Part 1 Indoor Air Quality, Mold & Moisture, VOCs
Part 2 Renovations and New Building Construction
Part 3 Electrical and Magnetic Fields in the Home and Office
Part 4 Radio Frequencies (Cell Phones and Cordless Phones)
Additional Articles:
USA TODAY ^{in MS Word format}
Essential Wellness September 2005 | This page -- See below.
Kansas City Wellness September 2005
Copy of Power Point Slides ^{in MS Word format} presented at Healthy Home Lectures

Creating a Healthier Living and Work Space
By Oram Miller, BBEI

Note: This article has been published in the September 2005 issue of Essential Wellness, a monthly magazine covering health issues for the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.

Do you feel rested and healthy in your home or office? Sadly, that is not always the case. The EPA estimates we spend 90% of our time indoors, so the impact of the built environment on our health is very important.

Modern medicine is becoming increasingly aware that many illnesses are caused by toxicity in buildings. When these toxic sources are found and eliminated, health problems clear up and medical modalities work better.

Environmental Illness developed in response to "Sick Building Syndrome," which began after the 1973 oil embargo. Builders tightened up homes to reduce heat loss but did not increase fresh air exchange. Simultaneously, thousands of untested chemicals were introduced in carpeting, upholstery, cabinets, and countertops. The result was a toxic soup that many believe is partly responsible for the rise in cancer, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and allergies.

It is felt that a new house will "outgas" within a few weeks, but it can really take months or years if non-toxic materials are not used. Exposure to these materials increases the "toxic load" on the body, which, according to Dr. William Rea of the Environmental Health Center in Dallas, acts like a rain barrel. You never know how much water it contains until it spills over. Likewise, the body fills with fat-soluble toxins from exposure to volatile organic compounds in carpeting, paints, and so on. The body can compensate for this toxic onslaught only so long until it reaches its limit and suddenly becomes sick. It is better to minimize your exposure to these products in the first place.

Secondly, the public and electrical industry in America do not know that electronic devices and wiring practices create unhealthy electric, magnetic and radio frequency fields in our homes and offices nor the effect that these fields have on our health.

For example, wireless devices (cellphones, cordless phones and wireless Internet) are convenient, but they are also thought to be relatively harmless. Nothing can be farther from the truth, and America is woefully uninformed about their dangers. European researchers and physicians call their use the largest human experiment ever. They are predicting an epidemic of dementia and Alzheimer's Disease worldwide in teenagers who use these technologies when they reach middle age, and health problems not normally seen in younger age groups (ie, stroke) are cropping up in America's 20 year olds. For an eye-opening look at articles on this topic, go to www.latitudes.org/articles/electrical_sensitivity_articles.html

Municipalities in the Twin Cities are being urged to deploy wireless internet (Wi-Fi) throughout an entire town, whether you want it or not. The companies cannot prove that Wi-Fi is safe, and research and experience in Europe is proving the opposite.

Exposure to Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies already bothers a number of people, like second-hand smoke, and it causes illness for many more who do not yet know the connection. In public hearings on the deployment of Wi-Fi, it is apparent that many people are not aware that others are bothered by it or that there are health risks because industry and government says it is safe. On the contrary, these devices emit pulsed digital frequencies that European research has shown causes significant health problems (see above).

The solution to Wi-Fi deployment is simple. Anyone can buy a wireless router for their own home or business, though we don't recommend it. We certainly don't recommend deploying this unsafe technology throughout an entire city, in which case it will travel into the homes of those who are sensitive to it and don't want it. Instead we recommend using wires for all data and telephone connections. Likewise, keep cell phones away from your head and body while you are talking and when they are in standby mode (purchase earphones with plastic tubes, shields and wire guards from www.rfsafe.com and car antennas from www.cellcrew.com).

What can you do about this increasing assault on your health from the built environment? First, get informed. Secondly, minimize your exposure to these sources of ill health, at least in your home and office. Thirdly, increase your resistance to their influence. Have an evaluation by a Building Biologist to find and fix sources of ill health in your home and office. This includes electric, magnetic and radio frequency fields, particularly in the sleeping area, which needs to be as electrically clean as possible to promote deep Stage 4 sleep and normal nighttime production of melatonin by the pineal gland.

For complete details about these and other steps to reduce sources of ill health in your own home and office, see "Articles" and "Tips for a Healthy Home" on my website, www.createhealthyhomes.com. Also read Athena Thompson's book, Homes That Heal (www.homesthatheal.com).

Creating a healthy home and office takes patience, dedication and persistence. Once you begin to make changes in this direction, however, you will notice an improvement in health and energy, making the task easier as you go.

Biography
Oram Miller, BBEI, of Environmental Design and Inspection Services, is a certified Building Biology Environmental Inspector (BBEI) based in Excelsior. He provides healthy home and office evaluations and consultations on new construction in Minnesota and nationwide. Oram also lectures on health and the built environment. See the Calendar page for a September 15 (2005) lecture. 952-412-0781; www.createhealthyhomes.com