Mr. Altenweger could not believe his eyes: the cattle, the pride of his farm in Schnaitsee, Bavaria (Germany), were now “skinny cows” with inflamed eyes and an itch that forced them to rub against any object. The annoyances disappeared when they were taken to another farm 25 kilometers away, but they relapsed when they returned and some even died. For their part, researchers from the University of Bern (Switzerland) analyzed the insanity and general discomfort of the inhabitants of a Swiss city that suddenly improved to relapse three days later. In both cases the gazes turned accusing to the newly installed antennas and the resulting electromagnetic fields. But are these fields really dangerous?
An electromagnetic field (EMF) is created by any moving body with an electrical charge, and interacts with others , such as the human body, where the nerve impulses between the brain and the organs and muscles are electrical currents of 150 to 300 Hz. interfering with the body’s electrical circuitry, an EMF induces currents in the tissues . In the outer cell membrane, which also has an electrical charge, the proteins that carry chemical messages are anchored. An EU study reveals that spending 72 hours in a field of 50 Hz and 2,000 teslas (a measure of magnetic induction) varies the structure of the membrane, its cell fibers and proteins. It is the frequency of refrigerators, hair dryers, fluorescent light, microwave ovens, computers or televisions, but you would have to stick to them and many hours to notice their effects.
The most common radiation that man receives are non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation , without enough photon energy to break the chemical bonds that unite the cell’s molecules; ionizers even damage DNA. However, in Japan it has been seen that a long exposure to frequencies of 50 and 60 Hz, those of electrical appliances and power plants, produces gene mutations and errors in DNA replication and repair systems, and even non-specialized cells that degenerate into cancer. Likewise, radio, TV and mobile phone stations broadcast in radio frequencies and microwaves. Cell phones operate from 900 MHz to 1.8 GHz, and they do not ionize the atoms in the tissues, but they heat up the areas of the body with more water, as it absorbs the microwaves.
Although there have been more than 200 tests, none conclusive, a study by two German institutes for the European Parliament concludes that mobile phones are not recommended for children and adolescents . Even, according to the International Institute of Biophysics, radiation from telephones and repeater antennas can lead to long exposures to a rare tumor, the epithelial neuroma on the periphery of the brain.
At a meeting of experts in Madrid, it was explained that, when making an encephalogram, if a mobile is approached, an indecipherable oscillation appears. According to Dr. Hyland of the English University of Warwick, the waves of mobiles are of the same frequency as alpha brain waves. So, even at very low intensity, the brain is very sensitive to them. For the UK Consumers Association, a hands-free system can triple exposure, by acting as an amplifier of direct radiation to the brain, while the Ericsson brand says it drops 92 percent. If anything, interference It is less with the mobile near the ear, moving the antenna away from the head. The Association advises making short calls, using the mobile without hands and without a hearing aid and not having it turned on in your pocket: it affects the kidneys, womb, ovaries and testicles.
The limits of the field set by the EU, and which Spain includes in Royal Decree 1066/2001, consider a frequency of 0 to 300 GHz as harmless, but there are no epidemiological studies of long-term exposure to microwaves and radio frequencies. That is why they are currently a priority objective of the World Health Organization (WHO), which launched the International EMC Project in 1996 to study the possible health effects of electromagnetic fields. In addition, several German institutes study the conductivity of waves in the skull and other human bones to see the protection of the brain and other organs.
Australian John Holt is even more alarmist. According to him, the frequencies of mobile phones double the production of histamines and promote asthma and allergies. Under continuous 800-900 MHz, antihistamines and steroids do not stop the production of histamines, which constrict the arteries, dilate the capillaries, and serve as a chemical mediator in allergic reactions. For Holt, asthma is caused by microwaves and that is why it increases in rich countries and is rare in highly polluted Third World countries; and in Scandinavia, where young people have been using mobile phones since 1994, girls aged 15 to 24 increased their use of sleeping pills and antidepressants. S. Edström of Gothenburg Sahlgrenska Hospital goes even further by associating it with cancer and blocking melatonin, the hormone that regulates the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness. According to the University of North Carolina, with high doses of radiation, its lack causes more suicides in workers under 50 years of age.
Other studies on EMF indicate that they alter the REM phase of sleep , and the University of Pisa is studying the variation in sensitivity to pain : higher blood pressure has been described and that, as the pores of the membranes in the blood-brain barrier, can promote Alzheimer’s or memory loss.
Despite all this, experts still do not agree on whether telephone stations cause cancer, disturbances in brain biorhythms or alteration of ionic calcium transport in cells. There are studies in favor and against the fact that exposure to low intensity fields is associated with a higher incidence of cancer in children. A standard for risk studies is lacking, but it seems that administrations are in no rush to create one.
JL Centurion
