The Body Electric

A short summary of selected issues and findings

linking electromagnetism and health.

Dr Sandra I. Woolley

http://www.eee.bham.ac.uk/woolleysi

S.I.Woolley@bham.ac.uk

Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering

October 2006

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis

The Body Electric

Do we respond to electromagnetic fields?

Can we be adversely affected by electromagnetic fields?

Can people be electrosensitive?

Could some electromagnetic fields be therapeutic?

Should we worry about electrosmog or electropollution?

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis

About this Summary

These slides were compiled with my undergraduate project students (working on personal health devices projects) in mind. I hope the material proves interesting and that it may encourage debate and further research.

Bioelectromagnetism is an interesting and lively area of research. There are credible concerns about electropollution regarding the health impacts of wireless communication spectra and also evidence to suggest that some field types are therapeutic.

While wireless networks offer many wonderfully exciting opportunities for new technology applications, and new healthcare technology in particular, the effects of increasingly concentrated electromagnetic fields on health warrants further investigation.

Recommended reading by Dr BeckerThe title of this presentation refers to the seminal text by Dr Becker.His book entitled “Cross currents” is also recommended.

Electromagnetism

The Electromagnetic Spectrum The complete range of electromagnetic radiation, from radio

waves to gamma rays, including the visible spectrum. All types of electromagnetic radiation are basically the same phenomenon, differing only by wavelength, and all move at the speed of light.

The amount of energy a photon has makes it sometimes behave more like a wave and sometimes more like a particle. This is called the "wave-particle duality" of light.

Low energy photons (such as radio) behave more like waves, while higher energy photons (such as X-rays) behave more like particles.

http://lasp.colorado.edu/cassini/education/Electromagnetic%20Spectrum.htm

Electrosmog?

3G telephone masts, indoor cordless (DECT) telephones and Wi-Fi networks are just a few examples of new electromagnetic sources.

Then there are electric blankets, microwave ovens, computers, and bluetooth devices.

http://www.electrosmog.org.uk/

University campuses and many public spaces are now wirelessly networked.

Soon there will be many more wireless devices.

Personal Area Networks or Body Area Networks are evolving enabled by new short range wireless standards WSN (IEEE 802.15.4) and Zigbee.

The Earth’s (not-so-constant) Magnetic FieldToo interesting not to include ... The Earth’s magnetic field is not constant and has completely

reversed many times through her long history.

“In the past 15 million years, there have been four reversals every 1 million years, or about one shift each 250,000 years, Clement explained. The last one, however, was 790,000 years ago.” http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/earth_poles_040407.html

“The strength of the Earth's magnetic field has decreased 10 percent over the past 150 years, raising the remote possibility that it may collapse and later reverse, flipping the planet's poles for the first time in nearly a million years”http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/earth_magnetic_031212.html

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/earth_poles_040407.html

Electrical Activity

ECG and EEG

Electrical and Chemical Beings Our nervous systems use messenger cells called neurons to convey electrical

signals called nerve impulses.

Electrical and Chemical Signalling To create a nerve impulse, our neurons have to be excited. Stimuli such as light, sound and pressure can all excite neurons, but in most cases, chemicals released by other neurons will trigger a nerve impulse.

The brain and spinal cord comprise our central nervous system. The network of nerves that connect to the spinal cord control both conscious and unconscious activities. Information flows through the spinal cord to and from these nerves.

Top: http://www.humanillnesses.com/Behavioral-Health-A-Br/The-Brain-and-Nervous-System.htmlBottom: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/7172.html

ECG An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the

electrical activity of the heart.

It is used for monitoring and diagnosing a variety of heart conditions.

The normal heart beat has phases P, QRS and T as shown below.

http://www.diag.no/spirare/ecg.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECG

EEG The EEG (Electroencephalography) is a test that records

the electrical activity of the brain.

It is used for monitoring and diagnosing epilepsy, sleep disorders, coma and brain-death.

Alpha, beta, delta and theta are 4 of the traditionally recognised EEG signal frequency types.

http://local.wasp.uwa.edu.au/~pbourke/other/eeg/

http://www.cs.bham.ac.uk/~xxl/Intelligent%20monitoring.htm

TENS Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators

TENS machines are used for pain relief, for example, by chronic pain sufferers or for pain during child birth.

“TENS machines deliver small electrical pulses to the body via electrodes placed on the skin. TENS machines are thought to affect the way pain signals are sent to the brain. Pain signals reach the brain via nerves and the spinal cord. If pain signals can be blocked then the brain will receive fewer signals from the source of the pain. We may then feel less pain.”http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069069/

From NHS Direct: “a pad that administers small amounts of electrical current, blocking pain signals and stimulating endorphins”http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=914

An NHS-Approved TENS machinehttp://www.maternitytens.com/index.asp?function=DISPLAYPRODUCT&productid=9

http://www3.telus.net/chemelec/Projects/Tens/Tens.htm

                                

IEEE Spectrum 2006 Two recent articles in IEEE Spectrum

ZapSchoenbach, K.H.; Nuccitelli, R.; Beebe, S.J.;Spectrum, IEEE. Vol 43, Iss 8, Aug. 2006 p20-26

A huge voltage for a just billionths of seconds kills cancer cells.

“Researchers from different disciplines; electrical engineers, cell biologists and medical professionals, work side by side at the Center for Bioelectrics to explore the cellular responses to nanosecond pulsed electric fields.”http://www.odu.edu/engr/bioelectrics/biogateway.htm

See also Zapping away the blues: a pacemaker-like device to treat depression takes a giant step forwardMoore, S.K.;Spectrum, IEEE Vol 42,  Issue 5,  May 2005 pp16-17

http://www.odu.edu/engr/bioelectrics/index.htmlhttp://www.ece.odu.edu/nuccitelli.htm

http://www.odu.edu/engr/bioelectrics/biogateway.htm

Royal Raymond Rife Royal Raymond Rife designed and built a high-powered microscope to observe live

pathogens and identified some frequencies that disabled them1.

This list has been expanded by others into a Consolidated Annotated Frequency List (CAFL)2.

Was it a treatment that was suppressed?

Today, thousands of individuals use Rife-inspired machines at home to treat their infections or diseases. They are particularly used by Lyme disease sufferers.

1http://www.electroherbalism.com/Bioelectronics/IntroductiontoBioelectronics/ElectricalandFrequencyEffectsonPathogens.htm 2http://www.electroherbalism.com/Bioelectronics/FrequenciesandAnecdotes/CAFL.htm http://www.rife.org/ http://www.rt66.com/~rifetech/ http://www.holman.net/rifetechnology/refandres/index.html

Top : Royal Raymond RifeBottom Left: http://rifehealth.com/index.html

Bottom Right : The account of Royal Raymond Rife written by Barry Lynes

FDA Reports “Kinetics of Microbial Inactivation for Alternative Food Processing Technologies

Oscillating Magnetic Fields” http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/ift-omf.html

An FDA publication on the effects of oscillating magnetic fields on pathogens.

“Kinetics of Microbial Inactivation for Alternative Food Processing Technologies Pulsed Electric Fields” http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/ift-pef.html

An FDA publication on the effects of pulsed electric fields on pathogens.http://www.electroherbalism.com/Bioelectronics/FrequenciesandAnecdotes/CAFL.htm

These reports summarise the research findings of these fields on a variety of bacteria, including inactivation of micro-organisms such as E. coli, Streptococcus thermophilus and various strains of yeast.

and more links at http://rifehealth.com/index.html

Electrosensitivity

Electrosensitivity Electrosensitivity: “A unhealthy sensitivity to a particular source of electricity, for

example mobile phones, computers, power lines or even minor electrical equipment.1”

The Health Protection Agency produced a good summary of the condition in a November 2005 report.2

The most high-profile case of electrical hypersensitivity is Gro Harlem Brundtland the last Secretary-General of the World Health Organisation, W.H.O, she is a medical doctor and former Prime Minister of Norway.

"It's not the sound, but the waves I react on. My hypersensitivity has gone so far that I even react on mobiles closer to me than about four metres,“

Translation from Cover story in Norwegian newspaper "Dagbladet" March 9, 2002: http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2002/03/09/318013.html © Dagbladet http://www.electrosensitivity.org.uk/doctorsguidance.htm#Appendix%201

1http://www.electrosensitivity.org/ 2http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/hpa_rpd_reports/2005/hpa_rpd_010.htm

Left: Gro Harlem BrundtlandRight: http://www.electrosensitivity.org.uk/What%20is%20ES.htm

http://www.electrosensitivity.org/

Electromagnetism and Health Concerns

Power Lines and Leukemia “These latest findings not only strengthen further the evidence that

children living in proximity to high voltage powerlines are at increased risk of childhood leukaemia, but in finding effects up to 600 metres away, they invoke electric field corona ion effects as a possible causal mechanism. The fact that this study has looked at the birth address is particularly important because the initial damage that may lead to leukaemia is thought to occur in-utero.” Professor Denis Henshaw, Professor of Human Radiation Effects at the University of Bristol

Corona ions are small electrically-charged particles which, when emitted from powerlines attach themselves to particles of air pollution, making these particles more likely to be trapped in the lung when inhaled. In this way people living near powerlines may be exposed to increased levels of air pollution. http://www.electrosensitivity.org.uk/science%20and%20references.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3967073.stm

http://www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk/

Charge Carried Infections Static charge is linked to transmission of infections in hospitals.

Proposals for nurses to wear anti-static aprons.http://www.electric-fields.bris.ac.uk/StaticChargeHospInf.htm

“Air ionisers wipe out hopsital infections”. A 2003 trial at Leeds shows “fantastic” results with reduced infections. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3228

See also an interesting summary of EMF dangers from Dr Mercola http://www.mercola.com/article/emf/emf_dangers.htm

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3228

The Body Electric

These slides were compiled with my undergraduate project students in mind. I hope the material proved interesting and that it may encourage debate and further investigation.

So, how did we do with those questions? ...

– Do we respond to electromagnetic fields?

– Can we be adversely affected by electromagnetic fields?

– Can people be electrosensitive?

– Could some electromagnetic fields be therapeutic?

– Should we worry about electrosmog or electropollution?

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis

These slides were compiled with my undergraduate project students in mind. I hope the material proves interesting and that it may encourage debate and further investigation.

Sandra Woolley

S.I.Woolley@bham.ac.uk

http://www.eee.bham.ac.uk/woolleysi