RVs are more than just an increasingly popular way for people to travel and explore the great outdoors. While these vehicles provide a convenient and comfortable way to travel, they also present some potential health risks from exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation. In this article, we’re going to look at what RF radiation is, the potential health risks it presents, and how you can minimize your exposure while RVing.
What is RF radiation?
RF radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation that is emitted by devices that use wireless technology, such as cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, and Bluetooth devices. This type of radiation is present in the air and can penetrate building materials, including the walls and roof of your RV.
Potential health risks
There is some concern about the potential health risks of prolonged exposure to RF radiation. Some studies have linked exposure to RF radiation with a higher risk of cancer, particularly brain tumors, and other adverse health effects, such as headaches, fatigue, and decreased fertility. However, the evidence is not yet conclusive, and more research is needed to determine the exact impact of RF radiation on human health.
Minimizing your exposure
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the health effects of RF radiation, there are steps you can take to minimize your exposure while traveling in an RV. Here are some tips:
- Limit your use of cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, and other wireless devices. This can help reduce your exposure to RF radiation. If you must use these devices, try to limit your exposure by using them for shorter periods of time and keeping them at a distance from your body.
- Use an RF meter to measure the levels of RF radiation in your RV. This can help you identify sources of RF radiation and take steps to reduce your exposure.
- Consider installing RF-blocking materials, such as RF-blocking curtains or RF-blocking paint, in your RV. These materials can help reduce the amount of RF radiation that enters your RV and reduce your exposure.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use. This can help reduce the amount of RF radiation emitted by these devices.
- Unplug electronics when not in use. Many electronics, including televisions and laptops, emit RF radiation even when turned off. Unplugging these devices can help reduce your exposure to RF radiation.
Guidelines for acceptable levels of RF exposure
Here are some guidelines that AlphaLab, Inc., maker of the TriField TF2 EMF meter, provides for acceptable levels (meter readings) of exposure:
Absolute safe levels have not been established. However, according to our research, there have not been problems associated with staying below 3mG Standard Magnetic or 5mG Weighted Magnetic.; 50V/m Standard or Weighted Electric; 0.20 mW/m2 RF (field measurement) or 1.000 mW/m2 (peak measurement).
While the health risks associated with exposure to RF radiation are not yet fully understood, there are steps you can (and probably should) take to minimize your exposure while traveling in an RV. By limiting your use of wireless devices, using an RF meter, installing RF-blocking materials, turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and unplugging electronics when not in use, you can reduce your exposure to RF radiation and protect your health and that of your pets while enjoying the RV travel life.
Related
From American Cancer Society: Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation
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This reads like the AI written articles y’all have been writing about.
Trust me, Roger. (Yeah, I know. You don’t know me. When my son would say that I’d know he was definitely up to no good. 😆 ) Randall is a human being with real, not artificial, intelligence. He puts a lot of time and effort into researching and writing his articles. Have a good night. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
I am glad that you mentioned that “Absolute safe levels have not been established.” I believe that RF radiation levels below microwave frequencies have not been proven to cause problems in humans. Many of my friends and I spent years working near RF from radio and TV station transmitters, along with their associated RF emitters and devices. We seem to be doing ok in our old age.
I’m not smart enough to understand the science of RF, but it seems to me that the more “smart” phones in this world, the dumber the world gets.
👍👍
If you are worried about RF, I’m surprised that you didn’t mention induction cooktops.
RF levels are no more and might even be less in an RV due to fewer appliances as opposed to your brick and mortar house in the city. This article insinuates a greater risk which is misleading.
Not only THAT, but 5G will soon turn us all into mind controlled zombies!!!
The non-ionizing stuff talked about here is pretty debunked as BS, but that tri-field meter is dandy for hunting ghosts around the campfire… 😀 Just no seances next to my camper, please, as I have enough gremlins already…
Eloquent comment. I agree completely.
Radio frequencies are electromagnetic waves (NON ionizing radiation) which do not have enough energy to ionize atoms from materials and therefore cannot harm the human body.
The inverse square law is your friend! The only precaution I take is always stand at least a couple of feet from a running microwave in case it leaks. Cateracts from nearby radar or other high powered transmitters is a long established risk, and a microwave oven outputs THE select frequency that heats water-containing (and other molecules) material.
I sit around in my bricks and sticks bathed in RF from consumer goods and wiring (60Hz exposure, ohhhh nooo!). The only difference in my motorhome is slightly shorter distance. I suppose I should run out and get a gross of aluminum foil and cover my walls, like brother Chuck in Better Call Saul! Maybe make a tinfoil hat to protect my brain too! Please! Don’t tell them about the natural background cosmic radiation from space and radon emission in many places from the ground! Can you tell im not worried about it?
As someone who has spent 50+ years in radio communications working with RF, I’d be more worried about RF energy if I lived in a city, especially a high-rise apartment. Look at the top of any high building and you will see that the roof is covered with cell phone antennas. Cellphones themselves are extremely low power and therefore require the installation of many cell sites in close proximity.
The tallest buildings typically have TV & broadcast antennas on top who’s power range from 10,000 watts to several million.
When I am in my motorhome, we are typically far from RF transmitter sites. My RV has very little RF sources compared to my home or anywhere in a city.
What we call radio frequencies (RF) are oscillations/vibrations of electromagnetic forces. The unit of measurement is a hertz or cycles per second I’m not sure we know the slowest cycle, but it is commonly agreed that gamma rays are the fastest. In between we have everything including all the broadcast frequencies, microwaves, Infrared light (think IR remote controls), visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays. We are thoroughly bombarded daily by RF from natural sources. RF in and of itself is not a threat.
Just like a sunburn, the threat is from intensity and duration. Intensity is controlled by distance from the transmitter, and of course, duration by time. If you use a cellphone, you can increase distance by either using the speakerphone or a wired headset. I think you can figure out how to decrease duration. IR devices are typically momentary and intermittent use. Other than a microwave oven, residential microwave devices are very low power. Limit your time next to transmitters.
I have been hearing for the last 50+ years that such and such is bad and will cause cancer and kill you. OK, Karen, I am old and will die, let the Lord’s will be done
Hmm, … I heard in the distant (~20, 25 years ago) past that cell phones had undesirable aspects, but did not understand exactly what. Thank you for clarifying for me as well as explaining it is the wireless aspect that is the culprit. Unfortunately, Amazon’s prices for RF measurement devices currently dissuade me from purchasing. I may regret that. I certainly will rethink it if/when unsafe RF levels are better established. Thank you!
Why you discarded my comment I don’t know, I didn’t say anything derogatory or do yo have a red flag on my name?
Bob P, the RF in the air must have wiped out your comment.. Joke, lol,.
Hi, Bob. No, your comment was not discarded. I’ve been moderating comments today and haven’t discarded any of yours. I looked in the Spam and Trash folders, and no one else discarded any of your comments either, so I don’t know where it might have gone. Maybe you clicked on the wrong button when you were done writing it? And there is no red flag on your name. Have a good afternoon/evening. 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
A quick tip about cell phone radiation: The closer you are to the cell tower, the lower the output of your phone puts out.
First, all the sources mentioned are non-ionizing radiation. This relates to the frequency of the radio frequency (RF) source. X-rays are at ionizing frequencies, radio transmitters (WiFi routers, Bluetooth transceivers, cell phones) are not. Ionizing radiation is energetic enough to cause DNA mutations; non-ionizing radiation is not (full stop). That’s physics, folks.
Second, the field power levels of all common RF sources are orders of magnitude below sources like radar (which some studies have looked at), except for cell phones held to the head. Obviously, use of a cell phone is not specific to RVing.
Finally cell phone correlation with head cancers has been EXHAUSTIVELY studied for several decades with 0 statistically valid evidence of a correlation between cancer and cell phone use. Please read the American Cancer Society article linked by the author, as well as the cell phone article linked in that article (here).
Relax and enjoy your RV and forget you read this article.
Nice concept, but pointless unless everyone around you does it too. Might as well ask everyone to not litter.
Ha! good one…
The head lines should have been written “Are you aware of the radiofrequency (RF) radiation levels of your surroundings”
ManyThanks, prof Randall for having the guts to post this! This ol’mechanic & family have suffered for years with Headaches, Vertigo,Tinnitus,SinusProblems,
Vertigo, Nausea, Leg Cramps, Respiratory Problems,&Thyroid Disorders…all of which were ameliorated by reducing EMF exposure …as for ‘ the evidence is not yet conclusive,and more research is needed’
that’s just smoke&mirrots…way back in 2002!, when there were few cellphones around,
the World Health Organization (WHO) classified EMFs as “group 2 carcinogenic: a possible carcinogen [ cancer.gov/ about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/ radiation/electromagnetic-fields-fact-sheet ] We’ve been had! cheers
If the master’s of the universe at the WHO says it then it must be so.
Radiation, of many types, is a fact of life. You can apply this article not just to your RV but also to your home and your workplace.