# EMF risks and protective devices on the market... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154 "2007-07-01T20:41:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/1 "2007-07-01T20:41:46Z")
So a friend is concerned about electromagnetic fields & radiation, probably justifiably as she does exhibit unusual sensitivity to environmental factors, and we’re trying to research companies selling various EMF protective devices- including the Q-Link srt3 Bioflow Bioguard E-crystal “Purple Tesla” products like Life Technology’s “Tesla Purple Energy Shield” I haven’t been able to find any consumer protection sites that have done studies on these yet. Any links would be appreciated. Also, I would like responses from both the more scientific-minded and the more metaphysical-minded folk here. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/2 "2007-07-01T20:49:55Z")
They are all snake oil. None of them do (or even CAN do) what they purport to do. The only thing they are 100% effective for is separating gullible fools from their cash. I might add there are also NO studies linking low-level EMF exposure, such as one would find within a typical residence, to any sort of health problems. Studies regarding high-level exposure, such as in the near vicinity of high-voltage transmission lines are inconclusive, for the most part, although a few appear to show some weak correlation between chronic exposure and certain health problems. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/3 "2007-07-01T21:02:21Z")
Guess what? Sunlight is EMF. > [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Studies regarding high-level exposure, such as in the near vicinity of high-voltage transmission lines are inconclusive, for the most part Actually, IIRC (my search-fu is lacking) this particular exemplar has actually been proven in the very near case. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/4 "2007-07-01T22:14:06Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Guess what? Sunlight is EMF. Actually, IIRC (my search-fu is lacking) this particular exemplar has actually been proven in the very near case. [/QUOTE] If very near means “touching,” then yes, it’s been proven (and you can do the experiment at home) that electrocution is bad. Beyond that, my understanding is the same as \*\*Q.E.D’\*\*s: several studies have tried to find it, in general they’ve neither compellingly done so nor compellingly dismissed it. (The only study I’ve actually read the source for was on houses directly underneath HV lines: they were looking for cancer clusters, and didn’t find them.) But any such effect is very weak, certainly, or the studies would be showing it by now: this isn’t an ignored area of science. It’s possible I’ve missed a report of one with a more conclusive positive, but one study doesn’t “proven” make. In any case, the “EMF is killing us” nuts aren’t talking about close exposure to power lines, they’re afraid of _any_ “radiation” – usually with no comprehension of what “radiation” is. (See also: people who won’t use “chemicals” and yet somehow manage not to die of dehydration and thirst). Even if you ignore sunlight and other visible light; I’d like to see someone get away from radio waves on today’s earth. It’s the usual argument: if all this stuff is so horribly bad for us, why is life expectancy still going up? (And if they tell you it’s lower infant mortality, point out that the life expectancy for 20 year olds has also been rising for decades). As to answer the OP: look up “Faraday Cage.” You can build one, and it actually works, although the mesh size might get mighty small depending on the radiation you want to block. Oh, and have your friend stop eating, since his body will generate IR heat energy (another form of EMF.) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/5 "2007-07-02T02:16:20Z")
Has anyone had any experience with any such devices, and with what results? Please e-mail me if you don’t want to get into it here. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/6 "2007-07-02T02:39:17Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Has anyone had any experience with any such devices, and with what results? Please e-mail me if you don’t want to get into it here. [/QUOTE] This is a forum for facts. There is only one fact which is relevant to these devices: they don’t do a thing. It is also worth noting that whenever someone who claims to be hypersensitive to EMF is actually studied in a clinical setting, their purported “sensitivity” mysteriously [vanishes](http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/embs/comar/Hypersensitivity.htm): > [@](#): > > In provocation studies, investigators expose electromagnetically hypersensitive individuals to electric or magnetic fields similar to those that they considered to be the cause of their symptoms, in an attempt to elicit the EHS symptoms under controlled laboratory conditions. Such studies are valuable in probing for links between the symptoms and exposure to fields. > > So far, at least 9 provocation studies have been reported on electromagnetically hypersensitive individuals (for a review of work through the mid-1990s see Bergqvist 1997). The studies have been overwhelmingly unsuccessful in being able to link EHS symptoms in these subjects to exposures to electric or magnetic fields. > > For example, Flodin et al (2000) exposed 15 electromagnetically hypersensitive individuals and normal controls to electric and magnetic fields in their homes or workplaces. The electromagnetically hypersensitive individuals were no better than control subjects in identifying their exposure to electric or magnetic fields during the experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/7 "2007-07-02T03:06:56Z")
Also, [this article](http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index3.html) published by the WHO may prove instructive: > [@](#): > > The Federal Office for Radiation Safety in Germany recently measured the daily exposure to magnetic fields of about 2000 individuals across a range of occupations and public exposures. All of them were equipped with personal dosimeters for 24 hours. The measured exposure varied widely but gave an average daily exposure of 0.10 µT. This value is a thousand times lower that the standard limit of 100 µT for the public and 200 times lower than the 500 µT exposure limit for workers. Furthermore, the exposure of people living in the centres of cities showed that there are no drastic differences in exposure between life in rural areas and life in the city. Even the exposure of people living in the vicinity of high voltage power lines differs very little from the average exposure in the population. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/8 "2007-07-02T15:07:25Z")
All the studies and summaries of studies I have read conclude there’s no basis for suspecting any hazard associated with low-frequency electromagnetic fields like those around power lines and household wiring. High power radio transmissions and microwaves from radar antennae, leaky microwave ovens and the like can be hazardous. Electromagnetic radiation of high enough frequency to be ionizing, including ultraviolet light, X-rays, Gamma rays, and cosmic ray photons are known to be hazardous. I understand there should not be any consumer guides to the products you mention other than warnings that they do not fix any problems. Factually, though, if you want to block the magnetic component of power line electromagnetic fields, you should have heavy coductors surrounding you and making closed loops. If you want to block the electrostatic component, you’d want sheet metal or foil likewise. I second that you could find out about this by researching Faraday cages. If it’s power line frequencies you care about, the windows can be very big as long as they’re not a big fraction of the total area. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/9 "2007-07-02T16:10:18Z")
If I recall correctly, although I can provide no link, back as early as 1970 one of the power companies built one of those habitats made of pvc pipe, and boxes, and raised six generations of mice in it while it hung from a hundred thousand or so volt transmission line. Birds ate some mice twice, but the survivors of regular culling showed no particular problems, other than some PCB concentrations in their fat cells. I will try to search for it, but as old as it is, that might be hard. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/10 "2007-07-02T16:34:16Z")
[QUOTE=Napier] Factually, though, if you want to block the magnetic component of power line electromagnetic fields, you should have heavy coductors surrounding you and making closed loops. [/QUOTE] No, that won’t do it; it’ll induce currents in the loops, but there’s no way to have anything close to perfect coupling, and much of the field will still penetrate. It’s impossible to completely block the magnetic field component, although you can strongly attenuate it. To do that, you must surround yourself with a material with a high magnetic permeability–which means essentially it “conducts” magnetic flux very well. One of the best is a nickel-iron alloy called mu metal; it’s a bit expensive to cover your house with, however. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/11 "2007-07-02T17:18:43Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] So a friend is concerned about electromagnetic fields & radiation, probably justifiably as she does exhibit unusual sensitivity to environmental factors, and we’re trying to research companies selling various EMF protective devices- including the Q-Link srt3 Bioflow Bioguard E-crystal “Purple Tesla” products like Life Technology’s “Tesla Purple Energy Shield” I haven’t been able to find any consumer protection sites that have done studies on these yet. Any links would be appreciated. Also, I would like responses from both the more scientific-minded and the more metaphysical-minded folk here. [/QUOTE] I know nothing about these devices, and less about the science involved in blocking radiation, or even if that’s a necessary pasttime. I’m inclined to think it isn’t, for the reasons already mentioned. Although life expectancy itself is not an indicator of health, I might add. It’s an indicator of not dying. I’d be more persuaded by some measurable quality of life statistic somehow melded with life expectancy - most of us aren’t interested in living to 104 if that means we’ll be suffering or hooked up to ventilators for the last two thirds of our lifetime. People with chronic health conditions may live long under current medical care, but may also live sicker. That being said (and yes, this is straying into IMHO/GD territory, but if I’m to address it from the “more metaphysical-minded folk” perspective requested by the OP, I have to go there)… My experience working in alternative health has led me to the realization that a lot of people make themselves sick. The big red flag for me is the person with “environmental illness” whose symptoms are vague and keep changing (even if her environment hasn’t), who shows no or little reaction to standard allergy tests or even to muscle testing, who is terrified of parasites and toxins and EMF’s and scabies and pesticides and other exterior stuff. What I also often see is that these people often suffer from fragile relationships or a lack of support because they’re afraid to let people get close. Their overriding fear is one of being invaded. I suspect it’s the remnants of our medieval European Christian culture, actually. The mind/body divide where the spirit is pure and beautiful and the body is filthy and disgusting and vile. These people don’t trust in the strength and beauty of their own bodies or their own selves, and feel weak and vulnerable without outside protection. No medical treatment will cure this for long. Any medical treatment is, by definition, only increasing the certainty that it is needed. Somehow, through prayer, meditation or simple life experience, one must come to their own truth. The truth is, the body is amazing. It is complex and strong and wonderful and it will do so much all on its own to keep you safe. Trust in the body, trust in your god, and whatever your lesson is - suffering \*and \*joy - will manifest. And eventually, no matter how “good” you are, no matter how many invaders you chase away through diet, herbs, EMF devices and colonics, you will die. Yes, even you. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/12 "2007-07-02T17:19:31Z")
I’ve heard that [these](http://zapatopi.net/afdb/) are pretty effective. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/13 "2007-07-02T17:57:39Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] even to muscle testing [/QUOTE] Applied kinesiology? Isn’t that pretty much debunked these days? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/14 "2007-07-02T18:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Applied kinesiology? Isn’t that pretty much debunked these days? [/QUOTE] Not within the alternative health community - which is why I said, “or even to” in that sentence. If she’s not responding consistently to even the mythology of her own disease process (as many people don’t), then there’s something non-physical going on. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/15 "2007-07-02T18:00:41Z")
An amusing article on electrosensitivity and the “cures” (including the Q-link pendant) from The Guardian’s Bad Science columnist [Ben Goldacre](http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2093724,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/16 "2007-07-02T18:03:36Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Not within the alternative health community - which is why I said, “or even to” in that sentence. If she’s not responding consistently to even the mythology of her own disease process (as many people don’t), then there’s something non-physical going on. [/QUOTE] Ahh I see. Sorry, lack of sleep made me totally misread and think you were saying something you weren’t. Sorry again. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/17 "2007-07-03T16:36:17Z")
I can give you an absolute unqualified money-back guarantee that anything with Tesla in the name is a full-bodied product of quackdom. Tesla is a magic name for the woo-woos. He caused the Tunguska explosion, you know. You might want to check the James Randi forum ([www.randi.org](http://www.randi.org)) for commentary on all things nutty. I found this when looking for the Tesla Purple Energy Shield. (It’s $89.95!) > [@](#): > > While surfing the great Crank Dot Net site [www.crank.net](http://www.crank.net), I found an entry for Life TechnologyTM. One of the products on this site is something called H2X Scalar Wave Activated Water [www.lifetechnology.org/h2x.htm](http://www.lifetechnology.org/h2x.htm). Now I think we’ve all had our fill, so to speak, of very special waters like this, although this site won’t disappoint if you haven’t had your fill of pseudo-scientific babble. Scattered among paragraph after paragraph of new-age boilerplate there are a couple of sentences to catch the eyes of the discerning, such as “Due to FDA regulations we are unable to make any health claims for H2XTM Scalar Wave Activated Water” and “Remember we do not add anything material of any sort to H2XTM Scalar Wave Activated Water.” > > Now here’s the punch line: they are not selling mere serving-sized bottles of specially treated water but instead a sort of “concentrate”! You add just 1 milliliter from a vial of H2X Scalar Wave Activated Water to one liter of tap or spring water — take your pick — and voila! you have an entire liter of very special water! They’ll be happy to sell you a 30 ml vial of concentrate for just $29.95 U.S. By my figuring, this means that they have found a way to sell good old H2O for the equivalent of $998.33 per liter! Life Technology is the quack site that sells the Tesla. And other equally valuable stuff. [http://forums.randi.org/archive/index.php/t-62375.html](http://forums.randi.org/archive/index.php/t-62375.html) > [@](#): > > oly crap! It’s the Hyperdimensional Oscillator!!! With it you have heightened psychic abilities, and the ability to communicate with ET!!!@# > > DOODZ I’M SERIOUS!!! IT GOTS TESLA TECHNULUGY!!!@# > > The Hyperdimensional Oscillator™ also acts as a rectifier by keeping the body’s subtle energy field in perfect balance. > > How do you keep your energy field in balance? Do you at all??!@? > > By emitting neutralizing and balancing frequencies, The Hyperdimensional Oscillator™ also helps to counteract the effects of harmful and stray electromagnetic fields (EMF’s) to which we are exposed everyday. > How do you stay safe from harmful EMFs? Huh? HUH??!@# > > The Hyperdimensional Oscillator™ facilitates communication with higher dimensions including entities commonly termed ‘Extraterrestials’ or ‘ETs’. > > It must be like a microphone or something!!! THE COOLEST MICROPHONE EVER!!@# > > All this AND MORE, for a mere $89.95? WHERE DO I SIGN UP??!@??# MOM, CREDIT CARD, PRONTO!!@# I can understand why you think people might be embarrassed to say in public that they fell for this junk. But junk it is. It can’t work, because there is nothing behind it except the desire to make money. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/18 "2007-07-03T18:46:53Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] I can give you an absolute unqualified money-back guarantee that anything with Tesla in the name is a full-bodied product of quackdom.n’t work, because there is nothing behind it except the desire to make money. [/QUOTE] I’ve built a couple Tesla coils. They worked fine. I want my money back now. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/19 "2007-07-05T15:52:37Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] I’ve built a couple Tesla coils. They worked fine. I want my money back now. [/QUOTE] Yeah, but did you market them as the Tesla Super Amazing Antigravity Power-Distributing Cancer Cure? I hear $89.95 is a good price to charge. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2007, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154/20 "2007-07-14T08:43:39Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] So a friend is concerned about electromagnetic fields & radiation, probably justifiably as she does exhibit unusual sensitivity to environmental factors, and we’re trying to research companies selling various EMF protective devices- including the Q-Link srt3 Bioflow Bioguard E-crystal “Purple Tesla” products like Life Technology’s “Tesla Purple Energy Shield” I haven’t been able to find any consumer protection sites that have done studies on these yet. Any links would be appreciated. Also, I would like responses from both the more scientific-minded and the more metaphysical-minded folk here. [/QUOTE] There’s only two ways to cure your friend:’ 1. Expensive psychotherapy 2. Tell her that **I, me the COOL ONE** said to simply **Get over it, it’s all bullshit**. Seriously, it won’t work unless you print this thread. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emf-risks-and-protective-devices-on-the-market/410154.md?page=2)