Earlier today Dr. Charles Masur MD spoke at the annual conference of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in La Jolla on the synergistic effects of electromagnetic fields and heavy metals on the body’s inability to prevent free radical damage. Dr. Masur outlined seven of the 275 hazardous materials monitored by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a division of the CDC. Mercury from fish and dental amalgams was third on the list.

He also discused electromagnetic hypersensitivity, a syndrome that the World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized as “a variety of non-specific symptoms…. The symptoms most commonly experienced include dermatological symptoms (redness, tingling, and burning sensations) as well as …(fatigue, tiredness, concentration difficulties, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitation, and digestive disturbances).” More information is available at the WHO web page: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/index.html

One of Dr. Masur’s main concerns was amount of exposure from “dirty electricity”. There is a resonance between high frequency radio waves from sources like power lines and the fields generated by common household appliances and electonic devices when residential currents have not been properly grounded with copper. Even when there is proper grounding, there is still electromagnetic “smog” created by the home’s electical grid. This type of pollution was also discussed in Dr. Robert Becker’s book Cross Currents.

A 2006 interview with Dr. George Carlo discusses the damaging effects of EMF’s on environmental health, specifically cell phone use. According to Dr. Carlo, the numbers of people exhibiting health conditions specifically caused by ongoing cell phone use will be ‘unprecedented’. As of 2006, 1.9 billion people were using cell phones. Today, according to the United Nations, that number has grown to 5 billion. Will EMF pollution begin to cause electromagnetic sensitivities, as a kind of “second hand smoke”?

A public meeting regarding a new cell phone tower in Olivenhain prompted us to investigate the local impact of EMF’s. In the entire U.S. the impact of electromagnetic fields here in San Diego is second only to that of Washington D.C.

The Encinitas Planning Commission liaison explained to our office that the new tower was in compliance with FCC regulations and would not need an environmental impact study. A local MD had made a presentation during the summer as to how another tower scheduled to be built in Leucadia would impact the health of one of his patients, as well as that of others with electromagnetic sensitivities. However the Commission’s legal counsel did not see any legal reason to delay that tower, or to further investigate environmental health issues concerning the new one.

The aide did say that Commission would be willing to schedule a special presentation by this doctor, however the likelihood of any outcomes being affected appear slim to none.

We will be exploring this issue in some depth over the next weeks. Check out the video below: