SOLARHEALTH

Translating Clinical Experience into Everyday EMF Protection

As a clinical medical physicist in radiation protection, I work with a wide range of people—from cleaning staff to leading surgeons performing advanced procedures like non-invasive heart surgery. In every case, I focus on practical, personal strategies to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation, like X-rays. What someone can realistically do depends on factors like available equipment, ergonomic constraints, budget, and required level of protection. This balance is captured by the ALARA principle: To keep your exposure As Low As Reasonably Achievable.

Applying ionizing radiation in medicine, we understand that high exposure situations pose serious health risks. But even small radiation doses—like those from diagnostic imaging—may carry long-term effects we don’t fully understand. That’s why ALARA guides our practice: to keep risks low without compromising care. Overprotection hinders work; ignoring risk invites harm. The art lies in striking a balance.

Why there are no stricter legal restrictions for EMFs?

Non-ionizing EMFs—from Wi-Fi, mobile phones, and power lines—don’t carry enough energy to ionize atoms or break chemical bonds. They can cause heating at high intensities, which is how microwave ovens work. But at the power levels used in everyday communication devices, these thermal effects are negligible and not the main concern.

Current international safety guidelines, however, are often still based almost entirely on preventing thermal effects—essentially, on avoiding tissue heating. Yet, in some countries, e.g. Switzerland, they do already account for the possibility of non-thermal biological effects, which research increasingly suggests may occur at much lower exposure levels. These include oxidative stress, altered cell signaling, and changes to membrane or protein function.

Two plausible mechanisms under investigation are: dielectric permittivity changes, where EMFs influence the electrical properties of tissues; and the radical pair mechanism, in which weak electromagnetic fields affect how free radicals form and interact within cells.

Such effects indicate that EMFs may trigger biological responses—not through heating, but through subtle interactions with cellular systems like voltage-gated channels or redox processes. While often invisible and gradual, these changes may accumulate over time with constant exposure.

EMF protection: It is in your hands

Not all EMFs are harmful. In fact, certain forms of non-ionizing radiation are used in medicine to support healing—for example, in therapies for pain, inflammation, or bone repair. These beneficial applications rely on specific parameters, like frequency, pulsing or intensity. Usually, the effects are positive when exposure is short, controlled, and well-targeted. On the other hand, communication technologies use EMFs continuously, with very different signal structures and exposure patterns.

Even in the field of ionizing radiation, some studies suggest that low levels of natural radioactivity might stimulate protective biological mechanisms. But this remains controversial—and the more cautious approach remains clear: apply the ALARA principle.

What ultimately matters is that the decision lies in your hands. You can decide which EMF exposures make sense for your lifestyle, and which you may want to reduce or avoid. Staying informed helps you recognize the difference between acceptable and unwanted exposures—and choose accordingly.

Everyday Protection: ALARA principles

As in radiation medicine, the three ALARA principles apply beautifully to EMF:

1. Distance – EMFs follow the inverse-square law: For example, holding your phone just 10 cm from your head can expose you 100 times more than holding it at 1 meter. Keep sources like phones or routers away from your body. Use speaker mode or headsets. 
2. Time – Less time near EMF sources means less cumulative exposure. Sleep is key: your body repairs and detoxes during rest. Turn off Wi-Fi at night. Use airplane mode or create a “sleep sanctuary” if needed. Additionally, automations like mains disconnect switches can also reduce EMF time during the day.
3. Shielding – EMF shielding reflects or redirects radiation. Shielding paint or protective fabrics can lower exposure, especially in sleeping areas. For example, a silver-coated mosquito net around your bed can block more than 99% of high-frequency EMFs and even reduce low-frequency dirty electricity if grounded properly.

Find EMF protection strategies for home, work and family in our ALARA guide

Go Further: Shape the Signal

Apart from intensity and duration, the quality of the signal—its frequency, waveform, modulation, and pattern—can make a big difference biologically. Certain types of signals, like pulsed or mixed-frequency EMFs, appear to have a stronger effect on cells than continuous or smoother signals. “Dirty electricity,” the high-frequency noise riding on household wiring, is one example of signal pollution that can stress biological systems.

While many aspects of EMF design are out of our hands—defined by device manufacturers and infrastructure—we can still influence how signals affect our personal environment. Filters like Stetzer or Greenwave units can reduce dirty electricity on circuits. Choosing cleaner devices, switching to less biologically active frequency bands and reducing signal clutter in our home setups are all ways to shape what our bodies are exposed to.

Stay Calm, Stay Smart

The goal isn’t to create fear, but to build clarity. You don’t need to reject modern life to live more biologically in tune. EMFs are part of today’s world—and used wisely, they may could even support health. The challenge is knowing when and how to limit exposure to the types and patterns that may be less compatible with long-term biological balance.

A calm and informed approach can go a long way. By applying the ALARA principle flexibly, reducing unnecessary exposures, and improving the quality of our environment step by step, we can protect ourselves while still embracing the benefits of technology. With knowledge comes freedom—not to fear, but to choose well. As Low As Reasonably Achievable.

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  ALARA Principles to reduce Your EMF exposure — Practical Everyday Guide
  by Tobias Pahlen

  From my clinical experience in radiation protection, I can say the best protection measures are simple, practical, and tailored to daily life. The clinical ALARA principle — “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” — translating to everyday non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs) means finding realistic ways to reduce exposure while balancing comfort and daily needs. The ALARA principle has been used in hospitals for X-rays since decades because even very small doses of ionizing radiation may carry some risk. The same cautious mindset can guide us for EMFs. We don’t yet fully know all biological effects, but evidence shows that certain forms of long-term EMF exposure can affect sleep, cellular processes, and overall well-being.

  ALARA involves using three key tools: distance, time, and shielding. Applying ALARA to EMFs at home, at work, or when traveling helps you find a reasonable balance. Here’s how you can apply this principle to EMFs at home, work, and on the go. If you decide to do so, you can use these ideas like a menu — choose the steps that make sense for you and your family, so you stay connected and comfortable while keeping exposure as low as reasonably achievable.

  Keep Distance

  The easiest and most powerful way to reduce exposure is to increase distance from the source. Most forms of radiation, like EMFs, follow the inverse square law: doubling the distance means the exposure drops to a quarter. For example, holding your phone 10 cm from your head exposes you about 100 times more than holding it 1 meter away.

  By placing devices away from your body, you use one of the strongest tools in radiation protection. This distance principle applies to all EMF sources: the further away, the safer.

  • Keep devices away from your body: Always keep phones, tablets, and laptops away from the body. Place laptops on desks instead of your lap. FCC standards for laptops and wireless computers are for 7 inches (20 cm) away from the body (FCC pages 10-11) 
  • Hold your phone away: When talking, hold your phone an inch or more from your ear instead of pressing it against your head.
  • Use safer call options: Use speakerphone whenever possible or use a wired headset. Airtube headsets are better than standard wired ones because they don’t carry signals like an antenna. Wired earpieces may conduct some energy to the head. Wireless earpieces emit a small amount of RF energy. Both wired and wireless earpieces remove the greatest source of RF energy, the cell phone, from proximity to the head. This can greatly reduce total exposure to the head.
  • Be mindful with earbuds: Wireless earbuds or Bluetooth headsets emit their own radiation. If you use them, take them out when not needed.
  • Avoid body contact storage: Don’t carry your phone in your pocket, bra, or sock unless it’s on Airplane Mode. Keep it in a bag or on a surface nearby.
  • Protect children: Teach kids that phones are not toys. Don’t let babies or children sleep with a phone or tablet under their pillow or near their head.
  • Router placement: Keep Wi-Fi routers away from sleeping areas — the farther, the better, especially in kids’ rooms.

  Limit the Time

  Radiation dose also depends on how long you are exposed. In clinics, staff limit their time near radiation sources — you can do the same at home. Switch devices to Airplane Mode when you don’t need them, keep calls short, and shut off Wi-Fi overnight. Use timers to make this easy. Sleep is the best time to reduce exposure, so keep devices out of the bedroom or powered down. Even simple time limits add up to less EMF overall.

  • Airplane Mode is your friend: Put devices on Airplane Mode when you don’t need a connection — like while sleeping or after downloading movies.
  • Download and disconnect: Download files, music, or videos ahead of time so you can watch them offline without radiation.
  • Turn off at night: Shut off your Wi-Fi router every night. Use a timer switch or surge protector to make this easy. Avoid sleeping with your cell phone next to your head. Do not use it as an alarm unless the phone is on Airplane Mode (it still works as an alarm when on Airplane Mode). Keep it in another room. Use landline at night for emergencies. (Khan 2017) 
  • Watch the signal: A weak signal means your device works harder and emits more radiation. Text instead of calling in low-signal areas.
  • Travel smart: In cars, trains, or buses, switch to Airplane Mode. Moving vehicles make devices constantly search for a signal, increasing exposure. Download maps, music or movies in advance
  •  In the Car – Turn off bluetooth when not in use. Minimize use of cell phones in the car. The metal shields the wireless radiation and increases the levels of radiation in the car by a factor of 2 or more. (Dhami 2015) 
  • Limit wireless earbuds and Bluetooth: Turn them off when not needed; take earbuds out between uses.
  • Easy shut-off: Use surge protectors or timer plugs to turn off multiple devices at once.
  • Install mains disconnect switches: They automatically cut off the electrical circuit in your home when the last appliance is turned off, preventing electric fields from lingering in the wiring overnight. When you switch a device back on, it instantly reconnects the power supply — so daily use remains smooth and automatic.

  Use Shielding

  If you want extra protection, shielding helps block or deflect EMFs — especially at night while you sleep. Shielding works very well for high-frequency EMFs (like phones and Wifi) by reflecting the fields before they reach your body. For example, a silver-coated canopy or netting around your bed can block more than 99% of high-frequency radiation if properly grounded.

  Grounding helps discharge electric fields and is another practical step — for example, using grounded fabrics or grounding mats to reduce low-frequency fields from wiring or appliances. Combining shielding with grounding gives you a quiet, low-EMF space for your body to rest and repair.

  • Sleep Sanctuary: A silver-coated canopy or mosquito net around your bed can block more than 99% of EMFs if properly grounded.  Environmental Health Trust and  Safe Tech North Carolina have developed some recommendations.
  • Shield walls and windows: Use shielding paints or window films if you live near cell towers or busy streets with high EMF exposure.
  • Cordless phone swap: Replace DECT cordless phones with wired landlines; cordless phone bases constantly emit radiation (Bolte 2012).
  • Keep your landline: Use it for long calls — no EMF radiation, clear sound, and a direct reliable connection in an emergency (no triangulation of cell tower needed).
  • Hardwire when possible: Connect computers, tablets, and even phones via Ethernet to avoid constant Wi-Fi.  Visit Safe Tech North Carolina , EMFAnalysis.com or electrosensitivesociety.com
  • Opt out of Smart Meters: Where local rules allow, switch back to analogue meters. Lamech in 2014 reported an increase in symptoms when Smart meters were rolled out in Australia.
  • Shielding accessories: Use phone pouches that block radiation on the body side, which block all radiation from the phone on one side to the body and reduce it on the other to revenue calls or text messages. But make sure they don’t make your phone boost its signal too much.
  • Protective clothing: Wear silver-lined fabric or underwear for extra protection during the day, especially if you spend time in high-EMF areas.

  Family Tips

  For families, these small habits make protection simple:

  • Children’s screen time: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no screen time under 2 (except video calls), only 1 hour per day for ages 3–5 with adult supervision.
  • Remove wireless baby monitors (Clegg 2019) 
  • Children should use a cell phone for emergencies only. Consider giving your child a cell phone at an older age (14 years or above)- Wait Until 8th Campaign
  • Teach smart habits: Encourage teens to use speaker mode, keep calls short, and store phones away from the body.
  • Smart toys: Avoid smart toys with wireless connections for kids; they add hidden EMF sources.
  • Baby monitors: Use wired monitors or keep wireless ones away from cribs.

  Additional resources:

  For more information and inspiration, see resources like:

  • “Disconnect” by Dr. Devra Davis
  • Books like “Screen Schooled”, “The Big Disconnect” and “Zapped”
  • Bioinitiative.org
  • SaferEMR.com
  • Environmental Health Trust
  • The Baby Safe Project
  • “Reset Your Child’s Brain” by Dr. Victoria Dunkley
  • “Mobilize” — a documentary about cell phone radiation

  Start with what feels reasonable. The goal is not zero EMFs — it’s to keep your exposure as low as reasonably achievable, in ways that fit your life.