Managing In-Home Radiation Exposures from ‘Smart’ Appliances

In antiquity, when wars were primarily kinetic, attacks were easier to identify because the resulting death and destruction were immediate and obvious. The use of deception in warfare likely dates back further than anyone can precisely determine, but the mythical Trojan Horse, described in Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid, serves as an apt illustration for today's topic.

According to these accounts, the Greeks, unable to breach the fortified city of Troy through direct assault, resorted to cunning. They constructed a large wooden horse, hollowed out to conceal elite soldiers inside, and presented it as a peace offering, symbolizing their surrender. The Trojans, believing the horse to be a gift to their gods, welcomed it into the city with celebration. Under the cover of night, the Greek soldiers emerged from the horse, opened the city gates, and allowed their forces to enter, leading to the sacking of Troy. The allure of the horse was rooted in the ancient understanding that it represented an offering to the gods, blinding the Trojans to the danger hidden within.

In today's world, convenience has become one of the new gods we worship, driving us to invite 'smart' appliances and devices into our homes. Much like the Trojans who accepted the wooden horse, we willingly embrace these technologies, fully aware yet often dismissive of their hidden dangers.

These modern conveniences, marketed as enhancements to daily life, carry the unseen and often ignored potential for harm through synthetic radiation emissions. The allure of efficiency, automation, and connectivity blinds us to the risks, subtly transforming our living spaces into environments saturated with electromagnetic fields that can disrupt our health and well-being. As the Trojan Horse concealed soldiers within, these devices conceal their own form of destruction.

I wish you could see the looks on my clients' faces when they see the intensity of RF radiation emitted by their 'smart' appliances. Shock and surprise are common reactions when they learn that these devices produce a continuous stream of synthetic radiation, often touted as harmless. According to the inverse square law, these nearby radiation emissions can result in greater RF radiation intensity than a cell phone tower down the road.

Most people don't realize that even when idle, 'smart' appliances constantly emit RF radiation throughout the home. The invisible waves they generate never cease, bombarding the living environment with persistent electromagnetic fields. This realization often turns the initial excitement of owning the latest smart technology into a sobering awareness of the hidden costs that come with this convenience—costs that are paid not in currency but in the health and tranquility of our homes.

Most are unaware that their refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, ranges and dryers are 'smart' appliances embedded with technology emitting constant radiation. It's not until they see the readings on an RF meter that the reality sets in: these seemingly harmless household staples are constantly transmitting, even when not in use. The outrage is palpable when they realize that something they welcomed into their homes, assuming it was simply an upgrade or a convenience, silently fills their living spaces with synthetic radiation. What was sold as modern convenience is now seen as a hidden hazard, leaving many questioning how such pervasive emissions were allowed into their homes without warning or informed consent.

Outrage builds as they realize that there is no easy way to 'opt out' of this form of non-consequential exposure, no 'off switch' to permanently and reliably stop the emissions. Let's explore ways of dealing with these modern threats that will result in a measurable reduction in personal exposure.

Unfortunately, we can't rely on disabling Wi-Fi functionality through the appliance's 'settings menu' because these settings are often temporary or ineffective. In many cases, the Wi-Fi reactivates after a power outage, a software update, or even spontaneously without any obvious trigger, rendering the solution unsafe.

The good news is that there is hope—there are various approaches to reducing or eliminating these exposures.