EMF Testing Safety Levels in Homes and Residences – A Commentary

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REVISED MARCH 2024

I had a question recently after performing a survey where my prognosis was essentially: “There is no reason for excessive concern regarding EMF fields with respect to this property.”

This seemed like a sufficiently concise response, and yet I got a response back that was along the lines of this:

“You didn’t mention any range of values like highest and lowest safest values in your report. Can you please let us know the range.”

A very good question and this was my response:

The reason I did not put a range is because at the time, there were a number of international standards that conflicted with each other and there was no hard, rigid number as to what is safe or unsafe because there are so many factors involved.

 

That has changed for a variety of reasons explained below in the following legacy post:

If I told you that 3 milliGauss (mG) is the “safe limit”, that could imply 2.97 mG is perfectly fine and 3.04 mG is dangerous or somehow harmful which would not be a true statement.

While I believe EMF fields have an effect on the human body, it is fairly weak in typical fields found in everyday life because the human body compensates for a variety of conditions in a  continuous process called homeostasis. Also by focusing too much on the magnetic fields you will have a tendency to overlook more established and dangerous conditions such as radon gas, poor indoor air quality, antibiotic resistant bacteria, mold, mosquito and tick borne viruses and diseases, etc.

EMF fields do not behave like chemicals which have fairly well established dosages and exposure levels set by government agencies and scientists such as the LD50 (Lethal Dose 50 %) or STEL. (Short Term Exposure Level) There are variables such as frequency, peak levels, time of exposure and susceptibility of the individual which is based on genetics, immune system function and so on.

What I do is survey a property and compare it to other places that I measure and look more at orders of magnitude (power of 10) rather than a 1-2 milliGauss difference.

Do you know what the level of the fields are in the place you live in now?

Are you aware of what are typical and ordinary values of magnetic fields in other suburban (or urban) homes in the area?

Many homes I have surveyed in the certain urban areas have average interior values of 5 – 8 mG (due to increased power density and decreased utility easement ROW or right of way distances) and there are a few homes where I have found 10 – 35 mG. Standing or driving beneath a high voltage power line will have a value of anywhere from 2 – 290 mG so the difference between 1 mG in a home and 2 mG in a home is relatively small in the context and scale of how much fields can and do vary. In deciding what house to live in, you can spend a lot of time and effort trying to find a place that has a lower level like 0.3 mG – 0.5 mG (which is very close to as low as you can get without having electricity at all) but that does not really mean that the home is safer overall to live in for the reasons and risk factors I mentioned above.

There are some environmental factors where a slight change is very noticeable and important to comfort such as temperature – some people find 69 F to be comfortable, but others prefer 72 F. On a planet where temperatures range from below 0 degrees to over 100, that is very small (a few percent difference) but important.

EMF fields are not like that as at the 1 – 2 mG level for example, there is hardly any range left to decrease to 0.0 mG as you are already close to the bottom in what is known as ALARA. (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) Even though 2 mG is 100 % higher than 1 mG and may seem like a large increase, the health risk levels do not behave in a LINEAR fashion as you might find with certain known toxins. At the worst, it is better to view EMF levels on more of a logarithmic scale (powers of 10) rather than integer multiples.

But in respect to your request I will give you some ranges that in my opinion are fine for where people spend 90 % of their time or more, but I have to emphasize the most of the time part because I do not feel it is beneficial for people to be scared if for a fraction of the time (for instance, even 20 hours a week) the magnetic field exceeds these numbers. Also EMF testing meters do not always agree with each other because of design and frequency weighting.

 

What has changed now as far as safe limits for EMF?

Now, a number of highly regarded organizations have set safety guidelines for NIRAD (Non-Ionizing Radiation) which the ELF band of 60 Hz AC falls into and I use the most conservative numbers which is from ICNIRP.  (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) And that safety limit is

5 Gauss = 5000 mG   for a 60 Hz AC Magnetic Field

This is a FAR higher field than you will ever encounter in a residential home so the general answer I give to inquires about safe limits of AC magnetic fields is: “Don’t worry about it.” because the highest level consistent AC EMF field I have measured in a home that had any significant distance from the point source is 50 mG which is 100 X less than the ICNIRP standard.

However, there is an IMPORTANT EXCEPTION with regard to EMF limits to those with pacemakers, CRT-Ds, S-ICDs, CRM (Cardiac Rhythm Management) devices and other biomedical implants.

These devices typically have a limit of 1 Gauss AC or 1000 mG which is still much higher than the highest residential field of 50 mG.

But, there are certain activities that you should beware of practicing at home or at work such as electric welding, devices with strong DC magnets such as speakers, wearable microphones and strong near field RF sources such as inductively charged phones including some iPhones. For those with such biomedical implants, you must consult with your doctor as to what devices and activities are contra-indicated or require caution to be around.

Also, be cautious around high voltage lines (I would advise not walking in the ROW or Right of Way) and not walk directly beneath one if you have a biomedical implant because the limit on many of these devices is 6000 V/m or LESS. (particularly for neuro-modulation devices)

If you have a possibility for EMI or Electromagnetic Interference with an implant or pacemaker due to your work environment, duties, etc. then have your employer contact ScanTech to arrange for a pacemaker EMI survey or at least a phone consultation.

Finally, the stress of worrying about EMF causes more damage on average than the EMF field itself as stress itself is a proven health hazard. Stress causes the release of cortisol which over time can depress the immune system so there is a real physiological effect. In addition, if you are afraid and have children, then they pick up on those emotions which impacts them as they are emotional sponges. It is good to be concerned and make informed decisions, but I caution people against letting fear overtake common sense and practicality.

The biggest environmental risks you are likely to encounter are poor diet, lack of exercise, bad air quality, poor sleep quality, and stress. Now what we are discovering in our environment that microplastics and PFOS / PFAS (known as “forever chemicals) are suspected of contributing to some of the biggest killers in North America which are cardiovascular disease and cancer.

And with that thought in mind, one of the unifying concepts I have observed in working with thousands of clients is if they are concerned enough to pay to have an EMF survey because they care that much about their family, they are already doing a lot of the right things to protect themselves and those they love.

 

EMF EMI Testing Magnetic – Electric Field – RF Radiation NIRAD : PART 1

http://www.emfservices.com/index.htm

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ScanTech Technical Consulting is owned and operated by Joel-Anthony Gray who has over 22 years of experience as an EMF consultant, EMI troubleshooting expert and nuclear radiation testing consultant for a variety of commercial and industrial customers. While there is currently no such thing as a Certified EMF Consultant as far as the United States industrial and scientific community at large is concerned, what ScanTech offers is extensive education, experience and multiple certifications in non-ionizing radiation, industrial safety and hygiene. (listed here EMF Credentials) He holds numerous degrees and certifications which qualify him for this level of expertise. Call 214.912.4691

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ScanTech Technical Consulting professional commercial electromagnetic field testing and radio frequency testing in the Dallas – Fort Worth Texas area to detect and measure exposures and health risks (if any) to electromagnetic fields and radiation. Call 214.912.4691

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