Time for an EMR spring clean?

Words MARIE SLOCOMBE

At this time of year, with winter well and truly behind us and long summer days just around the corner, many of us take the opportunity to give our homes a good spring clean. Along with cleaning those dusty, hard-to-reach spots and ensuring our home is free of mould and other toxins, it’s the perfect time to deal with another invisible nasty: electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

There is much research to show that prolonged exposure to EMR emitted by WiFi routers, mobile phone towers, smart meters, wireless technologies and household appliances can be detrimental to our health. Indeed, many people are extremely sensitive to the increasing amount of EMR in our environment, so it is important to reduce our everyday exposure to it and the best place to start is in our own homes.

A good first step for an EMF spring clean is to measure the current levels of EMR in our home, particularly those areas in which we spend the most time. EMR is measured using an RF meter and is measured in µW/m². The Australian College of Environmental Sciences recommends <10µW/m² for living spaces and <5µW/m² for sleeping areas.

The next step is to identify the sources of EMR in the home. The most obvious emitters in our homes are WiFi routers, smart meters and smart devices but there are also some unexpected sources of EMR to be aware of, such as baby monitors, cordless phones, smart fridges and even LED light bulbs. Once the source of EMR has been identified, we can consider ways to either increase our distance from it or ways to reduce its use. For example, if the bed is against the opposite side of the wall from a smart meter or a high emitting appliance, can the bedroom furniture be re-arranged to increase distance from the source of EMR? Can the WiFi router be relocated away from the main living areas of the home?

A great tip to reduce the amount of EMR exposure from a WiFi router is to turn it off when it’s not in use, particularly in the evenings to safeguard our sleep. An EMR spring clean is also the ideal opportunity to consider swapping out WiFi for hard-wired ethernet cables on computers, printers and other wireless tech.

Finally, an EMR spring clean is a great time to clear out any tech from sleeping spaces and set up a landing site away from bedrooms where phones and other smart devices can be stored and charged on airplane mode overnight. For those in the habit of using a phone as an alarm clock, now is the perfect time to purchase a good old fashioned, non-EMR emitting, alarm clock instead. Happy spring cleaning!

For more information on EMR and how to reduce your exposure visit: www.earthingoz.com.au