klitzing L: Low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields influence EEG of man. Physica Medica 1995; 11 (2): 77-80.), was one of the instructors. He told me in a personal conversation that in the beginning of the 1990s he all of sudden had infants brought to him who were perfectly healthy, but their heart beat started going crazy for no obvious reasons. As soon as the DECT cordless phone was removed from the bedroom or neighboring apartment, the infant’s heart beat went back to normal.
RF radiation emitted from DECT cordless phones have a similar pulsed low-frequency (100 Hz) signal like certain cell phone technologies (e.g. 217 Hz) and in the case of DECT phones this type of radiation easily reaches up to 30?. And the worst thing about these phones is that they do radiate 24 hours a day whether you place a phone call or not! Peak power can be up to 250 mW.
Back in 1999 Leberecht von Klitzing already told me that there are much higher frequencies occurring within human brain wave patterns than previously thought. So the ELF signals attached to a lot of wireless communication technologies are not operating in a void space, but living organisms obviously already make use of these frequency bands. Imagine Industry Canada (or the FCC or whatever the name of the agency in a country that is allowed to sell the usage of frequency bands) would have a chart at their office wall, which shows all the frequency bands already utilized by living organisms. And the most essential frequency bands are highlighted and designated as protected frequencies so they cannot be auctioned off anymore for “human consumption”.
Well, if my memory serves me right, he mentioned such numbers like 100 Hz for human brain wave frequencies. He explained that EEG monitoring instrumentation was not capable to actually pick up on the higher frequencies until recently. The first brain waves (alpha and beta) were recorded by Berger back in 1929. By now neuroscience textbooks describe a gamma frequency range, between 20 up to 60 Hz and sometimes up to 100 Hz for humans. Brain wave frequencies for rodents are documented up to 200 Hz. Gamma oscillations in the human brain seem to be related to meaningful object perception, learning and memory. (Memory-matches evoke human gamma-responses: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/5/13 ) And it looks like that certain patterns in the high frequency range (> 20 Hz) during sleep are associated with symptoms of schizophrenia and depression. (High frequency EEG activity during sleep: characteristics in schizophrenia and depression:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15683195&query_hl=12&itool=pubmed_docsum ).
In 1999 the Professional Association of Building Biology Consultants in Germany (Verband Deutscher Baubiologen
http://www.baubiologie.net ) demanded to ban the DECT cordless phone technology. In October 2002, fifty medical doctors from Germany shared their concern about negative health impacts associated with the use of 2.4 GHz cordless as well as mobile phones in the Freiburg Appeal - an initiative of the Interdisciplinary Society of Environmental Medicine (IGUMED). The Freiburg Appeal states that heart disturbances, extreme fluctuations in blood pressure and behavioral disorders among others could be observed in an increasing number of people using such mobile phone devices and demands that current digital phone technologies should be reviewed and adjusted to our biological needs. The English version of the Freiburg Appeal can be found in the News Archives of the Swedish Association for the Electrosensitive
http://www.feb.se/NEWS/news2001-2002.html
After the first results of the REFLEX study came out last summer 2005, the Association of Medical Doctors from Vienna (Austria) (Ärtztekammer aus Wien www.aekwien.at) joined the British Medical Association and issued a warning that children under the age of 16 should not be using cell phones. And in fall 2005, the Medical Doctors from Vienna even went a step further and wrote up “10 Medical Rules for Cell Phone Use” for everybody, not just children. The poster, which was sent out to all members of the association, also recommends against the use of cell phones in waiting rooms.
Here you find the original poster in German
http://www.aekwien.at/media/Plakat_Handy.pdf
Please find my English translation, which was authorized by the Ärtztekammer Wien, attached further below. You are very welcome and even encouraged to distribute it on your e-mail list.
[Don’s note: I cannot attach pdf files on this list so if you want a copy of the poster please email me.]
And while I finally sit down to write to you, I also wanted to apologize for not responding earlier to your e-mail about a year ago, in which you asked me about my opinion on RF radiation and filter technologies. It took me a little while to borrow some Stetzer filters and do some experimentation. I never had luck with those filters on the projects I was consulted on.
First of all, I would like to point out that in building biology, the first line of defense is to eliminate all AC electric and magnetic fields from the sleep environment. The installation of Stetzer filters in the best-case scenario reduces harmonics, but does nothing about the 60 or 50 Hz that can be just as damaging during sleep. So for sleep any external (transmitters) or internal (DECT cordless phones) RF sources including voltages on the home wiring should be eliminated.
Now it sounds like when you shut off the main panel, the hum is still there, which would mean that the external field is quite high and/or building components of the house seem also to go in resonance. It would be interesting to know how well the grounding system performed. The few experiments in a rural setting I did with the Stetzer filters taught me that when the grounding system of the electrical installation has a real good ground connection, the filters did not make such a huge difference, but when the grounding system is poor, the filters may first increase the actual exposure. I would agree with your assumption that certain portions of the energy must be traveling along the neutral conductor or any metal piping, which usually is not shut off in the main panel. If a system is grounded at some metal piping AND a grounding rod or plate, things usually get even worse.
It would be interesting to here how the mitigation efforts in the house at Hobart turned out and whether the installation of Stetzer filters removed the humming, which would surprise me because those filters would be unable to shield against the incoming wireless microwave radiation. I find humming worse in homes with a strong RF source nearby and that have more metal in the building components such as metal roofing, metal mesh for stucco, metal cladding, extra steel reinforcing, etc. To eliminate such humming is often a daunting task.
Once I had a client who had an entire array of cell phone repeaters right across from his windows. He opted for shielding the whole house, which seemed to be cheaper than moving his business, and it felt amazingly quiet inside afterwards. Occupants could sleep again and did not have to be bothered by humming. It was a challenging project because the original home wiring was not shielded and RF shielding and electrical wires, of course, interact.
Thanks again for your invaluable service to keep everybody connected, informed and encouraged.
With best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year, Katharina
Katharina Gustavs Building Biology Consultant
Phone: 250-642-2774 Fax: 250-642-2785 E-mail: gustavs@buildingbiology.ca
HIDDEN-SEE Building Biology Services
5237 Mt. Matheson Rd. Sooke BC V0S 1N0 Canada
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=356
--------
In addition:
I have also had an experience with DECT. I have Alasdair's COM and acoustic COM, and someone asked me to help her see if the cellular antennas near her house were a possible cause for her suffering inside her home. She felt ill and she was running away from certain rooms in her house but had no explanation why. She asked her husband to sell their house and move somehwhere else because of the antennas that she sees from her window. But the cellular antennas didn't seem to affect her house - there was no radiation on the side of the antennas, but on the other side of the house- all her kitchen was irradiated, the COM was reading the maximum. She turned off the microwave, but it was still reading maximum (6.5 V/m, it could be more but the device shows up to 6.5). It turned out that the reason was a DECT phone in the kitchen - not in use DECT phone. As soon as she removed the DECT phone - her kitchen was not irradiated anymore....now she doesn't want to sell her house anymore....and she also bought Alasdair's COM in order to warn others, she shows them how their cell phones irradiate. At the same time, I was told by people who bought DECT phones that they were told in the store that DECT phones do not emit radiation at all!
.....
"he all of sudden had infants brought to him who were perfectly healthy, but their heart beat started going crazy for no obvious reasons. As soon as the DECT cordless phone was removed from the bedroom or neighboring apartment, the infant’s heart beat went back to normal."
Iris Atzmon
--------
Dear Alasdair: I appreciate this forward from Iris very much!!!
I need to "absorb the information" -- review to see whether "milligauss readings" were also done but right now I don't recall that.
The problem of having any electrical appliances/devices/meters by the head of one's bed is "so critical," it is almost impossible to fathom!!!
At first, I thought the larger electric clock radios were sort of in a category by themselves until I happened to purchase a small electric clock and discovered "identical readings" of 200 milligauss over the motor/mechanism in each case.
I am not familiar with the type of cordless phone referred to in the email; however, again, I am measuring "200 milligauss" on the "power supply" for ALL cordless phones, electronic games -- anything with a little black power supply box.
I located the mom of a 15 yr. old boy the other day who has been diagnosed with Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Their story was on CNN Paula Zahn because of the rarity of this condition that causes one to sleep too much -- sometimes for days!
As we spoke on the phone, the boy's mom removed his electric clock (I had noticed the shining numbers on TV -- nightstand next to head of bed). I "strongly suspect" disruption of his sleep/wake cycle -- circadian rhythm -- plus possibly some other "neurological effects" that are not being diagnosed, that resulted from this "too close exposure" to the clock.
Fortunately, the mom also moved the charging base for the new I-Pod that was a Christmas gift! She reported there was no phone close to head of his bed but now I also will let her know about this new information. I don't think there was a phone in his room.......
She will be addressing this issue this week at the Kleine-Levein Syndrome Foundation Board Meeting. I have sent her information by email and will be sending more by regular mail. She will let me know if she locates other families with similar situations re electrical appliances/devices that are too close to heads of beds. There are only 500 reported cases of KLS in the world.
You know, of course, the stories re my grandsons and guinea pigs and drastic health changes/problems due to sleeping (cage placed by) against "powerwall" in bedrooms.
I have requested "permission to share" information with our Minnesota Health Department regarding an extended family member's relative on other side of family and the occurrence of "a rare tumor" that almost invaded the brain of a young girl. It was "fortuitous" that the girl happend to be moved away from "powerwall" around the same time she began treatment, all the while the parents knew nothing of possible dangers. They are "trying to absorb" the information at this time.........
Most who know about my work also know that Bonnie Boyum (Minnesota) has granted me permission to share information regarding her son's death due to Leukemia. He was 23 years old when he died. She reports that he had an electric clock and small fan on his headboard.......
I need to determine whether or not I can afford your meter but wonder whether you are not finding high milligauss readings on all power supply boxes? Thanks and take care!!! Joanne
Joanne C. Mueller Guinea Pigs R Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55448-2127 USA Phone: 763-755-6114 Email: jcmpelican@aol.com
"No ray of sunshine is ever lost, but the green which it awakens into existence needs time to sprout, and it is not always granted for the sower to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith." - Albert Schweitzer
--------
Lloyd Morgan on DECT phones
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=358
Comments on DECT phones
From Katharina Gustavs:
Don, Yes, wireless cordless phones using the DECT technology (or here in Canada it usually says 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz on the base station) are the stuff nightmares are made of. I would rate it the single most trouble-causing device in modern homes. This technology was first introduced to Europe, around 1988 I believe. When I took my building biology training in Germany, Leberecht von Klitzing, a medical physicist from the University of Luebeck who observed EEG changes during cell phone radiation exposure (von Klitzing L: Low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields influence EEG of man. Physica Medica 1995; 11 (2): 77-80.), was one of the instructors. He told me in a personal conversation that in the beginning of the 1990s he all of sudden had infants brought to him who were perfectly healthy, but their heart beat started going crazy for no obvious reasons. As soon as the DECT cordless phone was removed from the bedroom or neighboring apartment, the infant’s heart beat went back to normal.
RF radiation emitted from DECT cordless phones have a similar pulsed low-frequency (100 Hz) signal like certain cell phone technologies (e.g. 217 Hz) and in the case of DECT phones this type of radiation easily reaches up to 30?. And the worst thing about these phones is that they do radiate 24 hours a day whether you place a phone call or not! Peak power can be up to 250 mW.
Back in 1999 Leberecht von Klitzing already told me that there are much higher frequencies occurring within human brain wave patterns than previously thought. So the ELF signals attached to a lot of wireless communication technologies are not operating in a void space, but living organisms obviously already make use of these frequency bands. Imagine Industry Canada (or the FCC or whatever the name of the agency in a country that is allowed to sell the usage of frequency bands) would have a chart at their office wall, which shows all the frequency bands already utilized by living organisms. And the most essential frequency bands are highlighted and designated as protected frequencies so they cannot be auctioned off anymore for “human consumption”.
Well, if my memory serves me right, he mentioned such numbers like 100 Hz for human brain wave frequencies. He explained that EEG monitoring instrumentation was not capable to actually pick up on the higher frequencies until recently. The first brain waves (alpha and beta) were recorded by Berger back in 1929. By now neuroscience textbooks describe a gamma frequency range, between 20 up to 60 Hz and sometimes up to 100 Hz for humans. Brain wave frequencies for rodents are documented up to 200 Hz. Gamma oscillations in the human brain seem to be related to meaningful object perception, learning and memory. (Memory-matches evoke human gamma-responses: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/5/13 ) And it looks like that certain patterns in the high frequency range (> 20 Hz) during sleep are associated with symptoms of schizophrenia and depression. (High frequency EEG activity during sleep: characteristics in schizophrenia and depression:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15683195&query_hl=12&itool=pubmed_docsum ).
In 1999 the Professional Association of Building Biology Consultants in Germany (Verband Deutscher Baubiologen
http://www.baubiologie.net ) demanded to ban the DECT cordless phone technology. In October 2002, fifty medical doctors from Germany shared their concern about negative health impacts associated with the use of 2.4 GHz cordless as well as mobile phones in the Freiburg Appeal - an initiative of the Interdisciplinary Society of Environmental Medicine (IGUMED). The Freiburg Appeal states that heart disturbances, extreme fluctuations in blood pressure and behavioral disorders among others could be observed in an increasing number of people using such mobile phone devices and demands that current digital phone technologies should be reviewed and adjusted to our biological needs. The English version of the Freiburg Appeal can be found in the News Archives of the Swedish Association for the Electrosensitive
http://www.feb.se/NEWS/news2001-2002.html
After the first results of the REFLEX study came out last summer 2005, the Association of Medical Doctors from Vienna (Austria) (Ärtztekammer aus Wien www.aekwien.at) joined the British Medical Association and issued a warning that children under the age of 16 should not be using cell phones. And in fall 2005, the Medical Doctors from Vienna even went a step further and wrote up “10 Medical Rules for Cell Phone Use” for everybody, not just children. The poster, which was sent out to all members of the association, also recommends against the use of cell phones in waiting rooms.
Here you find the original poster in German
http://www.aekwien.at/media/Plakat_Handy.pdf
Please find my English translation, which was authorized by the Ärtztekammer Wien, attached further below. You are very welcome and even encouraged to distribute it on your e-mail list.
[Don’s note: I cannot attach pdf files on this list so if you want a copy of the poster please email me.]
And while I finally sit down to write to you, I also wanted to apologize for not responding earlier to your e-mail about a year ago, in which you asked me about my opinion on RF radiation and filter technologies. It took me a little while to borrow some Stetzer filters and do some experimentation. I never had luck with those filters on the projects I was consulted on.
First of all, I would like to point out that in building biology, the first line of defense is to eliminate all AC electric and magnetic fields from the sleep environment. The installation of Stetzer filters in the best-case scenario reduces harmonics, but does nothing about the 60 or 50 Hz that can be just as damaging during sleep. So for sleep any external (transmitters) or internal (DECT cordless phones) RF sources including voltages on the home wiring should be eliminated.
Now it sounds like when you shut off the main panel, the hum is still there, which would mean that the external field is quite high and/or building components of the house seem also to go in resonance. It would be interesting to know how well the grounding system performed. The few experiments in a rural setting I did with the Stetzer filters taught me that when the grounding system of the electrical installation has a real good ground connection, the filters did not make such a huge difference, but when the grounding system is poor, the filters may first increase the actual exposure. I would agree with your assumption that certain portions of the energy must be traveling along the neutral conductor or any metal piping, which usually is not shut off in the main panel. If a system is grounded at some metal piping AND a grounding rod or plate, things usually get even worse.
It would be interesting to here how the mitigation efforts in the house at Hobart turned out and whether the installation of Stetzer filters removed the humming, which would surprise me because those filters would be unable to shield against the incoming wireless microwave radiation. I find humming worse in homes with a strong RF source nearby and that have more metal in the building components such as metal roofing, metal mesh for stucco, metal cladding, extra steel reinforcing, etc. To eliminate such humming is often a daunting task.
Once I had a client who had an entire array of cell phone repeaters right across from his windows. He opted for shielding the whole house, which seemed to be cheaper than moving his business, and it felt amazingly quiet inside afterwards. Occupants could sleep again and did not have to be bothered by humming. It was a challenging project because the original home wiring was not shielded and RF shielding and electrical wires, of course, interact.
Thanks again for your invaluable service to keep everybody connected, informed and encouraged.
With best wishes for a healthy and happy New Year, Katharina
Katharina Gustavs Building Biology Consultant
Phone: 250-642-2774 Fax: 250-642-2785 E-mail: gustavs@buildingbiology.ca
HIDDEN-SEE Building Biology Services
5237 Mt. Matheson Rd. Sooke BC V0S 1N0 Canada
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=356
--------
In addition:
I have also had an experience with DECT. I have Alasdair's COM and acoustic COM, and someone asked me to help her see if the cellular antennas near her house were a possible cause for her suffering inside her home. She felt ill and she was running away from certain rooms in her house but had no explanation why. She asked her husband to sell their house and move somehwhere else because of the antennas that she sees from her window. But the cellular antennas didn't seem to affect her house - there was no radiation on the side of the antennas, but on the other side of the house- all her kitchen was irradiated, the COM was reading the maximum. She turned off the microwave, but it was still reading maximum (6.5 V/m, it could be more but the device shows up to 6.5). It turned out that the reason was a DECT phone in the kitchen - not in use DECT phone. As soon as she removed the DECT phone - her kitchen was not irradiated anymore....now she doesn't want to sell her house anymore....and she also bought Alasdair's COM in order to warn others, she shows them how their cell phones irradiate. At the same time, I was told by people who bought DECT phones that they were told in the store that DECT phones do not emit radiation at all!
.....
"he all of sudden had infants brought to him who were perfectly healthy, but their heart beat started going crazy for no obvious reasons. As soon as the DECT cordless phone was removed from the bedroom or neighboring apartment, the infant’s heart beat went back to normal."
Iris Atzmon
--------
Dear Alasdair: I appreciate this forward from Iris very much!!!
I need to "absorb the information" -- review to see whether "milligauss readings" were also done but right now I don't recall that.
The problem of having any electrical appliances/devices/meters by the head of one's bed is "so critical," it is almost impossible to fathom!!!
At first, I thought the larger electric clock radios were sort of in a category by themselves until I happened to purchase a small electric clock and discovered "identical readings" of 200 milligauss over the motor/mechanism in each case.
I am not familiar with the type of cordless phone referred to in the email; however, again, I am measuring "200 milligauss" on the "power supply" for ALL cordless phones, electronic games -- anything with a little black power supply box.
I located the mom of a 15 yr. old boy the other day who has been diagnosed with Kleine-Levin Syndrome. Their story was on CNN Paula Zahn because of the rarity of this condition that causes one to sleep too much -- sometimes for days!
As we spoke on the phone, the boy's mom removed his electric clock (I had noticed the shining numbers on TV -- nightstand next to head of bed). I "strongly suspect" disruption of his sleep/wake cycle -- circadian rhythm -- plus possibly some other "neurological effects" that are not being diagnosed, that resulted from this "too close exposure" to the clock.
Fortunately, the mom also moved the charging base for the new I-Pod that was a Christmas gift! She reported there was no phone close to head of his bed but now I also will let her know about this new information. I don't think there was a phone in his room.......
She will be addressing this issue this week at the Kleine-Levein Syndrome Foundation Board Meeting. I have sent her information by email and will be sending more by regular mail. She will let me know if she locates other families with similar situations re electrical appliances/devices that are too close to heads of beds. There are only 500 reported cases of KLS in the world.
You know, of course, the stories re my grandsons and guinea pigs and drastic health changes/problems due to sleeping (cage placed by) against "powerwall" in bedrooms.
I have requested "permission to share" information with our Minnesota Health Department regarding an extended family member's relative on other side of family and the occurrence of "a rare tumor" that almost invaded the brain of a young girl. It was "fortuitous" that the girl happend to be moved away from "powerwall" around the same time she began treatment, all the while the parents knew nothing of possible dangers. They are "trying to absorb" the information at this time.........
Most who know about my work also know that Bonnie Boyum (Minnesota) has granted me permission to share information regarding her son's death due to Leukemia. He was 23 years old when he died. She reports that he had an electric clock and small fan on his headboard.......
I need to determine whether or not I can afford your meter but wonder whether you are not finding high milligauss readings on all power supply boxes? Thanks and take care!!! Joanne
Joanne C. Mueller Guinea Pigs R Us
731 - 123rd Avenue N.W. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55448-2127 USA Phone: 763-755-6114 Email: jcmpelican@aol.com
"No ray of sunshine is ever lost, but the green which it awakens into existence needs time to sprout, and it is not always granted for the sower to see the harvest. All work that is worth anything is done in faith." - Albert Schweitzer
--------
Lloyd Morgan on DECT phones
http://www.emfacts.com/weblog/index.php?p=358
Starmail - 5. Jan, 23:42
