Electromagnetic fields

Electromagnetic Fields

Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) are a commonly occurring phenomena which Canadians encounter on a daily basis. Common sources include household appliances, visible light, and Wi-Fi and cellular technology such as 4G and 5G. Radio frequency electromagnetic fields, which are used for technology such as Wi-Fi and cellular phones, have been used for communications and other widespread applications for decades. Radio frequency electromagnetic fields have frequencies between 10 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz) and lack sufficient energy to break chemical bonds.

What are electromagnetic fields?

  • Electric fields are created by differences in voltage.
  • Magnetic fields are created by the flow of electric current.
  • Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are the interaction of the two, electric and magnetic, fields.

Types of electromagnetic fields differ based on wavelength (e.g., distance between waves) and frequency (e.g., number of times the waves cycle per second).

For most people, the main source of exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, comes from personal use of items such as cellular phones. Other sources include radios and radar.

What are the health effects of electromagnetic fields?

Over the past 30 years there have been approximately 25,000 articles published regarding biological effects and medical applications of electromagnetic fields.

Scientific knowledge in this area is now greater than for most chemicals.

According to the World Health Organization, after an in-depth review, current scientific literature does not confirm the existence of health consequences from exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields.

We have also extensively reviewed reports on human health effects related to exposure to wireless technologies from our scientific and technical advisors at Public Health Ontario, the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, and Health Canada, among others. At this time, Southeast Public Health is not recommending any specific accommodations in our region, based on this information.

Local data

To date, Southeast Public Health has organized two radiofrequency (RF) surveys within the City of Kingston, one in 2014 and another in 2019. The term radiofrequency (RF) refers to the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is used for telecommunications purposes, such as cordless and mobile phones as well as Wi-Fi. The surveys were led by Public Health Ontario (PHO). Public Health Ontario provides scientific and technical advice to local public health agencies regarding potential health hazards. Public Health Ontario’s work is guided by current and best available evidence at the time of publication.

Measurements were taken at 12 different locations throughout Kingston, including elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools, airport, cell towers and a local library.

Radiofrequency measurements were taken with the Narda Selective Radiation Meter (SRM 3006). The instrument has a measurement range of 420 MHz to 6GHz, as this range is typically used for cell phones and Wi-Fi. The Selective Radiation Meter instrument is required to be calibrated every two years, it was last calibrated by Public Health Ontario in January 2018.

Radiofrequency measurements were taken as a percentage of Safety Code 6 (SC6). Safety Code 6 specifies limits of human exposure to radiofrequency fields intended to prevent adverse human health effects. Both a cumulative total maximum value and the six-minute time-average radiofrequency values were logged.

In both the 2014 and 2019 radiofrequency survey, all radiofrequency levels recorded were well below Safety Code 6, complying by a wide margin. Given these results, Southeast Public Health does not feel radiofrequency exposure is a potential risk to the health and safety of the public. At this time, Southeast Public Health is not recommending any specific accommodations in our region, based on this information.

Southeast Public Health will continue to monitor the research literature and regularly measure radiofrequency levels in our region. We will use this information to make any necessary recommendations as new data becomes available.

What can I do if I am concerned about electromagnetic fields?

If you wish to further reduce your personal exposure to electromagnetic fields, you can consider the following actions:

  • Reduce your personal cellphone use, particularly use of the device close to the head.
  • Place your laptop computer on a desk rather than on your lap when using it in wireless mode.
  • Use wired headsets or a speaker option to increase distance between the head and phone.
  • Use texting (SMS) instead of phone calls when possible.
  • Use phones with low specific absorption rate (SAR) ratings that emit a lower output power.
  • Switch off devices or place in airplane mode when not in use.