The Dark Side of Electronics: Are Kids suffering from Dirty Electricity?

Posted on April 6, 2012

Kids are increasingly experiencing ADHD, asthma, diabetes, learning disabilities, headaches, sleep disturbances and mood. Why? Are these health issues being worsened by the explosion of electronics in our homes and schools? 

Seminal research by Dr. Magda Havas, PhD and Dr. Sam Milham suggests that “dirty electricity” and other electrical energy may be disproportionally affecting children. Dr. Olle Johansson, PhD believes exposures to electrical energy, such as dirty electricity, aggravate children’s immune systems, which may cause, or worsen illnesses and afflictions like those mentioned above. 

Dirty electricity refers to unusable and potentially harmful electromagnetic energy that is generated by electronic devices as they operate. Once generated, this energy circulates throughout a building’s electrical system and escapes into the immediate environment through wiring, outlets, power strips, and electronic devices themselves, contaminating the environment with electro-pollution. In turn, this invisible pollution may be silently compromising our children’s health and well-being. 

In a series of studies in schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada, after filtering dirty electricity, Dr. Havas demonstrated an improvement in the learning environment for children and a reduction in symptoms from ADHD, Asthma and headaches. Teachers in the same schools experienced an improvement in sleep, joint/ muscle pain and mood. Some adults with Chronic Fatigue (CFS) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) experienced better health. In a related study, diabetics experienced lower glucose levels when dirty electricity was filtered. 

Many devices generate dirty electricity, including energy efficient lighting (CFL/fluorescent bulbs), dimmer switches, computers, printers, solar power, plasma televisions, stereo equipment, video games systems, cordless (DECT) phones, Wi-Fi, microwave ovens and other kitchen appliances, washers/dryers, variable speed fans, and battery/device chargers. 

The increase in electronics, solar power systems and fluorescent lighting in schools may be putting children in harm’s way. Children are becoming increasingly exposed to these devices both at home and in the school and their smaller size and developing immune systems potentially make them more vulnerable than adults. 

One way to reduce the harmful effects of dirty electricity is to unplug all the devices and lights causing the potentially unhealthy electrical energy. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. A more practical way to reduce your exposures to dirty electricity is to plug-in filters from Greenwave™ www.greenwavefilters.com or Stetzer Electric. A typical three bedroom house usually requires around 15 filters. Most classrooms can be successfully filtered with three to five filters. Both products allow you to keep your devices plugged in and still lower your exposures to this fast growing form of pollution.