Everyone knows that staring at a laptop screen for too long is not good for your eyes and that sitting down with your laptop all day isn’t good for your health. However, most people don’t stop to think about, or even know the fact that laptops do indeed emit radiation.
Aside from cell phones and smart meters, laptops are one of the devices that give off some of the highest levels of electromagnetic frequency radiation (EMF). Even worse, when connected to a WiFI network, they produce all three different types of EMF radiation. These three include:
- Radio Frequency
- Magnetic
- Electric
In addition, the fourth form of radiation put out by your laptop will be from Bluetooth, given that you are someone who tends to use Bluetooth often. Bluetooth releases radio frequency (RF) radiation whether you have your Bluetooth connected or not, anytime your laptop is scanning for devices. Disabling your Bluetooth on your laptop when not in use will eliminate this particular RF risk.
There are many risks associated with cumulative exposure to laptop EMF radiation.
Dangers of Laptop Radiation
The Link Between Infertility and Laptop Radiation
A 2011 study conducted by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine found that if men use a laptop placed on their lap for 4 hours, it can reduce the effectiveness of their sperm by 25%. This is due to the law of physics called the “Inverse Square Law”.
This law pretty much means that the farther we get away from a source of radiation, the less exposure we are getting. Therefore, if you have a laptop (or any other electronic or electrical radiation emitting device) on your lap or right in front of you, you are getting much, much higher amounts of radiation exposure.
A different study published by PubMed in 2008, studying the effects of cell phone radiation (which emit almost the same amounts of EMF as laptops), discovered that the “Use of cell phones decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology. The decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality.”
As for women, the obvious precaution would be to avoid placing your laptop on your lap if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. A general rule of thumb is to avoid laptops and other sources of EMF radiation when pregnant, especially by your belly, as much as possible.
Duke University came out with a study in the Journal of Fertilization in 2013, which notes that “prolonged mobile phone and computer use are potential novels correlates of threatened miscarriage that deserves further study”.
Laptops and Damage to DNA
There are various studies have been done that show a positive correlation between exposure to EMF and DNA fragmentation. A Columbia University study explains how DNA acts as an antenna in electromagnetic fields, stating that EMF exposure from laptops and other sources can change the very structure of our DNA leading to increased cancer risk.
High Heat From Laptops
This may not be a problem with laptops that pertains to radiation, but it is a side note that can be damaging to your health. When you use your laptop for long stretches of time without a break, they are unable to cool down. This results in them becoming very hot, which can burn your legs and cause something called “toasted skin syndrome”.
This is fairly common and can change the skin pigmentation in your legs or lap, resulting in permanent skin alterations.
4 Ways to Protect Against Laptop Radiation
1. Invest in a Laptop Radiation Shield or Case:
Laptop radiation shields or cases are pads made out of EMF-blocking material. If you buy one from a quality company then they are very effective at blocking all EMF radiation from your organs. They also work well at blocking the heat from your laptop. You should always use your laptop EMF shield, whether you are using it close to your body or on your desk, as desks do not possess the ability to block or decrease EMF radiation.
2. Turn off your Wi-fi when not in use:
Since Wifi gives off EMF radiation, if you are not using your Wi-fi network, there is really no need for it to be turned on and connected. As most laptops have a readily accessible on-and-off feature for laptops, it makes it a simple task to do when you aren’t using it. Doing this will significantly reduce the RF levels being emitted.
Another option for avid internet users is to obtain an ethernet cable. Although a tad bit less convenient and a bit more old-school, hardwiring your laptop dramatically reduces Wi-Fi signals. This is thanks to the fact that it will not have to transmit wireless packs of data.
3. Limit your Laptop Usage:
Though fairly obvious, limiting the cumulative exposure to EMF radiation is vital. The exception to this rule is for electro-hypersensitive individuals, who feel and experience immediate health effects whenever exposed to any source of EMF radiation near or far. If you are one of these folks, you need to take extra precautions and seek extra protective measures, as we do live in an EMF-filled world.
4. Look into Shungite:
Shungite is a mineral made up of 98% carbon, the life force found in all living things. Shungite was on its way to being discovered in 1985 when a group of scientists was trying to figure out what carbon molecules could exist in space.
To find this out, the group of chemists created a carbon molecule, known as Carbon 60 (C60) in their lab, which resembled a soccer ball shape and a geodesic dome. They named the molecules within C60 “Fullerenes” and nicknamed it the “Bucky Ball” after Buckminster Fuller, an architect known for his geodesic domes. These scientists won the Nobel Prize for their creation of the perfectly round and perfectly geometric Bucky Ball.
Although these scientists believed that fullerenes could only exist in the vacuum of space or in a similar lab setting of high heat and high pressure, they were wrong. In 1992, geochemists from the Arizona State University discovered fullerenes inside a rare mineral called Shungite, found only in northwestern Russia. The shungite deposits found only in the Zazhoginsky mines in Karelia Russia contain every single building block for life found in the periodic table.
What does this have to do with laptop radiation you ask? Well, although shungite science is not well established, mainly due to the fact that most of its literature is in Russian and has not yet been translated to English, Shungite has been shown to deter the effects of EMF/WiFi signals. In short, shungite emits its own positive energy field which is said to alter the harmful counter-clockwise rotation of EMF/WiFi fields into a clockwise spin that is biocompatible with our biology, and therefore no longer harmful.
Another reason for this is that shungite fullerenes attract and neutralize harmful free radicals and act as antioxidants. The EMF-protecting qualities of shungite are well-known in Russia. Russian Dr. Yuri Kalinin states that shungite building material is utilized “not only in health care facilities, nursing homes, rest homes but also in enterprises electronic, radio, nuclear industry, communication centers, residential buildings, built on tectonic faults near high-voltage lines. In fact, a new class of building materials (has been developed) to protect the public from electromagnetic radiation without metal screens.”
There is much more to Shungite and its proposed EMF/WiFi shielding benefits. It is a complicated subject and there is too much information to include here. One thing to watch out for when buying shungite is that there are a lot of scams going around. A lot of people are selling fake shungite, with some stating that it is from Karelia Russia when it is not. You have to do your own research and see which companies are reputable. There are tests you can do at home to see if the shungite you bought is real or not. Again, more research on shungite will help you learn how to do this.
Conclusion
With all of the electromagnetic and WiFi fields surrounding us these days, it can seem overwhelming and impossible to get away from. However, there are steps we can take in our own homes to reduce them and mitigate the harmful effects of our laptops and other devices.
Laptops emit 4 types of radiation. Radio Frequency, magnetic, electric, and Bluetooth. To avoid excessive exposure when using your laptop, invest in a radiation case and turn off wifi/Bluetooth when not in use.