My father was an architectural engineer and senior VP of a top ten AE firm.  In 1965 he designed and built a very unique house in the coastal redwoods of California for our family to live in.  He did not know that the house had wiring errors that violated the National Electric Code (NEC) creating dangerous magnetic fields of 4-17 mG (Extreme Concern) and that the type of electric switch and plug receptacles installed were prone to micro-arcing which produces dirty electricity (DE) onto all of the circuits according to a master electrician he hired in 2008 who recommended that the receptacles be replaced: no action was taken due to expense.  The electrician explained that not only do these type of receptacles produce more dirty electricity with age but they degrade most quickly on outlets with high demand like those for toasters and microwaves due the constant heating and cooling of the wires when under load and then no load. When I heard this startling news I came to visit with my newly purchased Stetzer Meter (see video) and measured for Dirty Electricity (DE).  Since this was at the very beginning of my career as an EMF specialist I thought the meter was defective when it immediately went off the top of the scale: I gave it no more thought which is a mistake I will always regret.

Compact Florescent Bulbs produce Dirty Electricity Photo credit: The Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel

Father installed compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in every light socket which further increased the production of toxic DE In 1990 because of the false promise of saving money.  Electric blankets were used To reduce his heating bill which produce very powerful and hazardous electric and magnetic fields directly on the body.  Dimmer switches were installed for Mood Lighting: they create DE by chopping up the 60 cycle AC sine wave. In the early 1990s my mother had her first stroke and then a few years later breast cancer with single mastectomy.

Once my father retired in 1991 he spent the day sitting in a chair surrounded by CFL bulbs for reading light. In the following years  my father lost his sense of balance, ability to drive, much of his cognitive ability and was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy: his lower legs were cold, ghastly blue, numb and he said his feet were vibrating. Dad also had horrible headaches, leg cramps, frequent nightmares and was very depressed. Doctors had no clue as to the cause but did prescribe pain killers.

Mother with Eric in October 2009

In 2009 Mother’s cancer came back and she died six months later: she did not smoke or drink.  During these six months we did every type of natural therapy we had time and money for.  We gave Mother a product called Phyto Defense™ with Carotenoid Complex™, Flavonoid Complex™ and Cruciferous Complex™.  It is a food concentrate that is equivalent to eating ten pounds of raw fruits and vegetables per day. Mothers radiologists and death certificate stated she did not die of cancer but rather “congestive heart failure” caused by fluid in her lungs and around her heart. Mothers heart was beating 170 times per minute during her last few hours in the morning of March 25, 2010.  She was holding her own until funding for physical therapy which helped clear her lungs ran out. Mothers radiologists compared her chest X-rays (and other images) of initial diagnosis (October, 2009) to those taken in February, 2010 three weeks before her death.  He stated, “there is one new tumor, one tumor is gone and several others are smaller.  This woman did not die of cancer”. I kept pondering what I could have done more of or sooner to keep her from dying.

Father moved to another residence and many of his symptoms went away completely and his well-being improved but not back to his normal self.  I was pleased to see my father’s health improve when we got him out of his house.  Could this be what is known as “Sick Building Syndrome or Building Induced Illness”?  If not then why did Dad get much better when he left the house? Years later I did an EMF assessment on the house with proper instruments & testing protocols and was shocked and heart-broken.  DE levels were 190 times the maximum safe level and there were magnetic fields of 2-14 mG which is in the “Extreme Concern” level according to  Building Biology Precautionary Guidelines (SBM-2008). The highest readings were on their bed and in their daytime sitting area: they had 24 hour exposure.

My parents lived in this house for 44 years.  I lived there for a few years during grade school, high school and summers home from college from 1965 to 1976 before the use of CFL bulbs. I felt horrible that this had happened to my dear mother and father and that I actually helped them install the CFL bulbs in 1990.  If only I knew then what I know now this family tragedy may not have occurred and I might still have my parents in good shape.  In addition to the grief and sorrow this entire tragedy cost our family a lot of money as well. The health effects of electrical pollution can take years to develop so there is no way that I can be absolutely sure about the cause other than the fact that my father recovered greatly once he left his house and the fact that there are peer-reviewed and published studies correlating the symptoms my parents exhibited with both high magnetic fields (Mg) and dirty electricity (DE).

Ever since the 1973 Oil Embargo the USA has been on a drive to conserve energy with more efficient electrical devices like CFL bulbs, each of which uses a switch mode power supply (SMPS).  These devices create unhealthy dirty electricity by design: they could be made with a filter built-in by the manufacturer but that would cost a little more. Before you bring another so-called  green, energy-saving,  or wireless device into your home do your research on the harm they can cause that both industry and government are concealing in the interest of profits and taxes: your health and wealth could be at stake.

Now you know a little more about my decision to become a Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC) and an Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist (EMRS). An EMF assessment in the 1990s for my Mom & Dad would have identified the problems and provided a list of safe alternatives..