DEBRA'S ANSWER:

First, the inexpensive EMF meter I recommended from Radio Shack is not on their website either, but you can purchase one at the Westin A. Price Foundation website.

I had Bau-Biologie consultant Mary Cordaro answer your question about EMF's and electric blankets, since she is much more knowledgeable about EMFs than I.

Here is Mary's reply...

"Many people like your husband are not able to believe there is a connection between electromagnetic fields EMF's and human health. Even though there is plenty of evidence to suggest that EMF's should be avoided, it is still difficult to convince some people. There are several reasons for this.

"One is that EMF's are very difficult and expensive to study. In order to prove the connection, long term health studies on large populations of people called "epidemiological studies" must be conducted, and the study/results also must be repeated, or verified. This is difficult, because there are many variables that make it hard to separate out the effects of EMF's from other contaminants and health symptoms.

"Also, besides the possible connection with more serious life-threatening health effects and EMF's, like cancer, EMF's can affect each individual in different ways, depending on that person's immune system, and many other factors.

"One of the biggest reasons for the public's perception that EMF's are not an issue, is that the popular media has often misrepresented the scientists' conclusions on many of the important studies. Quite often scientists have concluded that although they can't make a definite connection between EMF's and health effects, they also can't say that EMF's are NOT a problem, and that more studies should be conducted. The media then "spins" the actual conclusion, stating that EMF's do not cause health effects like cancer. This has happened repeatedly, much to the consternation of many scientists and researchers who study EMF's.

"Is it important to note that for every study that has "proven" that EMF's do not cause health effects, there are half a dozen studies that DO correlate EMF's with life threatening illnesses and other health effects.

"Also, many studies in the laboratory on live cells have shown changes and damage to cells when they are exposed to EMF's. Like many other contaminants, EMF's need to be further studied, and until proven otherwise, avoided, especially in the bedroom.

"The best standards and guidelines for EMF exposure have been developed by the field of Bau-Biologie in Germany. In Germany as well as the United States, many doctors find that some of their patients with serious and/or chronic illness improve when EMF's are eliminated from their homes, particularly their bedrooms. This "precautionary approach" is the best for many types of contaminants, including chemicals not proven yet to be safe.

"Regarding the use of an electric blanket or electric pad in the bed, it would be best to be particularly careful, especially since your husband has a cardic condition. If using warm, insulating bedding is not enough, such as thick, organic sheep's wool under you in a topper and over you in a comforter, then unplug the blanket after you have warmed up the bed and before you both go to bed.

"Even though most electric blankets are better designed now, and no longer radiate one type of EMF called the AC magnetic field, they still do radiate another type of EMF called the AC electric field, even when turned off. As long as the blanket is plugged in, AC electric fields will still be present, so it is not enough to simply turn it off. Be sure to unplug the blanket AT THE WALL, and not just at an extension cord.

"In the bedroom, and particularly for someone who has an illness, it's important to unplug as many devices around the bed as possible, including all extension cords. You can also hire an electrician to install a light switch on the wall next to the bed, which is connected to an outlet for bed side lamps, and/or for the electric blanket. If the outlet and switch are grounded and wired properly with "flex" metal covered wiring, this will eliminate the need to unplug the lamps and/or blanket, because all the voltage will be shut off at the switch, which will eliminate the AC electric EMF's. Replace an electric clock with a battery operated model.

"Finally, ideally it's best not to sleep under or over metal, which can concentrate and radiate other types of EMF's, called DC EMF's. Since the electric blanket contains metal wiring, when the weather is warmer, remove the blanket from the bed entirely.

"If possible, and especially when someone has a life threatening illness, it is always best to hire a Bau-Biologie trained EMF inspector to test the bedroom, and make recommendations for further EMF reduction for both AC electric and AC magnetic fields."

For more on EMFs, see articles on EMFs by Mary Cordaro and links to EMF resources on Mary's website.

For news and the latest scientific studies and findings on EMF's, visit Microwave News and The Collaborative on Health and the Environment.

To find a Bau-Biologie trained EMF inspector, go to the Institute for Bau-Biologie and Ecology.

Debra :-)