Worried about walking up to the daisy chain of power lines outside your window? Power lines are unavoidable in a residential area. Having heavy power lines passing at a viewable distance might cost you your health.
Most people can suffer a particular ‘heavy’ headache when they are close to a generator or a transformer. Those of us who are profoundly affected by EMF know that feeling too well. And the pain can be felt all around our bodies.
Living near power lines are said to cause mild, but long term effects on people. In fact, it goes unnoticed in most situations. Worrying parents are now concerned about EMF generated from power lines and their impact on their children’s health.
We all know that power lines near homes are unavoidable, but being aware of the EMF radiation the reaches the house and keeping it under control is always possible. Most solutions don’t cost a fortune. All you need is awareness and a little bit of your time.
EMF radiation from power lines
Power lines like every other electronic appliance and conductor emit EMF radiation. Since they carry significantly more electricity than electrical cables in our home, they are a concern to all of us, especially if you live below one of them.
Power lines, depending on the voltage they carry, emit EMF at various levels. Some countries have government regulations recommending a ‘safe’ distance between powerlines and residences. However, although distance indeed helps avoid most radiation, the possibility of EMF affecting your family is still far from zero. Living near a power line that carries high voltage can have a significant effect in a radius of up to 300 meters.
If you think you are safe because your neighborhood has the powerlines below the ground, think twice. Although sand absorbs most of the electric field generated by the power lines, it also tends to amplify the magnetic field. For those who are not aware, it is the magnetic field that causes the most negative impacts on health.
As you can imagine, it is highly challenging for the government or the electricity company to keep track of the radiation coming out of power lines in every area.
This requires us to find solutions for the EMF emissions affecting our homes and our health.
What is ELF-EMF?
ELF-EMF or Extremely Low-Frequency Electro-Magnetic Field is most common on overhead power lines.
Like any other EMF causing objects, they have similar characteristics, but low frequencies mean they are less harmful than the rest. ‘Less harmful‘ doesn’t mean they are not dangerous, especially if exposure is constant.
More and more research is conducted every day on the effects of continuous exposure to ELF-EMF on humans, and the impact of power lines on human health is at the center of it.
Health hazards of living near power lines
One of the most surprising facts about power lines and their use in residential areas in the US is that we don’t have any regulation regarding the amount of EMF emitted by power lines. This directly translates to a more than likely risk of high ELF-EMF exposure in our homes that most of us are unaware of.
EMF radiating from power lines can have an unpleasant feeling for us at home. Some people may develop irritation of the skin, intense headaches, or acute pain in arms and legs.
Some of the takeaways from a WHO’s article titled EMF on Public Health:
- There is a possibility of EMF emissions to cause childhood leukemia when exposed long term.
- There is a possibility of carcinogenicity (cancer-causing) in adults and children.
- Other possible effects caused by EMF include depression, suicidal motivation, reproductive dysfunction, developmental disorders, pregnancy miscarriage, immunological modification, and neurodegenerative and neurobehavioral effects.
- Funny enough, continuous nervous breakdowns are considered a short-term effect.
Should you be worried about power lines passing by your house?
By now, you must be aware of what a simple power line crossing your house is capable of. No doubt, you need to worried about living near a power line.
There is no other way of getting a continuous power supply to our houses without power lines, be it underground or overhead. Of course, we might be using solar power, but for it to be the solely sustainable supply for your home is not feasible as of now. Plus, solar panels can also radiate EMF.
So, the only way to stay safe from ELF-EMF is by blocking the radiation that reaches us.
There are various means of blocking EMF emitted by electronic devices, like cell phone cases, smart meter covers, router guards, or dirty electricity filters.
However, the first thing to do to protect your home from external EMF is to find out the amount of EMF radiation that hits your home and comes from outside.
Here is how.
Step one: get a reliable EMF meter.
Remember, not all EMF meters are suitable to measure extremely low frequencies (ELF), so make sure the meter goes as low on the spectrum as possible, to capture ELF and RF radiations.
Our recommendation is Trifield TF2 for three main reasons. The first one is its capability to read the lower end of the spectrum. Second, it is very accurate with the readings, and third, it offers the best value for money.
Readings with the meter need to be taken in every room of your house before any change or protection is applied. In most cases, some rooms might have a higher EMF reading than others. The permissible maximum is 0.5mG. If you happen to get a higher value from the power line, you definitely need some protection. If your main supply is causing a significant EMF radiation, that too can be dealt with.
How to safeguard yourself from ELF-EMF from power lines?
Finally, we’ll talk about how you can take action against power lines ELF-EMF radiation if you live near the power lines.
EMF protection paints are the best option if you want to reduce radiation from entering your house through the walls from the power lines.
Our first recommendation would be Yshield EMF Paint.
It is up to 99.995% effective at preventing EMF radiation. It is also waterproof, low-odor, and does not contain harsh chemicals. The paint is easy to apply, and it can be rolled or sprayed.
Our second option would be Woremor EMF paint, which works very similarly to the Yshield paint, same effectiveness, and comes in black color, so you know you don’t miss a spot.
Note: don’t forget to ground them. Both brands make their own grounding plates.
To cover windows, you can look for curtains and fabrics that can double as an EMF protector. You can find plenty of fabric and sheet options that you can use on the windows or walls facing the powerline to stop most of the radiation at once. My favorite fabrics are
To make sure that you are 100% covered, also pay attention to your house electrical network. Avoid dirty electricity around your home with a filter like the Greenwave Dirty Electricity filter that can solve the problem. Simply plug it in every room, and you are done.
Signing off
Keep measuring the EMF values every step throughout the process. Stop only when you get values below the permissible limit. As we always recommend, you are not limited to use only one of these solutions. You can mix and match any of the above EMF controlling options to achieve low EMF at your house.
There are other precautions you can take to keep you and your family safe from power lines harmful radiation. For example, moving bedrooms away from where the power lines are, or placing the bed on the opposite wall of the room.
Now that people are becoming more aware of unseen health hazards like EMF from living near a power line, governments will soon impose regulations and introduce preventive measures to shield radiations. Until then, the responsibility is left to ourselves.