Are your devices trying to kill you?
In an attempt to bring greater efficiency to the distribution of electrical power, BC Hydro has introduced a new kind of power meter that uses wireless technology. Currently, there is an analog box that records your electricity usage but does not allow for real-time analysis of the usage of buildings, streets or neighborhoods. Increasing efficiency is good but these wireless devices emit electromagnetic radiation (EMR) which according the World Health Organization (WHO), is a possible carcinogen. So while you rack up your power bill this Christmas with holiday lights, BC Hydro will be making sure your home is radiating with more than just Christmas spirit.
Illustration: Braden Jones
Large amounts of research have been made to discover its effect on organic life. The WHO admits that more research has been done into this catastrophic entity than most chemical toxicology research. Despite the litany of reports, it is still unclear what specific adverse effects EMR causes, so we can only speculate at this point. This is not the first time that the dangers of EMR have been noted by the media. Wireless devices such as cellphones, WiFi, and Bluetooth technologies also emit EMR. So while bringing us unhindered wireless joy, they have on occasion come under significant fire due to potential health risks.
But needless to say, the WHO reports thus far, have done a better job of evoking sensationalism than developing actual proofs of the dangers they purport. We experience EMR on a regular basis. The light by which you read this is an electromagnetic wave within the visible frequency range of EMR. At low intensities, the microwave regions allow a mobile phone call to your family back home. The tunes that play in your car from your favorite radio station are transmitted to you by radio waves, which are a very low frequency form of EMR. It can travel at the speed of light, carrying various levels of energy and capacity for penetration. Some EMR can travel for hundreds of kilometers, others can transmit through your home, and some can pass through your body. It all depends upon the frequency of the radiation.
In low frequency non-ionizing forms, there is most likely no danger. However, if you happen to be vacating the cold this Christmas, you might want to consider worrying about a higher frequency ionizing form. Waves with frequencies in the UV region are what cause sunburns, skin disease, and even skin cancer. It is classified as ionizing radiation since they can penetrate into your skin, ionizing some of the molecules causing the cells to die or behave improperly. Fortunately, a good layer of sunscreen is suitable protection from such a pervasive form of EMR.
The earth is bombarded with huge amounts of ionizing radiation in the form of very high frequency cosmic rays from the sun. The only way to escape these is to bury extremely deep under the surface. But do not fear; ionizing radiation passes through your body almost undetected.
The overwhelming amount of EMR man-made devices produced are non-ionizing and thus are as harmless as the lights hanging from your tree. Could there be long-term effects to this manmade radiation? There isn’t any evidence at this point, but the WHO isn’t taking any chances. However, the classification of “possibly harmful” is the lowest risk assessment indicating that no evidence suggests correlation. There could be risks but at this point we have no reason to fear. The most your power meter, cellphone, Christmas lights, or radio are going to do is cause you to warm up; a property no one is complaining about at this time of year.
Addison Pasiuk
Something that should be clarified: “High energy (on the level of cosmic radiation) ionizing radiation passes through your body almost undetected.” UV is still ionizing but is detected by the molecules in ones skin hence the evolution of skin burns and other skin conditions.