Harvard doctor warns against wireless hazards

The following is a letter sent to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) from Martha R. Herbert, PhD, MD regarding wireless installations in LA schools.

TO: Los Angeles Unified School District
FROM: Martha R Herbert, PhD, MD
RE: Wireless vs. Wired in Classrooms
DATE: February 8, 2013
 

I am a pediatric neurologist and neuroscientist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and on staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital. I am Board Certified in Neurology with Special Competency in Child Neurology, and Subspecialty Certification in Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

I have an extensive history of research and clinical practice in neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorders. I have published papers in brain imaging research, in physiological abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders, and in environmental influences on neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and on brain development and function.

I recently accepted an invitation to review literature pertinent to a potential link between Autism Spectrum Disorders and Electromagnetic Frequencies (EMF) and Radiofrequency Radiation (RFR). I set out to write a paper of modest length, but found much more literature than I had anticipated to review. I ended up producing a 60 page single spaced paper with over 550 citations.

In fact, there are thousands of papers that have accumulated over decades – and are now accumulating at an accelerating pace, as our ability to measure impacts become more sensitive – that document adverse health and neurological impacts of EMF/RFR. Children are more vulnerable than adults, and children with chronic illnesses and/or neurodevelopmental disabilities are even more vulnerable. Elderly or chronically ill adults are more vulnerable than healthy adults.

Current technologies were designed and promulgated without taking account of biological impacts other than thermal impacts. We now know that there are a large array of impacts that have nothing to do with the heating of tissue. The claim from wifi proponents that the only concern is thermal impacts is now definitively outdated scientifically.

EMF/RFR from wifi and cell towers can exert a disorganizing effect on the ability to learn and remember, and can also be destabilizing to immune and metabolic function. This will make it harder for some children to learn, particularly those who are already having problems in the first place.

Powerful industrial entities have a vested interest in leading the public to believe that EMF/RFR, which we cannot see, taste or touch, is harmless, but this is not true. Please do the right and precautionary thing for our children.

I urge you to step back from your intention to go wifi in the LAUSD, and instead opt for wired technologies, particularly for those subpopulations that are most sensitive. It will be easier for you to make a healthier decision now than to undo a misguided decision later.

Thank you.

Martha Herbert, PhD, MD
Pediatric Neurology
Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
USA
 

Click here for Dr. Herbert’s letter:Harvard MD on Wi-Fi Health Effects

6 thoughts on “Harvard doctor warns against wireless hazards”

  1. When I think of habitual users of tobacco products, smelling the smoke and cigarette ashes, now, smoking is a matter of choice. With cellphones, and the compelling mania usage they have come to be, there is no smoke to inhale, or putrid ashes to smell. Like mircowave ovens, cellphones joins the ranks of optional life threatening choices– and all the related industries will contribute nothing towards the healing of users. Sadness I feel for the innocent children.

  2. I just was exposed to to large floor mount Electrical Transformers within a small room with no ventilation over four months and started having terrible body head aches and memory loss, sleep disturbances and when I put eye drops sitting next to them, I felt the liquid go around to the back of my head on both sides and got the worse slamming heachaches and under a large florence lamp six feet on right side of electrical boxes, I would feel the worse feeling! No one believes how sick my brain feels, and I am not feeling the same. Please advice me, I am going to local dr, and getting on to workmans comp hopefully, but I do not to get worse and die like from a brain tumor or Leukemia

  3. I’ve heard for some people solar is a problem. Could it be the placement of the inverter or the batteries? The inverter is a big source of EMF. Would it be different if you were on DC Solar and off the grid (not connected to SCE? Is the SCE solar meter a wireless meter? Good luck! Sandi

  4. My solar powered house is making me sick with the same symptoms after we had it installed. I paid to have SCE take off my smart meter and felt better and then we had solar installed did not know it would cause me health problems. We are fighting the Solar company as we signed a contract.Any information on Solar power causing health problems I would welcome.

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