I was surprised at the views on the health dangers of Wi-Fi in Bang Goes the Theory, series 6, episode 5. It seemed to miss out medical and molecular studies of the last decade. The NHS now uses many EMF devices at below heating levels, so we know that there are numerous bio-effects, both positive and negative, from this type of weak non-thermal radiation.
What is especially odd is that the WHO classifies both ELF and RF as 2B carcongenic, based on long-term exposure, yet this was not mentioned in the programme. Long-term exposure appears to be the main problem with Wi-Fi, since it is known that EM radiation is cumulative in its effects. In addition the IARC deliberately included Wi-Fi in its comments on their RF classification, and it seems that part of the particularly bio-active nature of Wi-Fi is its low-frequency component at the equivalent of 10-250 Hz, in addition to the microwave carrier frequency.
The programme also failed to come to terms with what is now known about plant, animal and human sensitivity to EMFs. These create an adaptive response at cellular level, especially on the membrane. At first EMFs often up-regulate biological processes, but if the organism lacks sufficient adaptive responses it then moves to down-regulation with serious consequences. The greater the duration or intensity, the more the cell can become sensitive to lower levels of exogenous toxins. Thus pulsed EMF may at first make a plant or rat grow more, but then it can suffer from a weakened immune system and can die earlier.
It is now accepted that birds and fish respond to low geomagnetic fields, down to about 1nT. Humans can react consciously to ramps of 5nT at below 10 nT and some scientists see the brain as being sensitive subconsciously to the Schumann frequencies of about 0.05 nT, through the entrainment of the main wave rhythms. This means that most Wi-Fi signals with their ELF components are likely to affect the brain, and this is what the first studies on Wi-Fi are beginning to find. Other Wi-Fi studies are confirming one of the best established effects of EMFs, namely that of fertility damage through DNA fragmentation, perhaps by indirect means such as reduced melatonin. If the human genome is changed in this uncontrolled way, we are presenting future generations with the probability that a growing proportion of children will show ASDs, and a growing proportion of the elderly will suffer early-onset dementia, quite apart from the increased growth of cancers as a result of the impairment of the immune system.
As regards the subjective provocation tests which the psychologist Dr Rubin discussed, where 60 people were unable to distinguish a mobile phone signal from a sham, if only, say, 0.1% of the population were sensitive, there might be insufficient power of numbers to show this. There was no evidence he was able to screen his participants beforehand, since he clearly did not believe that the phenomenon exists or that there is a way of diagnosing it. Similarly, by averaging responses to peanuts for 60 people, it might be impossible to show the existence of peanut allergy if a typical average figure for incidence of peanut allergy is 0.4%.
It is also unclear, apart from the fact that he is a psychologist in a unit renowned for postulating psychological etiology for any new complaint, why he preferred subjective tests to medical measurements of, say, HRV, BP, cortisol, EEG, etc, which clinics abroad use to diagnose the condition of electro-sensitivity. It is said that the mobile phone industry like this type of subjective test, but it is clearly inadequate given the way in which animals and plants react to Wi-Fi and mobile phone exposure.
Perhaps a proper investigation by Bang Goes the Theory into magnetoreception in plants, animals and humans, could make a fascinating programme. An article in January’s Scientific American showed how much progress has already been made in this area.
One oddity was the reference to the head-net. Such silvered netting is produced primarily for the military, most of whom are well aware of sensitization to EMR as a possible consequence of using electromagnetic weapons and jamming equipment. It has been a problem for NATO servicemen in the Middle East.
