Dr. Johansson's new ES paper

The work of Olle Johansson (among others) is helping us learn more and
more about ES. I am pasting on below a recent paper of his. (I do not know
why "fi" and "fl" appear in the text as a dot, instead.)

For more info. on specific bioeffects, please see the piece "Health
Effects of Manmade Electromagnetic Radiation" at my Web site:
www.LifeEnergies.com/.

Regards,
Shivani Arjuna
--------------

     
Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, 25: 245–258, 2006
Copyright © Informa Healthcare
ISSN 1536-8378 print
DOI: 10.1080/15368370601044150
Electrohypersensitivity: State-of-the-Art
of a Functional Impairment
OLLE JOHANSSON
Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Recently, a new category of persons, claiming to suffer from exposure to
electromagnetic •elds, has been described in the literature. In Sweden,
electrohypersensitivity
(EHS) is an of•cially fully recognized functional impairment (i.e.,it is
not regarded as a disease). Survey studies show that somewhere between 230,000
–
290,000 Swedish men and women report a variety of symptoms when being in
contact with electromagnetic •eld (EMF) sources. The aim of our studies has
been
to investigate possible alterations, in the cellular and neuronal systems of
these
persons’ skin. As controls, age- and sex-matched persons, without any
subjective
or clinical symptoms or dermatological history, served. Immunohistochemistry
using antisera to the previously characterized marker substances of interest
has
been utilized. In summary, it is evident from our preliminary data that
various
alterations are present in the electrohypersensitive persons’ skin.In view
of recent
epidemiological studies, pointing to a correlation between long-term exposure
from
power-frequent magnetic •elds or microwaves and cancer, our data ought to be
taken seriously and further analyzed.

Keywords Dermatoscience; Electrohypersensitivity; Impairment;
Immunohistochemistry;
Neuroscience.

An ever increasing number of studies has clearly shown various biological
effects at the cellular level of electromagnetic •elds, including
power-frequent and
radiofrequent ones as well as microwaves. Such electromagnetic •elds are
present in
your everyday life, at the workplace, in your home, and at places of leisure.
Recently, a new category of persons with a functional impairment
(electrohypersensitivity;
EHS) has been described in the literature, namely those that claim to
suffer from subjective and objective skin- and mucosa-related symptoms, such
as
itch, smarting, pain, heat sensation, redness, papules, pustles, etc., after
exposure to
visual display terminals (VDTs), mobile phones, DECT telephones, as well as
other

electromagnetic devices. Frequently, symptoms from internal organ systems,
such as
the heart and the central nervous system, are also encountered.
Persons claiming such adverse skin reactions after having been exposed to
computer screens or mobile phones very well could be reacting in a highly
speci•c
way and with a completely correct avoidance reaction, especially if the
provocative
agent was radiation and/or chemical emissions—just as you would do if you
had been exposed to, e.g., sun rays, X-rays, radioactivity, or chemical
odors.
The working hypothesis, thus, early became that they react in a cellularly
correct
way to the electromagnetic radiation, maybe in concert with chemical
emissions
such as plastic components, •ame retardants, etc., something later focused
upon by
professor Denis L. Henshaw and his collaborators at the Bristol University
(cf. Fews
et al., 1999a,b). This is also covered in great depth by Gunni Nordström in
her latest
book (2004).

Very soon, however, from different clinical colleagues, and in parallel to
the above, a large number of other ‘explanations’ became fashionable, e.g.,
that
the persons claiming electrohypersensitivity were only imagining this, or
they
were suffering from post-menopausal psychological abberations, or they were
old,
or having a short school education, or were the victims of classical
Pavlovian
conditioning, or a journalist-driven mass media psychosis. Strangely enough,
most
of the, often self-made, ‘experts’ who proposed these explanations had
themselves
never met anyone claiming electrohypersensitivity and these ‘experts’ had
never
done any investigations of the proposed explanatory models.

The aim of our own studies has been to investigate possible alterations, in
the
cellular and neuronal systems of these persons’ skin. As controls, age- and
sexmatched
persons, without any subjective or clinical symptoms or dermatological
history, have served. Immunohistochemistry using antisera to the previously
characterized marker substances of interest has been utilized. Among many
discoveries, the following may be mentioned.

We have investigated the presence of intraepidermal nerve •bers in normal
human skin from healthy volunteers using the new marker PGP 9.5 (Hilliges et
al.,
1995; Johansson et al., 1999; Wang et al., 1990). The intraepidermal nerve •
bers are
found as close as 20–40 µm from the surface, which makes it highly possible
that
weak electromagnetic •elds may affect them.

In facial skin samples of electrohypersensitive persons, the most common
•nding is a profound increase of mast cells. Nowadays we do not only use
histamine,
but also other mast cell markers such as chymase and tryptase, but the
pattern
is still the same as reported previously for other electrohypersensitive
persons
(Johansson and Liu, 1995). From these studies, it is clear that the number of
mast cells in the upper dermis is increased in the electrohypersensitivity
group.
A different pattern of mast cell distribution also occurred in the
electrohypersensitivity
group, namely, the normally empty zone between the dermo-epidermal
junction and mid-to-upper dermis disappeared in the electrohypersensitivity
group
and, instead, this zone had a high density of mast cell in•ltration. These
cells also
seemed to have a tendency to migrate towards the epidermis
(=epidermiotrophism)
and many of them emptied their granular content (=degranulation) in the
dermal
papillary layer. Furthermore, more degranulated mast cells could be seen in
the
dermal reticular layer in the electrohypersensitivity group, especially in
those cases
which had the mast cell epidermiotrophism phenomenon described above.
Finally,
in the electrohypersensitivity group, the cytoplasmic granules were more
densely
distributed and more strongly stained than in the control group, and,
generally, the
size of the in•ltrating mast cells was found to be larger in the
electrohypersensitivity
group as well. It should be noted that increases of similar nature later on
were
demonstrated in an experimental situation employing normal healthy volunteers
in
front of visual display units, including ordinary household television sets
(Johansson
et al., 2001).

In one of the early papers (Johansson et al., 1994), we made a sensational
•nding when we exposed two electrically sensitive individuals to a TV
monitor.
When we looked at their skin under a microscope, we found something that
surprised us. In this article, we used an open-•eld provocation, infront of
an
ordinary TV set, of persons regarding themselves as suffering from skin
problems
due to work at video display terminals. Employing immunohistochemistry,
in combination with a wide range of antisera directed towards cellular and
neurochemical markers, we were able to show a high-to-very high number of
somatostatin-immunoreactive dendritic cells as well as histamine-positive
mast cells
in skin biopsies from the anterior neck taken before the start of the
provocation.
At the end of the provocation the number of mast cells was unchanged,
however,
the somatostatin-positive cells had seemingly disappeared. The reason for
this latter
•nding is discussed in terms of loss of immunoreactivity, increase of
breakdown, etc.
The high number of mast cells present may explain the clinical symptoms of
itch,
pain, edema, and erythema.

We have compared facial skin from electrohypersensitive persons with
corresponding material from normal healthy volunteers (Johansson et al.,
1996). The
aim of the study was to evaluate possible markers to be used for future
doubleblind
or blind provocation investigations. Differences were found for the
biological
markers calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), somatostatin (SOM), v
asoactive
intestinal polypeptide (VIP), peptide histidine isoleucine amide (PHI),
neuropeptide
tyrosine (NPY), protein S-100 (S-100), neuron-speci•c enolase (NSE), protein
gene product (PGP) 9.5, and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT).
The overall impression in the blind-coded material was such that it turned
out easy
to blindly separate the two groups from each other. However, no single marker
was 100% able to pin-point the difference, although some were quite powerful
in
doing so (CGRP, SOM, S-100). In our ongoing investigations, we have also
found
alterations of the Merkel cell number in the facial skin of
electrohypersensitive
persons (Yoshimura et al., 2006). However, it has to be pointed out that we
cannot,
based upon those results, draw any de•nitive conclusions about the cause of
the
changes observed. Blind or double-blind provocations in a controlled
environment
(Johansson et al., 2001) are necessary to elucidate the underlying causes for
the
changes reported in this particular investigation.

I and my collaborator, Dr. Shabnam Gangi, in two papers of theoretical nature
(Gangi and Johansson, 1997, 2000), have put forward a model for how mast
cells
and substances secreted from them (e.g., histamine, heparin, and serotonin)
could
explain sensitivity to electromagnetic •elds. The model bounces offfrom
known
facts in the •elds of UV- and ionizing irradiation-related damages,and uses
all the
new papers dealing with alterations seen after, e.g., power-frequent or
microwave
electromagnetic •elds, to propose a simple summarizing model for how we can
understand the phenomenon of electrohypersensitivity.

In the •rst paper (Gangi and Johansson, 1997), we describe the factthat
an increasing number of persons say that they get cutaneous problems as well
as symptoms from certain internal organs, such as the central nervous system
and the heart, when being close to electric equipment. A major group of these
persons are the users of video display terminals, who claim to have
subjective and
objective skin- and mucosa-related symptoms, such as pain, itch, heat
sensation,
erythema, papules, and pustules. The central nervous system-derived symptoms
are,
e.g., dizziness, tiredness, and headache. Erythema, itch, heat sensation,
edema, and
pain are also common symptoms of sunburn (UV dermatitis). Alterations have
been
observed in cell populations of the skin of electrohypersensitive persons
similar to
those observed in the skin damaged due to ultraviolet light or ionizing
radiation.
In electrohypersensitive persons a much higher number of mast cells have been
observed. It is known that UVB irradiation induces mast cell degranulation
and
release of TNF-alpha. The high number of mast cells present in the
electrohypersensitivity
group and the possible release of speci•c substances, such as histamine,
may explain their clinical symptoms of itch, pain, edema, and erythema. The
most
remarkable change among cutaneous cells, after exposure with the
above-mentioned
irradiation sources, is the disappearance of the Langerhans’ cells.This
change has
also been observed in electrohypersensitive persons, again pointing to a
common
cellular and molecular basis. The results of this literature study
demonstrate that
highly similar changes exist in the skin of electrohypersensitive persons, as
regards
the clinical manifestations as well as alterations in the cell populations,
and in skin
damaged by ultraviolet light or ionizing radiation.

In the second publication (Gangi and Johansson, 2000), the relationship
between exposure to electromagnetic •elds and human health is even more in
focus.
This is mainly because of the rapidly increasing use of such electromagnetic •
elds
within our modern society. Exposure to electromagnetic •elds has been linked
to different cancer forms, e.g., leukemia, brain tumours, neurological
diseases,
such as Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, and allergy, and to the phenomenon of
electrohypersensitivity/screen dermatitis. There is an increasing number of
reports
about cutaneous problems as well as symptoms from internal organs, such as
the heart, in people exposed to video display terminals. These people suffer
from
subjective and objective skin and mucosa-related symptoms, such as itch, heat
sensation, pain, erythema, papules, and pustules (cf. above). In severe
cases, people
cannot, for instance, use video display terminals or arti•cial light at all,
or be close
to mobile telephones. Mast cells, when activated, release a spectrum of
mediators,
among them histamine, which is involved in a variety of biological effects
with
clinical relevance, e.g., allergic hypersensitivity, itch, edema, local
erythema, and
many types of dermatoses. From the results of recent studies, it is clear
that
electromagnetic •elds affect the mast cell, and also the dendritic cell,
population,
and may degranulate these cells. The release of in•ammatory substances, such
as
histamine, from mast cells in the skin results in a local erythema, edema,
and
sensation of itch and pain, and the release of somatostatin from the
dendritic cells
may give rise to subjective sensations of ongoing in•ammation and sensitivity
to
ordinary light. These are, as mentioned, the common symptoms reported from
persons suffering from electrohypersensitivity/screen dermatitis. Mast cells
are also
present in the heart tissue and their localization is of particular relevance
to their
function. Data from studies made on interactions of electromagnetic •elds
with the
cardiac function have demonstrated that highly interesting changes are
present in
the heart after exposure to electromagnetic •elds. Some electrically
sensitive people
have symptoms similar to heart attacks after exposure to electromagnetic •
elds.

One could speculate that the cardiac mast cells are responsible for these
changes
due to degranulation after exposure to electromagnetic •elds. However, it is
still not
known how, and through which mechanisms, all these different cells are
affected
by electromagnetic •elds. In this article (Gangi and Johansson, 2000), we
present a
theoretical model, based upon the above observations of electromagnetic •elds
and
their cellular effects, to explain the proclaimed sensitivity to electric
and/or magnetic
•elds in humans.

In a recent article by Holmboe and Johansson (2005), the functional
impairment
electrohypersensitivity was investigated with the aim to characterize the
complex
set of symptoms and to order them according to the WHO’s ICQ10 register of
diagnoses. Furthermore, we also tested for the presence of increased levels
of IgE or
signs of a positive Phadiatop Combi (which is a screening test for allergies
towards
certain articles of food, pollen, insects, and other animals) which both
would be
indicators of an immune system alert. If such increases would be found, they
could
then be used in the diagnosis of electrohypersensitivity.

Twenty-two people (5 men, 17 women) participated. The age range was between
25 and 79 years. The symptoms were given in a ranked scale where the symptoms
were attributed points according to the following: 0 = no symptoms at all; 1
= occasional, mild symptoms; 2 = occasional, severe symptoms; 3 = regular,
mild
symptoms; 4 = regular, severe symptoms.

Symptoms of the skin and the nervous system dominated the picture.
The most frequent ones were skin redness, eczema and sweating, loss of
memory,
concentration dif•culties, sleep disturbances, dizziness as well asmuscular
and
joint-related pain, and muscular and joint-related weakness. Headache,
faintness,
nose blockade, and fatigue were also common. In addition, 19 of the people
had symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract. All the people with the
impairment
electrohypersensitivity had tinnitus.

No connection between IgE blood levels and symptoms could be found, all the
people with electrohypersensitivity had normal values (<122 kU/l). Only 3
people
had a positive Phadiatop Combi.

In summary, it is evident from our preliminary experimental data that various
biological alterations are present in the electrohypersensitive persons
claiming to
suffer from exposure to electromagnetic •elds. In view of recent
epidemiological
studies, pointing to a correlation between long-term exposure from
power-frequent
magnetic •elds or microwaves and cancer, our data ought to be takenseriously
and
further analyzed.

Thus, it is of paramount importance to continue the investigation of
persons with the impairment electrohypersensitivity. We would favor studies
of
electromagnetic •elds’ interaction with mast cell release of histamine and
other
biologically active substances, studies of lymphocyte viability, as well as
studies of
the newly described serotonin-containing melanocytes. Also, continued
analysis of
the intraepidermal nerve •bers and their relations to these mast cells and
serotonincontaining
melanocytes are very important. Finally, not to be forgotten, a general
investigation—of persons with the impairment electrohypersensitivity versus
normal
healthy volunteers—regarding the above markers as well as other markers for
cell
traf•c, proliferation, and in•ammation, is very much needed. Such scienti•c
work
may lay a •rm foundation for necessary adjustment of accessibility,thus
helping
and supporting all persons with the functional impairment
electrohypersensitivity.
In addition to the studies in humans, we have also done a series of animal
experiments (Rajkovic et al., 2005a,b, 2006). These have been a collaborative
effort
between the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Novi Sad, Serbia and
Montenegro, and my own research group at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm,
Sweden.

These papers go back to the above-mentioned early observations in people
with the impairment electrohypersensitivity where large increases in the
cutaneous
mast cell count could be demonstrated as compared to normal healthy
volunteers.
A corresponding effect on cutaneous mast cells from normal healthy volunteers
placed in front of ordinary TVs/PCs could also be shown. My working
hypothesis
since then is that electrohypersensitivity is a kind of irradiation damage,
since the
observed cellular changes are very much the same as the ones you would •nd in
tissue subjected to UV-light or ionizing radiation (for references, see
above).
One very •erce criticism from certain ‘opponents’ has been that such mast
cell
alterations in people with electrohypersensitivity (or in normal healthy
volunteers)
cannot be due to the action of electromagnetic •elds (EMFs) and/or airborn
chemicals, but must be due to psychological or psychiatric personality
disturbances,
cognitive malfunction, or likewise.

The aim of these studies has therefore been to investigate the in•uence
of extremely low-frequency electromagnetic •elds (ELF-EMFs) on mastcells,
parafollicular cells, and nerve •bers in rat skin and thyroid gland, as seen
using
light and transmission electron microscopy. The experiments were performed on
2-
month-old Wistar male rats exposed for 4h a day, 5 or 7 days a week for 1
month
to power-frequent (50 Hz) EMFs (100–300 µT, 54–160 V/m). After sacri•ce,
samples
of skin and thyroid were processed for indirect immunohistochemistry or
toluidine
blue staining and were then analyzed using the methods of stereology.
Antibody
markers to serotonin, substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP),
and
protein gene product 9.5 (PGP) were applied to skin sections and PGP, CGRP,
and
neuropeptide Y (NPY) markers to the thyroid. A signi•cantly increased number
of
serotonin-positive mast cells in the skin
p < 005 and NPY-containing nerve
•bers
in the thyroid
p < 001 of rats exposed to ELF-EMF was found compared to
controls, indicating a direct EMF effect on skin and thyroid vasculature.
After ultrastructural examination, a predominance of microfollicles with less
colloid content and dilated blood capillaries was found in the EMF group.
Stereological counting showed a statistically signi•cant increase of the
volume
density of follicular epithelium, interfollicular tissue, and blood
capillaries as well
as the thyroid activation index, as compared to the controls. The volume
density of
colloid signi•cantly decreased. Ultrastructural analysis of thyroid
follicular cells in
the EMF group revealed the frequent •nding of several colloid droplets within
the
same thyrocyte with the occasional presence of large-diameter droplets.
Alterations
in lysosomes, granular endoplasmic reticulum, and cell nuclei compared to the
control group were also observed. Taken together, the results of this study
show
the stimulative effect of power-frequency EMFs on thyroid gland at both the
light
microscopic and the ultrastructural level.

The obtained animal results cannot be understood by psychological or
psychiatric theories, but are claimed to be due only to the EMF exposure.
In Sweden, electrohypersensitivity (EHS) is an of•cially fully recognized
functional impairment (i.e., it is not regarded as a disease). Survey studies
show that
somewhere between 230,000–290,000 Swedish men and women report a variety of
symtoms when being in contact with electromagnetic •eld (EMF) sources.
The electrohypersensitive people have their own handicap organization,
The Swedish Association for the ElectroSensitive (http://www.feb.se; the
website
has an English version). This organization is included in the Swedish
Disability
Federation (Handikappförbundens SamarbetsOrgan; HSO). HSO is the unison
voice of the Swedish disability associations towards the government, the
parliament,
and national authorities, and is a cooperative body that today consists of
43 national disability organizations (where The Swedish Association for the
ElectroSensitive is 1 of these 43 organizations) with all together about
500,000
individual members. You can read more on http://www.hso.se (the site has an
English short version).

Swedish municipalities, of course, have to follow the UN 22 Standard
Rules on the equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities
(“Standardregler för att tillförsäkra människormed funktionsnedsättning
delaktighet och jämlikhet”; about the UN 22 Standard Rules, see website:
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm). All people with
disabilities
shall, thus, be given the assistance and service they have the right to
according to the
Swedish Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain
Functional
Impairments (LSS-lagen) and the Swedish Social Services Act
(Socialtjänstlagen).
People with disabilities, thus, have many different rights and can get
different kinds
of support. The purpose of those rights and the support is to give every
person the
chance to live like everyone else. Everyone who lives in the Swedish
municipalities
should be able to lead a normal life and the municipalities must have correct
knowledge and be able to reach the people who need support and service.
People
with disabilities shall be able to get extra support so that they can live,
work, study,
or do things they enjoy in their free time. The municipalities are
responsible for
making sure that everyone gets enough support. Everyone shall show respect
and
remember that such men and women may need different kinds of support.
In Sweden, impairments are viewed from the point of the environment.
No human being is in itself impaired, there are instead shortcomings in the
environment that cause the impairment (as the lack of ramps for the person in
a
wheelchair or rooms electrosanitized for the person with
electrohypersensitivity).
This environment-related impairment view, furthermore, means that even though
one does not have a scienti•cally based complete explanation for the
impairment
electrohypersensitivity, and in contrast to disagreements in the scienti•c
society, the
person with electrohypersensitivity shall always be met in a respectful way
and with
all necessary support with the goal to eliminate the impairment. This implies
that
the person with electrohypersensitivity shall have the opportunity to live
and work
in an electrosanitized environment.

This view can fully be motivated in relation to the present national and
international handicap laws and regulations, including the UN 22 Standard
Rules and the Swedish action plan for persons with impairments (prop.
1999/2000:79 “Den nationella handlingplanen för handikappolitiken – Från
patient
till medborgare”). Also, the Human Rights Act in the EU fully applies.
A person is disabled when the environment contains some sort of impediment.
It means that in that moment a man or woman in a wheelchair cannot come
onto the bus, a train, or into a restaurant, this person has a disability—he
or
she is disabled. When the bus, train, or restaurant are adjusted for a
wheelchair,
the person does not suffer from his disability and is consequently not
disabled.
An electrohypersensitive person suffers when the environment is not properly
adapted according to their personal needs. Strategies to enable a person with
this
disability to attend common rooms such as libraries, churches, and so on,
are, for
instance to switch off the high-frequency •uorescent lamps and instead use
ordinary
light bulbs. Another example is the possibility to switch off—the whole or
parts of—
the assistive listening systems (persons with electrohypersensitivity are
often very
sensitive to assistive listening systems).
In the Stockholm municipality—where I live and work as a scientist
with the responsibility to investigate comprehensive issues for people with
electrohypersensitivity—such persons have the possibility to get their home
sanitized
for EMFs. This means, for example, that ordinary electricity cables are
changed to
special cables. Furthermore, the electric stove can be changed to a gas stove
and
walls, roofs and •oors can be covered with special wallpaper or paint with a
special
shelter to stop EMFs from the outside (from neighbors and mobile telephony
base
stations). Even the windows can be covered with a thin aluminum foil as an ef•
cient
measure to restrain EMFs to get into the room/home. If these alterations turn
out
not to be optimal they have the possibility to rent small cottages in the
countryside
that the Stockholm municipality owns. These areas have lower levels of
irradiation
than others. The Stockholm municipality also intend to build a village with
houses
that are specially designed for people who are electrohypersensitive. This
village will
be located in a low-lewel irradiation area. (One of my graduate students,
Eva-Rut
Lindberg, has in her thesis project studied the “construction of buildings
for persons
with the impairment electrohypersensitivity”. The doctoral thesis will be
presented
during the spring.)

People with electrohypersensitivity also have a general (legal) right to be
supported by their employer so that they can work despite of this impairment.
For instance, they can get special equipment such as computers that are of
lowemission
type, high-frequency •uorescent lamps can be changed to ordinary light
bulbs, wireless DECT telephones removed from their rooms, and so on.
Some hospitals in Sweden (e.g., in Umeå, Skellefteå, and Karlskoga) also have
built special rooms with very low EMFs so that people who are hypersensitive
can get medical care. Another example is the possibility for people who are
electrohypersensitive to get a specially designed car so that the person can
transport
himself/herself between his/her home and their workplace.
Recently, some politicians in the Stockholm municipality even proposed to the
politicians responsible for the subway in the Stockholm City that a part of
every
trainset should be free from mobile phones; that the commuters have to switch
of
the phones in these selected parts to enable people with
electrohypersensitivity to
travel with the subway (compare this with people who have an allergy for
animal
fur whereupon people consequently are prohibited to have animals, such as
dogs or
cats, in selected parts of the trainset).

In addition, when the impairment electrohypersensitivity is discussed it is
also
of paramount importance that more general knowledge is needed with the aim to
better adapt the society to the speci•c needs of the persons with this
impairment.
The Swedish “Miljöbalk” (the Environmental Code) contains an excellent
prudence
avoidance principle which, of course, must be brought into action also here,
together
with respect and willingness to listen to the people with
electrohypersensitivity.
Naturally, all initiatives for scienti•c studies of the impairment
electrohypersensitivity
must be characterized and marked by this respect and willingness to
listen, and the investigations shall have the sole aim to help the persons
with this
particular impairment. Rule 13 in the UN 22 Standard Rules clearly says that
scienti•c investigations of impairments shall, in an unbiased way—and
without any
prejudice—focus on cause, occurrence and nature and with the sole and
explicit
purpose to help and support the person with the impairment. Nothing else!
In addition, it must also be mentioned that quite recently, by the end
of 2004, The Irish Doctors’ Environmental Association (IDEA) has announced
that “they have identi•ed a sub-group of the population whoare particularly
sensitive to exposure to different types of electromagnetic radiation. The
safe levels
currently advised for exposure to this non-ionising radiation are based
solely on
its thermal effects. However, it is clear that this radiation also has
non-thermal
effects, which need to be taken into consideration when setting these safe
levels.
The electrosensitivity experienced by some people results in a variety of
distressing
symptoms which must also be taken into account when setting safe levels for
exposure to non-ionising radiation and when planning the siting of masts and
transmitters” (IDEA, 2004).

Furthermore, the IDEA also points out the following:
1. An increasing number of people in Ireland are complaining of symptoms
which, while they may vary in nature, intensity, and duration, can be
demonstrated
to be clearly related to exposure to electro-magnetic radiation (EMR).
2. International studies on animals over the last 30 years have shown
the potentially harmful effects of exposure to electro-magnetic radiation. In
observational studies, animals have shown consistent distress when exposed to
EMR. Experiments on tissue cultures and rats have shown an increase in
malignancies when exposed to mobile telephone radiation.
3. Studies on mobile telephone users have shown signi•cant levels of
discomfort in certain individuals following extensive use or even, in some
cases,
following regular short-term use.
4. The current safe levels for exposure to microwave radiation were
determined based solely on the thermal effects of this radiation. There is
now a
large body of evidence that clearly shows that this is not appropriate, as
many of
the effects of this type of radiation are not related to these thermal
effects (IDEA,
2004).
Finally, The IDEA “believes that the Irish Government should urgently review
the information currently available internationally on the topic of the
thermal
and non-thermal effects of exposure to electro-magnetic radiation with a view
to immediately initiating appropriate research into the adverse health
effects of
exposure to all forms of non-ionising radiation in this country, and into the
forms
of treatment available elsewhere. Before the results of this research are
available, an
epidemiological database should be initiated of individuals suffering from
symptoms
thought to be related to exposure to non-ionising radiation. Those claiming
to be
suffering from the effects of exposure to electro-magnetic radiation should
have
their claims investigated in a sensitive and thorough way, and appropriate
treatment
provided by the State. The strictest possible safety regulations should be
established
for the installation of masts and transmitters, and for the acceptable levels
of
potential exposure of individuals to electro-magnetic radiation, in line with
the
standards observed in New Zealand.” (IDEA, 2004). Of course, these very
recent
•ndings must also be taken into serious consideration for any research
proposal.

It may also be noted that a unique conference recently was held in Stockholm
in May, 2006. The theme for the conference was “The right for persons
with the impairment electrohypersensitivity to live in a fully accessible
society”.
The conference was organized by the Stockholm City municipality and the
Stockholm County Council and dealt with the most recent measures to make
Stockholm fully accessible for persons with the impairment
electrohypersensitivity.
Among such measures are to offer home equipment adjustments and ban mobile
phones from certain underground cars as well as certain public bus seats, and
through electrosanitized hospital wards. The conference was documented on •
lm.
The effects of various forms of electromagnetic •elds are also discussed
within
areas of medicine, such as cancer. Cancer is, unfortunately, spreading in the
modern
society. Nearly all cancer forms are increasing when it comes to incidence,
i.e., new
cases/year (cf. Hallberg and Johansson, 2002a). It could recently be read in
the BBC
News that skin cancer is rising in young adults, and Sara Hiom, head of the
health
information at Cancer Research UK said, when interviewed, that “Non-melanoma
cancers are rising at an alarming rate”.
More and more research efforts goes into understanding the molecular
mechanisms behind these various progressive cancer forms, and much more money
is spent on •nding new drugs to treat patients. However, oddly enough, very
little is
spent on understanding the actual causes for cancer. Among such possible
causative
agents, more and more focus is nowadays put on modern gadgets, such as mobile
telephones and computers, and their chemical and physical emissions,
including
•ame retardants and electromagnetic non-ionizing radiation.
Childhood leukemia was early connected to power-frequent magnetic •elds
already in the pioneering work by Wertheimer and Leeper (1979), and more
recently, Scandinavian scientists have identi•ed an increased risk for
acoustic
neuroma (i.e., a benign tumor of the eighth cranial nerve) in cell phone
users, as
well as a slightly increased risk of malignant brain tumors such as
astrocytoma and
meningioma on the same side of the brain as the cell phone was habitually
held
(Hardell et al., 1999, 2004, 2005; Lonn et al., 2004). In addition, a clear
association
between adult cancers and FM radio broadcasting radiation has been noticed,
both
in time and location (Hallberg and Johansson, 2002b, 2004a, 2005a). Initial
studies
on facial nevi indicates that nowadays young children also can have a
substantial
amount of these. If it can be shown that radiofrequent radiation is not
correlated
with child cancers, the current focus on low-frequency electromagnetic •elds
can
continue. If there is also a radiofrequent and/or microwave correlation, then
this
must be considered in future research as well as in today’s preventive work.
Most recently, Dr. Djemal Beniashvili and other scientists at the Edith
Wolfson
Medical Center in Holon, Israel, have demonstrated a possible link between
exposure to power-frequent electromagnetic •elds and breast cancer in elderly
women (Beniashvili et al., 2005). They compared the breast cancer rates in
elderly
women from an earlier period (1978–1990) to a more recent period (1991–
2003),
which has been characterized by a much more extensive use of personal
computers
(more than three hours a day), mobile telephones, TV sets, and other
household
electrical appliances. They used available medical records extending over a
period
of 26 years, involving the analysis of more than 200,000 samples.
Among the elderly women who developed breast cancer in the •rst time
frame, 20% were regularly exposed to power-frequent •elds. But in the more
modern period, 51% were so exposed, mainly through the use of personal
Electrohypersensitivity – a Functional Impairment 255
computers. The authors concluded: “There was a statistically signi•cant in•
uence of
electromagnetic •elds on the formation of all observed epithelial mammary
tumours
in the second group.” This represented a more than two-fold increase, which
was
considered highly signi•cant (cf. Beniashvili et al., 2005).
Of course, many other environmental factors have changed during the period
1978–1990, but increased environmental exposure to power-frequent •elds is
among
the more conspicuous changes to have taken place. Naturally, there are many
aspects of this question that remain to be clari•ed, and, from a scienti•c
point of
view, it is far from conclusively settled.

During the second half of the 20th century an increasing rate of lung cancer
was
noticed in Sweden. Since the mid-1960’s, tobacco smoking has been associated
with
this cancer and believed to be the main cause. Less noticed, though, is the
fact that
no connection between smoking and lung cancer was noticed before 1955.
Together
with my co-worker Örjan Hallberg, we have therefore initiated a project with
the
intention to review facts that may shed new light on this sudden increase in
getting
lung cancer after 1955 in Sweden.

A large number of scienti•c reports point at tobacco smoking as being the
main
cause of the increasing rate of lung cancer in the world. These reports have
mainly
been produced during the second half of the 20th century. The Swedish
National
Board of Health and Welfare (“Socialstyrelsen”) states that80–90% of the
lung
cancer deaths are caused by smoking. The main part of the victims are also
smokers.
About 10% of the lung cancer deaths have been non-smokers. This has led to
the
suspicion that also passive smoking can cause lung cancer. Other
environmental
factors such as radon and asbestos are believed to cause a number of lung
cancer
deaths per year, and especially if combined with smoking.

As pointed out above, Hallberg and Johansson have earlier reported about
a strong association between body-resonant non-ionizing radiation (FM-radio,
100MHz) and the existence of malignant melanoma of the skin (Hallberg and
Johansson, 2002b, 2004a, 2005a). Since this frequency range has a penetration
depth
of about 10cm into the human body, there is a suspicion that resonant
currents
may affect the immune defense system also when it comes to beating cancer
cells
in the lungs. Due to that it is well motivated to study in detail how the
presence
and rate of lung cancer have changed in Sweden, and in other countries, as
this new
environmental factor was added.

In a yet unpublished report (Hallberg and Johansson, 2006), we have shown
how the rate of lung cancer can accelerate in connection with a sudden
exposure
of a population to such body-resonant radiation. From this work, it can be
noticed
that people who have been smoking for many years suddenly could get lung
cancer
relatively short after the introduction of the FM-radio. This abrupt increase
was not
noticed in counties where the FM-radio still was not rolled out. It is also
noticeable
that deaths due to asbestosis have not been known until after the 1960’s
despite the
fact that asbestos has been used as a building material since the end of the
19th
century. In our work it is also shown how weak the connection is between lung
cancer and cigarette consumption in a number of countries. But if the lung
cancer
mortality is normalized to the melanoma of skin mortality in the same
countries, all
of a sudden a very strong correlation appears. This indicates that there isa
common
factor behind the fast increasing mortality of skin and lung cancer that we
have
noticed, e.g., in Sweden.

An automated computer analysis of the age-speci•c incidence of lungcancer
among men in Sweden points at year 1955 as the starting year for a sudden
environmental change in Sweden and that this disturbance mainly affects men
over
60 years of age. This method of analysis has successfully been applied to
study
the development of melanoma of skin in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and
the U.S.

Authorities responsible for the health of the general population should have
a big interest in causative factors behind such major cancer types. Doctors
and specialists should know more about the real causes behind lung cancer.
Epidemiologists in general might get inspired to test new methods and to look
at
population health problems from a new perspective. Only the future, however,
will
know the answer to these medical hypotheses.

Finally, as already mentioned, one issue that is very much addressed in the
public as well as in the scienti•c literature is the question aboutthe
effect(s) of
mobile phone radiation on health. Ten years of intensively increasing mobile
phone
usage have passed. According to some, it has facilitated our lifestyle, but
more
and more people are nowadays concerned about the lack of knowledge regarding
the effects of radiation on health. For instance, it may be noted that mobile
and
DECT telephones are among the worst sources of problems for
electrohypersensitive
persons. In addition, it is now a well-known and fully accepted fact that
mobile
phone usage causes injuries in traf•c and during work.


Mobile telephony-related risks may be divided between effects of radiation
(microwaves, low-frequency magnetic •elds) from the hand-held mobile
telephone
and radiation (microwaves) from remote base stations mounted on roofs, walls,
towers, masts, etc.

Extensive laboratory research on animals, mainly rats, has not revealed
premature death, increased cancer risk, or general sickness. However, very
little can
be drawn from this since rats and other laboratory animals have a maximal
life span
of approximately two years. The human cancer data point, instead, on an
exposure
time needed of at least •ve years, thus data from rats will not be of any
real use.
In addition, other biologic or metabolic parameters, as well as molecular
biology
and genetic data, are missing.

Epidemiological research with human case-control methodology suggests an
increased risk for highly malignant brain lesions and acoustic neuromas after
extended use (>5 years; Hardell et al., 1999, 2004, 2005; Lonn et al., 2004),
but
additional con•rmation is needed. The present epidemiological surveillance
thus
indicates an increased risk for cancer in humans but observation times are
too short.
Ecological studies, in addition, suggest an increased general health
degradation in
areas of high average output power from the hand-held mobile phones (Hallberg
and Johansson, 2004b,c,d, 2005b).

There is still insuf•cient contemporary proof with regard to increased cancer
risk to change adult mobile phone usage. However, signs of degrading general
health
in sparsely populated areas suggest that the use of mobile phones at high
output
power levels should be avoided. Therefore, it is now of paramount importance
that epidemiological research should be supplemented with prospective studies
and
quality exposure data (standardization). Continuous surveillance is also
needed.
In the meantime, children and adolescents should de•nitely be discouraged to
use
mobile phones.

It is a must that fully •nancied, truly independent research projects
immediately
should be initiated to ascertain the public health. They shall be completely
devoid
of commercial interests of any sort. This is the responsibility of each
elected
Electrohypersensitivity – a Functional Impairment 257
government in each country, and is of special importance for people with the
functional impairment electrohypersensitivity.

Address correspondence to Olle Johansson, Department of Neuroscience,
Karolinska
Institute, The Experimental Dermatology Unit, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden;
E-mail:
olle.johansson@.ki.se


Acknowledgments
Supported by the Karolinska Institute, the Cancer and Allergy Foundation
(Canceroch
Allergifonden), Sif, and TCO Developments.
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To be submitted.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

> The work of Olle Johansson (among others) is helping us learn more and
> more about ES. I am pasting on below a recent paper of his. (I do
not know
> why "fi" and "fl" appear in the text as a dot, instead.)
>
> For more info. on specific bioeffects, please see the piece "Health
> Effects of Manmade Electromagnetic Radiation" at my Web site:
> www.LifeEnergies.com/.
>
> Regards,
> Shivani Arjuna
> --------------

Thank you, Shivani, for posting this. Where did you get the report? Is
there a web link for it?

Gilligan Joy

Olle Johansson did sent this article directly to several persons.
No website was given.

Greetings,
Charles Claessens
member Verband Baubiologie
www.milieuziektes.nl
www.milieuziektes.be
www.hetbitje.nl
checked by Norton Antivirus



----- Original Message -----
From: "gilligan_joy" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2007 03:29
Subject: [eSens] Re: Dr. Johansson's new ES paper