As summer comes around each year, the day promises to get longer and warmer, and the weather, serene and more beautiful. One of the exciting parts of summer is vacation. Summer is a time to travel the world with family and friends to enjoy the beautiful season.
Traveling is an amazing way to spend your summer vacation. Getting to visit the incredible cities of the world, watching the culture and amazing traditions of people, the sophisticated structures and tourism centers around the world can leave you with lovely memories, especially when you do it with family and loved ones that you will continue to relive for a lifetime.
If you’re not just a traveller during the summer, and your career requires you to hop from place to place, this article will be even more important to you.
While traveling the world, you must ensure your family’s protection and safety, especially the young ones. The concept of being health conscious when traveling to another city or country is no longer new.
But the health threat that seemingly looks new and may not be considered that much is the effect of electromagnetic exposures in some appliances and devices while we travel. Some common sources of exposure during travel include cars, planes, and, of course, some big cities.
This article will explore these three sources of EMF and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
The effect of electromagnetic exposure in vehicles has been a significant concern for a long time. In fact, automobile exposure is arguably one of the biggest sources of electromagnetic radiation, and somehow, it has not gotten as much attention as other sources.
There are hundreds of automobiles in the world today, including brand new cars and cars that are decades old, gas-powered cars, diesel, hybrids, and electric. These are potential sources of electromagnetic fields, such as electric, magnetic, radio frequency, and dirty electricity. This is because most automobiles have several communication systems like Bluetooth, radar, Wi-Fi hotspots, and tons of electrical wiring.
Let’s start with the electrical wirings of a car. Everything in your car has been made automatic, from your power locks, electric seat controls, heated seats, power windows and locks, fancy stereos, air conditioning, fuel injector, auto-lock brakes, fuel pumps, ventilation fans, and tire pressure sensors. Many are made possible by connecting different wires, all of which carry electric fields.
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, radiation from this source may be associated with several adverse health effects, including leukemia. More so, since 2010, many automobiles have now been equipped with devices capable of emitting radio frequency radiation, which, initially, were for luxury. Still, studies have shown that these can be harmful to human health. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radiation from radio frequency as a “possible” (Group 2B) human carcinogen.
Additionally, radiofrequency radiation has been associated with other health anomalies, including brain damage in children, DNA damage, low sperm count, and a significant decrease in sperm motility.
Apart from the electrical wirings in automobiles, batteries are another source of EMF. Unlike gas-powered vehicles, where you possibly need the batteries to start the car and maybe a couple of other electrical functions, electric vehicles use batteries for pretty much everything. This is particularly true for electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.
Usually, these batteries are placed close to where people sit and directly underneath passengers’ seats. For one, these batteries convert DC-AC using a power converter, which requires more electronics wiring, which we have already established as harmful.
Secondly, charging car batteries exudes a considerable amount of dirty energy, a low frequency (ELF) magnetic field (MF), which could be very dangerous to health. Now, having such batteries beneath passengers’ seats can be very harmful.
While you are on vacation with your family, reduce exposure to EMF sources as much as possible.
In case you do not already know, traveling in those big metal planes increases your exposure to electromagnetic radiation. Going by what we’ve established, that’s not a good thing. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, airline crew members are classified as Radiation Workers.
This is particularly interesting because apart from electromagnetic radiation, there is another form of radiation involved; cosmic radiation. Cosmic radiation is a form of radiation that comes from outer space. Since it’s a form of radiation from outer space, aircrew and passengers are exposed to a higher level of this form of radiation.
Cosmic is a form of ionizing radiation, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), this form of radiation can cause cancer and reproductive problems in humans. In fact, this form of radiation is associated with different forms of cancer, including breast cancer and skin cancer, among others. Little wonder, aircrew members are more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than the general population.
Interestingly, the Earth’s atmosphere and electromagnetic field protect us here on earth from the harmful effects of this cosmic radiation. Quite an exciting twist of events! However, as you fly high, you become more vulnerable to this radiation. The longer you stay flying in airplanes, the more you are exposed, and the greater the chances of coming down with any health anomalies associated with harmful radiation.
Further, almost every part of the plane is a source of EMF radiation; from the cockpit and communication equipment to the electrical wiring and sensors, the engines, WiFi, static electricity in the fuselage, etc., are all sources of EMFs.
More so, there is a lot to worry about before getting on the plane, especially while you wait at the airport and get scanned at the security post. Although a study considered cancer risks from scanners used at the airport’s security post as trivial, the possibility of it precipitating cancer is non-negligible.
However, the most threatening part is the free WiFi and the hundreds if not thousands of connected mobile devices, headphones, laptops, and tablets that surround you while you wait for your flight at the airport, all emitting low-frequency electromagnetic radiation.
EMF Exposures In Big Cities
To be clear, every city with diverse technology poses health risks to those living there. However, the level of risk varies from one city to another, and that depends on various factors. There are different sources of EMF. In fact, due to the current demands for electricity, telecommunication services, and electronic devices, there is a surge in the sources of electromagnetic radiation in the modern world, especially in big cities.
Every electronic and communication device emits EMF radiation of different frequencies and types, and that means an abundance of these potential sources will increase emissions. Sadly, these emissions have been associated with diverse health disorders, including reproductive health, cancer development, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, immune function, human behavior, sleep pattern, and energy metabolism, among many others. Quite a handful!
In a 2019 study, it was found that mobile terminals, with about 37.5%, have the highest contribution to environmental EMF exposure. The same study found that activities and population are directly proportional to the level of EMF exposure. Meaning highly populated cities and activities will cause an increase in the levels of electric fields.
Also, in a more recent study, radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) from mobile-phones-base-stations have been found to be a threat to human health. There is no shortage of these stations in big cities. And along with that, there are tons of mobile terminals, companies, and organizations using WiFi and steadily releasing exhaust, power lines, millions of people using mobile devices, and a host of other powerful sources of EMF radiation. All of these greatly impact the level of exposure and hence, the health risks that come with the exposure.
Traveling is good and beautiful. But the integrity of your health and that of your loved ones is important. While boarding the next flight or moving in vehicles to your next destination for vacations, ensure you protect yourself as much as possible from these harmful emissions.
Airestech’s Lifetune devices provide round-the-clock protection from harmful EMF radiation, so you and your loved one can enjoy your summer trip without hassle.
We have portable devices that can fit on your body, in your rooms, and vehicles to ensure your vacation goes uninterrupted with the threat of EMF radiation.
Read more posts about EMF + health during your travels:
Why Is It Important to Stay Healthy During Travel
