Health hazards

What are EMFs?

• Electric fields are created by differences in voltage.
• Magnetic fields are created by the flow of electric current.
• Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are the interaction of the two, electric and magnetic, fields

Types of EMFs differ based on wavelength (e.g., distance between waves) and frequency (e.g., number of times the waves cycle per second).

For most people, the main source of exposure to radio frequency EMFs, comes from personal use of items such as cellular phones. Other sources include radios and radar.

What are the health effects of EMFs? 

Over the past 30 years there have been approximately 25,000 articles published regarding biological effects and medical applications of EMFs.

Scientific knowledge in this area is now greater than for most chemicals.

According to the World Health Organization, after an in-depth review, current scientific literature does not confirm the existence of health consequences from exposure to radio frequency EMFs.

We have also extensively reviewed reports on human health effects related to exposure to wireless technologies from our scientific and technical advisors at Public Health Ontario, the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health, and Health Canada, among others. At this time, KFL&A Public Health is not recommending any specific accommodations in our region, based on this information. 

What is KFL&A Public Health doing regarding EMFs? 

KFL&A Public Health is committed to continually assessing Radiofrequency (RF) measurements in our community. The term RF refers to the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is used for telecommunications purposes, such as cordless and mobile phones as well as WiFi.

To date, KFL&A Public Health has organized two RF surveys within the City of Kingston, one in 2014 and another in 2019. The surveys were led by Public Health Ontario (PHO). PHO provides scientific and technical advice to local public health agencies regarding potential health hazards. PHO’s work is guided by current and best available evidence at the time of publication.

Locations measured

Measurements were taken at 12 different locations throughout Kingston, including elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools, airport, cell towers and a local library.

Instrument used for RF measurements

RF measurements were taken with the Narda Selective Radiation Meter (SRM 3006). The instrument has a measurement range of 420 MHz to 6GHz, as this range is typically used for cell phones and WiFi. The SRM instrument is required to be calibrated every 2 years, it was last calibrated by PHO in January 2018.

Measurements taken

RF measurements were taken as a percentage of Safety Code 6 (SC6). SC6 specifies limits of human exposure to RF fields intended to prevent adverse human health effects. Both a cumulative total maximum value and the six-minute time-average RF values were logged.

Results

In both the 2014 and 2019 RF survey, all RF levels recorded were well below SC6, complying by a wide margin. Given these results, KFL&A Public Health does not feel RF exposure is a potential risk to the health and safety of the public. At this time, KFL&A Public Health is not recommending any specific accommodations in our region, based on this information.

Future plans

KFL&A Public Health will continue to monitor the research literature and regularly measure RF levels in our region. We will use this information to make any necessary recommendations as new data becomes available.

We will continue to monitor the research literature, making any necessary recommendations as new data becomes available. Within the KFL&A region, we will continue to work with our provincial and federal partners to monitor EMF levels, including 5G frequencies, to ensure compliance with Health Canada’s Safety Code 6.

What can I do if I am concerned about EMFs? 

If you wish to further reduce your personal exposure to EMFs, you can consider the following actions:

• Reduce your personal cellphone use, particularly use of the device close to the head.
• Place your laptop computer on a desk rather than on your lap when using it in wireless mode.
• Use wired headsets or a speaker option to increase distance between the head and phone.
• Use texting (SMS) instead of phone calls when possible.
• Use phones with low specific absorption rate (SAR) ratings that emit a lower output power.
• Switch off devices or place in airplane mode when not in use.

What are the health effects of radon?

Breathing in high levels of radon for many years can lead to lung cancer. In Canada, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. 

The health risk from radon exposure is long-term and often dependent on three things:

• The level of radon in your home.
• The length of time (in years) you have been exposed.
• Smoking habits or exposure to second-hand smoke.

Reducing the levels of radon found in your home is possible and can save lives.

How does radon get into my home?

Radon gas can enter buildings through cracks in the foundation, gaps around pipes, open floor drains or any other area of exposed soil. When radon mixes with the air outside, it’s not a health risk as the air outside dilutes the radon concentrations. However, when radon seeps into confined spaces like a house, it can build up to high levels and become harmful. You and your family can breathe in high levels of radon without knowing.

Is there radon in my home?

Every house contains some amount of radon. The likelihood of high radon levels cannot be predicted by the age or location of a home; all homes are at risk. The only way to know how much radon is in your home is to test.

Radon projects in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington

In the winter of 2018 to 2019, 1,047 households participated in KFL&A Public Health’s radon testing study that measured radon levels in their homes.

• 21% of homes tested above Health Canada’s radon guideline of 200 Bq/m3.
• 52% of homes tested above the World Health Organization’s radon guideline of 100 Bq/m3.

Kingston's social housing

In the winter of 2019 to 2020, KFL&A Public Health and the City of Kingston Housing and Social Services Department, with support from Health Canada, sampled radon levels in basement and ground-level social housing units in the City of Kingston and Frontenac County.

3% of houses tested above Health Canada’s radon guideline of 200 Bq/m3.

Most of these houses have already been mitigated and re-tested to ensure they are now below Health Canada’s guideline, and the rest of the houses will be done soon.

Licensed child care facilities

In the winter of 2018 to 2019, KFL&A Public Health tested radon levels in all 53 licensed child care centres in the KFL&A region.

• 4% of centers tested above Health Canada’s radon guideline of 200 Bq/m3.
• 13% of centers tested above the World Health Organization’s radon guideline of 100 Bq/m3.

All child care centers that tested above 200 Bq/m3 have been mitigated and re-tested to ensure they are now below Health Canada’s guideline.

Smoking and high levels of radon

Lung cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in Canada. It is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women. People who smoke have the highest risk of developing lung cancer and exposure to radon increases that risk. The combination of high radon exposure and smoking tobacco is very dangerous.

White Ribbon Radon Testing Program

This program provides families who have been affected by lung cancer with free radon tests. Free radon tests are available if you or a family member has been diagnosed with lung cancer.