Electromagnetic Sense Ireland

US Senator Patrick Colbeck Testifies Against the deployment of 5G because of the reported health effects from wireless technologies in a hearing 2018.

Learn More about 5G HERE

Researcher links diplomats’ mystery illness to radiofrequency/microwave radiation

Writing in advance of the September 15 issue of Neural Computation, Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, says publicly reported symptoms and experiences of a “mystery illness” afflicting American and Canadian diplomats in Cuba and China strongly match known effects of pulsed radiofrequency/microwave electromagnetic (RF/MW) radiation.

Her conclusions, she said, may aid in the treatment of the diplomats (and affected family members) and assist U.S. government agencies seeking to determine the precise cause. More broadly, Golomb said her research draws attention to a larger population of people who are affected by similar health problems.

“I looked at what’s known about pulsed RF/MW in relation to diplomats’ experiences,” said Golomb. “Everything fits. The specifics of the varied sounds that the diplomats reported hearing during the apparent inciting episodes, such as chirping, ringing and buzzing, cohere in detail with known properties of so-called ‘microwave hearing,’ also known as the Frey effect.

“And the symptoms that emerged fit, including the dominance of sleep problems, headaches and cognitive issues, as well as the distinctive prominence of auditory symptoms. Even objective findings reported on brain imaging fit with what has been reported for persons affected by RF/MW radiation.”

Beginning in 2016, personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba (as well as Canadian diplomats and family members) described hearing strange sounds, followed by development of an array of symptoms. The source of the health problems has not been determined. Though some officials and media have described the events as “sonic attacks,” some experts on sound have rejected this explanation. In May of this year, the State Department reported that U.S. government employees in Guangzhou, China had also experienced similar sounds and health problems.

Affected diplomats and family members from both locations were medically evacuated to the U.S. for treatment, but despite multiple government investigations, an official explanation of events and subsequent illnesses has not been announced. At least two early published studies examining available data were inconclusive.

In her paper, scheduled to be published September 15 in Neural Computation, Golomb compared rates of described symptoms among diplomats with a published 2012 study of symptoms reported by people affected by electromagnetic radiation in Japan. By and large, she said the cited symptoms — headache, cognitive problems, sleep issues, irritability, nervousness or anxiety, dizziness and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) — occurred at strikingly similar rates.

Some diplomats reported hearing loss. That symptom was not assessed in both studies so rates could not be compared, but Golomb said it is widely reported in both conditions. She also noted that previous brain imaging research in persons affected by RF/ EMR “showed evidence of traumatic brain injury, paralleling reports in diplomats.”

David O. Carpenter, MD, is director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany, part of the State University of New York. He was not involved in Golomb’s study. He said evidence cited by Golomb illustrates “microwave hearing,” which results “from heating induced in tissue, which causes ‘waves’ in the ear and results in clicks and other sounds.” Reported symptoms, he said, characterize the syndrome of electrohypersensitivity (EHS), in which unusual exposure to radiofrequency radiation can trigger symptoms in vulnerable persons that may be permanent and disabling.

“We have seen this before when the Soviets irradiated the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in the days of the Cold War,” he said.

Golomb, whose undergraduate degree was in physics, conducts research investigating the relationship of oxidative stress and mitochondrial function — mechanisms shown to be involved with RF/EMR injury — to health, aging, behavior and illness. Her work is wide-ranging, with published studies on Gulf War illness, statins, antibiotic toxicity, ALS, autism and the health effects of chocolate and trans fats, with a secondary interest in research methods, including placebos.

Golomb said an analysis of 100 studies examining whether low-level RF produced oxidative injury found that 93 studies concluded that it did. Oxidative injury or stress arises when there is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and the body’s detoxifying antioxidant defenses. Oxidative stress has been linked to a range of diseases and conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease, autism and depression to cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as toxic effects linked to certain drugs and chemicals. More to the point, Golomb said, oxidative injury has been linked to the symptoms and conditions reported in diplomats…

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Also reported in :

The New York Times : Microwave Weapons Are Prime Suspect in Ills of U.S. Embassy Workers.  Doctors and scientists say microwave strikes may have caused sonic delusions and very real brain damage among embassy staff and family members. READ HERE

The Guardian:  Microwave weapons suspected in US embassy ailments             READ HERE

24 August 2018  By John Weigel  EMF Community

On the eve of Pope Francis’ historic visit to Ireland, a Fellow of the Irish Computer Society has asked the Pope to protect children in Catholic schools from exposure to wi-fi electromagnetic radiation in the classroom.

The expert, a ‘Certified Wireless Professional’ is a member of the Parents Association and former member of the ICT Group at a primary school in Co. Wicklow, located close to Ireland’s capital, Dublin. His wireless experience dates back to 2000 and in 2003 he founded Ireland’s first Certified Wireless Network Provider. The company specialized in deploying a managed wi-fi service to residential apartment complexes – the service was called Invisible Access. Invisible Access was a managed wi-fi broadband service offering download speeds eight times faster than existing landline broadband services and cost less than half the money.

Three years later he obtained the first European Test and Trial license for 70/80Ghz spectrum. After more than two years of working with the Irish Regulator, the National Broadcaster, the Department of Communications and other agencies he successfully completed the high-speed mm wave technologies now a reality in Ireland.

He cannot be named due to legal reasons, to protect his children and pending results of an investigation from the Irish government’s regulatory authority. The expert’s message is a volte face and a massive turnaround from being dubbed in 2004 by the Irish Times newspaper as a ‘Man on a Mission’ to bring high-speed wireless internet access to apartment complexes and housing estates across Ireland. In 2005 he secured the first European Test and Trial license from the Irish telecommunications regulator followed in 2006 by receiving the honor of Fellow from the Irish Computer Society for his contribution to the Irish wireless industry.

Pope Francis will visit Ireland this weekend, 25-26 August, for the World Meeting of Families 2018. Initiated by Pope John-Paul II, the meeting is held every three years.

Use of wi-fi in public schools became public policy following an initiative by labour Party Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn. He served as minister from 2011 to 2014 and moved the educational system from the influence of the Catholic Church and introduced wi-fi / iPads into the classroom saying, “This is how we do education.’’ While the use of wi-fi in the classroom remains optional in Catholic schools, the government provides financial incentives for schools to adopt electronic education.

The expert claims, based on manufacturer’s guidelines, that the school his children attend is vastly over-equipped and that one wi-fi transmitter can support between 80 – 256 laptops although the school only has 30 laptops computers. As currently configured, the school’s wi-fi system is capable of supporting between 1,840 – 5,888 laptops.

In a document entitled “Healthy Adoption of Technology: A policy for all Catholic Schools,” the expert begins by stating: “I am a parent of two school-children, a girl, aged 7, and a boy, aged 10. Their school recently introduced a school-wide wireless (wi-fi) network. Since it’s introduction, my children and others have complained of headaches and other symptoms associated with wireless radiation exposure.”

The expert cites the fact that in 2011, Ireland and 36 other countries, were warned by the Council of Europe, through Resolution 1815, about the dangers of electromagnetic fields and that children in particular were a high-risk group. “I am taking the opportunity of the Holy Father’s visit to Ireland to use his influence by calling on Catholic schools who are considering introducing technology, to implement a healthy adoption of technology policy,’” explained Brennan. “As a Catholic parent, I believe that the Catholic Church and his Holiness Pope Francis truly value the health and well-being of all children. I am aware that children in many countries are being afforded greater protection from wireless technology in school. I believe all catholic children must be afforded the same health and well-being protection whilst at school.”

The expert’s investigation of the wi-fi system in the school began in Sept./October 2017. As a member of the board’s ICT committee he had access to the school and all of the classrooms and as a wireless networking specialist is was second nature to investigate the school’s wi-fi system. What the expert found alarmed him and led to a two-pronged defense: dealing with the school board that approved the system and the official Irish government communications authority called ComReg.

In a departure from standard practice, rather than health concerns being monitored by the Health Services Executive, as noted by the Business Post newspaper in 2013, “It is difficult to imagine an organization as seemingly sedate as the Communications Regulator as being at the vanguard of health and safety management.” ComReg became responsible both for the health effects of wireless communications to the general public as well as employees.

The health effects of electricity and wireless have long been cited by scientists dating from before WWII in Germany, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Institute in 1972, and a stream of scientific papers citing adverse biological effects emerging on a nearly daily basis. To address these concerns, the international Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection was established in 1992 in Germany and what became known as the Precautionary Principle emerged in tandem with the common practice of the term ALARA (As low as reasonably achievable.)

‘On 24th November 2017, I had a meeting with the school board chairman,” the expert explained, “and expressed concern with regards to the levels of wi-fi exposure inside the classrooms. The chairman confirmed that he would instruct the company that installed the network to reduce the power on all wi-fi boxes. On 11th December, the chairman confirmed by email that the power had been reduced to it’s lowest level. My understanding is that all wi-fi boxes are the same make and model, so I expected to see similar readings for all wi-fi boxes.“

The expert’s investigation at the school revealed radiation levels were far in excess of what his experience told him were safe levels of exposure – especially for children who are considered more vulnerable – as well as teachers and staff. He found that the power emitted from the wi-fi box in the principal’s office to be the lowest. Power levels in other locations ranged from nine to 118 times higher that the readings in the principal’s office.

Of even greater concern was the presence of additional microwave signals, “The exposure levels for all children is twice what I had previously thought. The ComReg report shows that each classroom has two WiFi networks in operation. I had incorrectly assumed that the children were being exposed to one wi-fi network not two,” he said.

Alarmed at the presence of two signals and the levels of radiation he discovered, the expert contacted ComReg who reported back to him. “The ComReg report confirms that there are 23 wi-fi boxes in the school. I had incorrectly believed the school had purchased 22 WiFi boxes, not 23. The manufacturer (MERU) of the WiFi boxes, published a ‘WiFi for small schools’ document. This document shows installers how best to install their system in a school. In the document, the manufacturer recommends that in a 20-room school, where each classroom has 30 laptops. In such a school, the manufacturers advises installing 10 wi-fi boxes. 10 wi-fi boxes for 600 laptops. The school has 30 laptops and 23 wi-fi boxes. 23 wi-fi boxes for 30 laptops. I double-checked with the manufacturer. One wifi box can support between 80 – 256 laptops. the school has 30 laptops. The school’s wi-fi system is capable of supporting between 1,840 – 5,888 laptops.”

To support his contention that the environment at school is unsafe, the expert notes the following:

• In Ireland and around the world today, many schools are introducing wireless (Wi-Fi) technology to classrooms.

• In 2011, Wi-Fi signals were added to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) group of possible Carcinogens. In 2011, Diesel exhaust fumes and Chloroform were also in the same group of possible carcinogens (Group 2B).

• In 2011, Children were identified by the Council of Europe as a ‘high-risk’ group when it comes to radiation exposure from are Wi-Fi technologies.

• In Ireland and the world today, we have some schools exposing 4 and 5 year old children to continuous day-long wireless technology, even though none of the 4 and 5 year old children ever use the wireless technology.

• In Ireland and the world today, we have instances and examples of children complaining of headaches, following the introduction of wireless technologies.

• In Ireland and the world today, we have an Insurance Industry that considers wireless technology to be an unacceptable health risk and excludes it from cover.

• In Ireland today some school-children have been exposed to excessive-levels of wireless radiation.

• In France today, school-children are legally afforded greater protection from Wi-Fi radiation that school-children in Ireland. France is not alone in its protection of children.

Schools in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, Germany,

Italy, Russia & Switzerland are also afforded greater protection than children in Ireland.

30th July 2018  Source Article : PHONEGATE.ORG France

[Press release] ANFR endangers the health of millions of mobile phone users

In its press release published on Thursday 26 July 2018, the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) announced the obligation of manufacturers to update two new mobile phone models, the HISENSE F23 and the WIKO Tommy2 (marketed by Bouygues Telecom). The control tests carried out showed that the regulatory limit for the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) “trunk” had been exceeded.

In addition, ANFR presented the results of its SAR campaign for 2017 in a detailed 13-page document.

Despite this new transparency, ANFR is under no illusion. Its communication strategy is simple. The millions of mobile phones placed on the market before the change in European regulations in June 2016 will be swept under the carpet.

This means practically all the mobile phones we and our children have used on a daily basis for many years to the present day. For these mobile phones, the levels of the SAR body tested by ANFR are far more alarming. The SAR thresholds have been exceeded by up to almost four times the regulatory value (2W/kg). For Dr. Arazi, who launched the alert in July 2016 and obtained the publication of all these data through legal proceedings: « The responsibility of ANFR, like that of other international monitoring bodies, is huge. This scandal recalls another one, the contaminated blood scandal. Some people knew but said nothing and the health of millions was endangered. Doesn’t the government ever learn anything from the serious mistakes of the past, like asbestos or tobacco? »

And a new study, this time from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in Basel, shows that the figurative memory of students (700 young people aged 12 to 17) is affected by the radiation of their mobile phones. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) also sounded the alarm in July 2016 in its report « Exposure to Radiofrequencies and Child Health” recommending, inter alia, to the public authorities to extend to “all mobile communication devices” the current ban on advertising that directly promotes the sale or use of a mobile phone by children under age 14.

Above all, Roger Genet, Director General of ANSES, called for « compliance with regulatory exposure limit values under all circumstances, regardless of the mobile emitting devices used and their conditions of use (positioning in contact with the body) ».

It is in this context that at our press conference on 28 June 2018, we called for the withdrawal by free exchange or updating of more than 250 of the best-known mobile phone models whose thresholds exceeded the regulatory values on contact (0mm) and/or near-contact (5mm). For example, the manufacturer SAMSUNG represents nearly 15% of the phones concerned with 34 models.

SAMSUNG (34), LG (19), WIKO (14), NOKIA (12), HUAWEI (10), HTC (9), ALCATEL (7), APPLE (5), POLAROID (5), MICROSOFT (4)…

We will come back soon in more detail regarding the assessment of the tests carried out by ANFR during 2017. We draw your attention, however, to the falsely reassuring nature of the information transmitted in this document and particularly that concerning the SAR « head ».

The total lack of reaction from the political authorities, who continue to remotely steer this burning issue by sending senior officials and the administration to the front line, shows at the very least a complete lack of courage on the part of the Ministers, Nicolas Hulot, Agnès Buzyn and Bruno Le Maire, in the face of the lobby of this extremely owerful industry.

READ MORE HERE PHONEGATE.ORG 

SOURCE ARTICLE : TruePublica UK – 20th July 2018

By Annelie Fitzgerald

As the level of emissions from diesel engines in the UK’s cities and its impact on public health has become clear, the media have recently given serious and widespread coverage to the issue of air pollution. Every Breath We Take, the report published in February 2017 by the Royal College of Physicians and Paediatrics, detailed an alarming array of adverse health effects which lead to up to 40,000 shortened lives in the UK each year. Foetuses, babies and children are particularly vulnerable to diesel fumes and particulates, which can impair lung, heart and neurological development.

Outlining his clean air bill in the Guardian in April 2017 Swansea West MP Geraint Davies noted that children in areas where the air quality problem is most serious “have a 10% reduced lung capacity and have more respiratory problems, together with effects on their nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems”. The same month Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South-East England wrote in the Ecologist that he would be campaigning for PM Theresa May to enshrine in UK law a new Clean Air Act to ensure strong, effective protection of public health from air pollution.

A Guardian editorial underlined the reasons for political inaction on air pollution: “A problem that cannot be seen is one that politicians will generally choose to ignore. That natural human tendency is dangerously short-sighted. When it comes to air pollution it is literally lethal.”

True, invisible NOx and particulate pollution have been ignored for far too long. And now our shared biosphere is being increasingly polluted by another type of invisible emission, also a product of short-sighted policies that ignore long-term effects on health: emissions from wireless technologies, namely man-made radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

Anthropogenic RF radiation (RFR) is a form of energy pollution whose abundance grows as more and more wireless technology—smart meters, 5G, IoT, etc.—is deployed. RFR needs to be recognised as the pollution that it is, and all those who care about the environment and public health need to realise that the wireless revolution is causing massive biophysical changes to our planet, changes to which living beings are not biologically adapted.

Professor Olle Johansson of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute notes that man-made EM levels are currently permitted to exceed natural background levels by up to a quintillion (1018!) times. Typical levels to which we are exposed in our everyday lives are, at the very least, several thousand times greater than natural background levels (see powerwatch.org.uk). In contrast to natural EMFs, man-made EMFs are also polarized, a characteristic that seems to make them more biologically active.

Many of our metabolic processes depend on exquisitely small EMFs, so it should perhaps come as no surprise that man-made EMFs, even at very low, non-thermal levels of exposure, can interfere with these processes. There is now a substantial body of scientific evidence that anthropogenic EMFs at levels well below current exposure limits perturb our bodies’ homeostasis and can adversely impact health.

In 2011 a review of the scientific research published in this field led the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to classify RFR-EMFs as a 2B ‘possible’ human carcinogen. While RFR does not yet sit alongside diesel exhaust fumes, tobacco and asbestos as a class 1 ‘certain’ carcinogen, some scientists think that recent research means the IARC classification should be upgraded from class 2B: in March 2018 The US National Toxicology Program’s $25m study on the effects of mobile phone radiation was peer-reviewed. One of the review panel’s principal conclusions is that there is ‘clear evidence of carcinogenic activity’: rats exposed to RFR developed rare heart tumours (schwannomas). The panel also confirmed ‘some evidence’ of a link between RFR and brain cancer.

Yet cancer is just one possible outcome; many other health impacts have been described or are suspected. This prompted over 200 scientists from 41 nations, all specialists in the biological effects of EMFs, to sign the International EMF Scientist Appeal in 2015. Effects of low intensity EMF noted include cellular stress, free radical formation, increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, and genetic damage. Other potential effects include learning and memory deficits, neurologic/neurotransmitter disorders, reproductive effects, and negative impacts on general well-being. Growing evidence of effects on plant and animal life was also noted.

As is the case with air pollution, foetuses, babies and children appear to be particularly vulnerable to man-made EMFs. IARC’s 2011 Monograph on RFR and health states: “In children using mobile phones, the average deposition of RF energy may be two times higher in the brain and up to ten times higher in the bone marrow of the skull than in adult users.” Children’s bodies absorb more radiation; as the cells of their developing immune and nervous systems are dividing more rapidly, damage is more quickly replicated. The American Academy of Pediatrics states: “Children are not little adults and are disproportionately impacted by all environmental exposures, including cell phone radiation.”

Even ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection), whose contested exposure guidelines the UK follows, recognises that some parts of the population such as children are potentially more vulnerable than others: “Different groups in a population may have differences in their ability to tolerate a particular NIR [Non-Ionizing Radiation] exposure. For example, children, the elderly, and some chronically ill people might have a lower tolerance for one or more forms of NIR exposure than the rest of the population”.

The greater vulnerability of children is implicitly recognised by the UK Department of Health, which recommends that children should only use mobile phones for essential purposes and that all calls should be kept short. The UK health authorities, however, have done little to promote this advice, and many parents are unaware that it even exists…..

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Annelie Fitzgerald PhD is an academic by training and has spent almost a decade following the research on the health and environmental impacts of wireless radiation and is a campaigner raising awareness of the health and environmental impacts of RF pollution.

Excerpt:

“Tiffany Frantz got her first cellphone when she was 16.

She loved that flip phone. Every morning, on her way out the door, she’d slip it into the left cup of her bra. When she was 21, while watching television one night with her parents in their Lancaster, Pennsylvania, living room, she felt a lump the size of a pea in her left breast, just beneath her phone. Tests later showed four cancerous tumors. “How in the world did this happen?” her mother asked.

Dr. John West believes he knows. In 2013, the Southern California breast cancer surgeon and five other doctors wrote in the journal Case Reports in Medicineabout Frantz’s tumors and those of three other young women. Each of them regularly carried a cellphone in her bra. “I am absolutely convinced,” West tellsNewsweek, “that there is a relationship between exposure to cellphones and breast cancer in young women who are frequent users.”

West has no proof, however. His evidence is anecdotal—and though anecdotes can spur a hypothesis, they can’t prove one. For years, scientists have looked for a link between cancer and cellphone use that holds up to scientific rigor, and they’ve come up short. That’s why when West told his theory to a gathering of about 60 breast cancer specialists, they dismissed the connection as mere coincidence. “I’m hoping that someday people will say, ‘Well, we laughed at him, and now he’s vindicated,’” he says.

Just because West can’t prove he’s right doesn’t mean he’s wrong. After some studies suggested an increased risk of one type of brain cancer, the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded in 2011 that cellphones are “possibly carcinogenic” and recommended keeping “a close watch for a link between cellphones and cancer risk.” But without conclusive evidence of harm, regulators have held back.

Meanwhile, cellphone use has exploded. In 1986, 681,000 Americans had a cellphone. In 2016, there were 396 million subscriptions to cellphones in the U.S.—more than one for every adult and child. Teenagers, whose developing bodies and brains put them at the most risk, are the most eager adopters. According to a Pew Research Center survey earlier this year, 95 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds said they had access to a smartphone, a 22 percent jump from 2012. A generation has grown up with cellphones—teething on them as toddlers, carrying them through middle school in their jean pockets and even sleeping with them under their pillows. All told, 5 billion people around the world now use a cellphone.

In a few decades, we might know for sure whether or not cellphones cause cancer. In the meantime, we are basically running a large, uncontrolled experiment on ourselves…

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Open Submission (June 2018) to Government Departments and Agencies regarding Public Health and Wellbeing Protection in Ireland in respect of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) including pulsed microwaves used for Wi-Fi, ‘smart’ metering, 4G LTE and small cell antenna systems (5G), culminating in a request for an inquiry on behalf of the public, especially children and vulnerable groups.

Excerpt:
Exponential Expansion Of Electrical And Telecommunications Infrastructure

The exponential rise of electrical and telecommunications infrastructure in Ireland has seen numbers of broadband companies install infrastructure overhead and underground at a speed and magnitude that might be described as a military exercise. These are now being added to by the ubiquitous installation of ‘smart’ meters communicating through use of wireless technology, along with the, as yet untested, 4G LTE and 5G small cell antennas which are presently being installed on structures such as lamp-posts, bus stops etc. As a consequence our properties, airspace, bodies, and the wildlife we are custodians of are now unremittingly blanketed in Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) at unsustainable levels. In light of the Irish Governments limited provision of information or engagement with the issue of EMF and health, this submission introduces fundamental questions that need to be answered, culminating in a request for a public inquiry.

READ FULL SUBMISSION HERE

Source Article by GEOFFREY LEAN for the Daily Mail UK   21 June 2018 

• Top cancer expert Prof Anthony Miller claims wifi beamed through classrooms could be as dangerous could be as dangerous as tobacco and asbestos
• Prof Miller of Toronto University says Wifi should not be allowed in schools
• Some nations have begun banning or restricting wifi, as well as mobile phones 

Obituary: Leading EMF expert Dr. Martin Blank, Ph.D https://emsafetyalliance.org/

Dr Martin Blank, PhD, who made many lasting contributions to the scientific community, has passed away of natural causes at the age of 85. As a leading expert on the health effects of electromagnetic radiation, Dr. Blank was a strong advocate for the use of science to create a better and healthier world.

Throughout his lengthy career, Dr. Blank published over 200 papers and reviews, authored numerous books, held appointments at 11 leading universities around the world and the US Office of Naval Research. He also organized and led many meetings, including two World Congresses on Electricity and Magnetism in Biology and Medicine, and he started the Gordon Research Conferences on Bioelectrochemistry. He has been Chairman of the Organic and Biological Division of the Electrochemical Society, President of the Bioelectrochemical Society, President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, and has been on editorial boards of Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, Electromagnetic Medicine and Biology. In 2014 his book, “Overpowered” (7 Stories Press), which summarized his findings regarding the potential dangers of electromagnetic radiation, was published.

Through his work, Dr. Blank established himself as one of the strongest voices globally in the quest to better understand and regulate the health effects of electromagnetic fields.

Breaking new boundaries

Dr. Blank was born in New York in 1933 as the child of immigrants, Leon and Rebecca. English was the third of five languages in which he became fluent.

An early interest in science led him to be accepted to the Bronx High School of Science, after which he proceeded to complete two PhDs: one in physical chemistry from Columbia University, and a second in colloid science – an interdisciplinary field involving chemistry, physics, and nanoscience – from Cambridge University.

In his early career, he studied the biological membranes that encase living cells and the effects of electric fields on such membranes. In 1987 he read a paper by Dr. Reba Goodman, a colleague at Columbia University, that suggested everyday EMFs like power lines and electrical appliances had an effect on living cells. At that time, only ionizing forms of radiation like X-rays were acknowledged as harmful to humans.

Intrigued, Dr. Blank approached Dr. Goodman about her findings and initiated what was to become a long and fruitful scientific partnership. Though their research contradicted the accepted paradigm of the day, they continued to push boundaries, demonstrating observable, repeatable health effects of EMF on living cells.

Their results were published in numerous peer-reviewed journals and were subsequently confirmed by other independent scientists around the world.

Acting with conviction

Dr. Blank’s research into EMFs repeatedly showed that non-ionizing radiation does affect human cells. He believed that it would be in our best interest to take stronger precautions, as a way of securing a healthier future, and that there would be nothing to lose by taking such action.

“You take a certain amount of precaution as a result of a risk that has been identified,” Dr. Blank said at the 1st public forum in the U.S. on EMF effects on Children, Fetuses, and Fertility in 2013. “The risk can turn out to be a false alarm, in which case you haven’t lost anything really; what you’ve done is prevented damage that might have occurred might it have been so.”

He wrote letters to schools, companies, and government bodies – ardent letters laying out solid research-backed reasons why they should take precautions around EMFs; not chiding them for their practices but giving them helpful council on what they could be doing to better protect the community.

In 2015 he led a publicized appeal to the United Nations and World Health Organization, calling for greater attention to the health risks of EMFs. 190 scientists from around the world took part in the appeal, unified in their beliefs that the scientific research around electromagnetic radiation was not only compelling but urgent.

In conjunction with his conviction and willingness to act, Dr. Blank was also acutely and realistically aware of the world we’ve built for ourselves and of the advantages of technology. He didn’t seek to eradicate wireless devices or take steps backward, but rather to find a healthy balance between technological progress and human health.

“My message… is not to abandon gadgets—like most people I too love and utilize EMF- generating gadgets,” he wrote in his 2014 book, Overpowered. “Instead, I want you to realize that EMF poses a real risk to living creatures and that industrial and product safety standards must and can be reconsidered.”

Lasting impact

Throughout his career, Dr. Blank held many leadership roles — including terms as President of the Bioelectrochemical Society, and Chairman of the Organic and Biological Division of the Electrochemical Society — gave hundreds of speeches and lectures, edited various journals, and sat on the organizing committees of numerous conferences and world congresses.

Dr. Blank also had a knack for translating complex scientific concepts into a language anyone can understand. His rigorous research reports generally served the scientific community and his 2014 book Overpowered (7 Stories Press) offered all readers, inaccessible and captivating prose, the information they needed to better protect their health.

In this way, his work has had a broad impact, reaching the general public as well as his many pupils, colleagues, and the scientific community.

He will be remembered as someone who fought against the private, profit-driven efforts of industries to obscure information from the public; and as someone who welcomed genuine discussion and criticism as catalysts for true scientific progress.
The goal of Dr. Blank’s work was not to generate fear or cause alarm but to use rigorous and objective research to get closer to the truth. And, ultimately, to use this truth to secure ourselves, and future generations, a healthier future.

Dr. Blank is survived by his wife, Marion, sons, Jonathan and Ari, daughter, Donna, and his siblings Esther and Efrom.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations shall be made to the Electromagnetic Safety Alliance https://emsafetyalliance.org/, for which Dr. Blank was an advisor.

https://emsafetyalliance.org/docs/Martin-Blank-Obituary-2018.pdf