Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634

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Science of the Total Environment

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv

A pilot neighborhood study towards establishing a benchmark for

reducing electromagnetic field levels within single family
residential dwellings
Russell Richman ⁎, Alan James Munroe 1, Yasmeen Siddiqui 1
Department of Architectural Science, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada

H I G H L I G H T S

• EMF field audits were performed on houses in an urban Toronto neighborhood.

• AC magnetic, electric, high-voltage transient and radio frequencies
• Baseline statistics verified a previous study's strategies for EMF reductions.
• The household EMF averages were compared to a leading international standard.
• Potential causes for elevated electromagnetic frequency levels are highlighted.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Electromagnetic fields (EMF) permeate the built environment in different forms and come from a number of
Received 28 February 2013 sources including electrical wiring and devices, wireless communication, ‘energy-efficient’ lighting, and appli-
Received in revised form 27 May 2013 ances. It can be present in the indoor environment directly from indoor sources, or can be transmitted through
Accepted 2 July 2013
building materials from outside sources. Scientists have identified it as an indoor environmental pollutant or
Available online 19 August 2013
toxin that has ubiquitously plagued developed nations causing a variety of adverse health effects such as sick-
Editor: P. Kassomenos building syndrome symptoms, asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, leukemia, electro-hypersensitivity (EHS), be-
havior disorders, and more. There is currently no international consensus on guidelines and exposure limits. This
Keywords: paper presents the results of 29 EMF field audits in single family residential dwellings located within an urban
Electromagnetic fields neighborhood in Toronto (Canada). The following EMF spectra were evaluated: radio frequency, power frequen-
Neighborhood field study cy electric fields, power frequency magnetic fields and high frequency voltage transients. The field audits were
Mitigation strategies conducted in order to provide initial baseline statistics to be used in future studies and in order to be compared
Single-family residential dwellings to a low-cost EMF reduction design incorporated within the Renovation2050 research house — located within
Occupant health
the test neighborhood. The results show the low-cost reduction strategy to be effective, on average reducing ex-
posure by 80% for high-intensity EMF metrics. Research of this nature has not been conducted with relation to
the built environment and can be used to spark an industry movement to design for low-exposure to EMF in a
residential context.
© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Electromagnetic energy propagates by fields which are commonly
referred to as EMF. EMF exposure is complex and unavoidable in the
built environment as it comes in different forms of energy from a num-
ber of sources including common electrical wiring, devices, wireless
communication, common residential fluorescent based lighting, and
appliances. EMF can radiate within the indoor environment directly
⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 416 979 5000x6489.
E-mail addresses: richman@ryerson.ca (R. Richman), alan.munroe@ryerson.ca
(A.J. Munroe), yasmeen.sas@gmail.com (Y. Siddiqui).
1
Tel.: +1 416 979 5000.
from indoor sources, or through the building envelope from exterior
sources. EMF pollution is defined as exposure to electronic source mag-
netic or electric fields, radio waves, and poor quality power commonly
referred to as “dirty electricity”; the distortion of clean electricity with
higher frequency electromagnetic energy, this interference is formally
known as high frequency voltage transients. EMF emanating from elec-
trical wires is referred to as low frequency EMF or power frequency;
EMF from radio waves is referred to as radio frequency radiation or
high frequency radiation.
Scientists have identified EMF as an indoor environmental pollut-
ant or toxin that has ubiquitously plagued developed nations causing
a variety of adverse health effects similar to sick-building syndrome
symptoms such as asthma, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, leukemia,

0048-9697/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.07.010
626 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634
electro-hypersensitivity as well as sleep and behavioral disorders, among
others (Genuis and Lipp, 2012; Hardell and Sage, 2008; International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 2002). Furthermore, for those
persons suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, EMF pollution
presents many more minor and severe health risks (Genuis and Lipp,
2012). While the severity of these health effects is somewhat controver-
sial, EMF exposure is clearly of great concern, affecting even real-estate
values in certain countries (Burnett and Yaping, 2002). While many
studies have shown that the highest EMF exposure among children
under the age of 18 occurs at home (Li et al., 2007) few studies have ex-
amined the causes of that exposure in the single-family house as a base-
line for comparison to EMF reductive procedures. It is not the intention
of this paper to evaluate epidemiological aspects of EMF, rather to assess
strategies to mitigate exposure in the built environment.
Renovation2050 is an ongoing research project led by Dr. Russell
Richman comprising the full deep energy retrofit of a detached single
family dwelling located in downtown Toronto, Canada in order to
support the development of the Sustainable Renovation Index. The
Sustainable Buildings Group at Ryerson University currently conducts
a number of research projects using Renovation2050 as the case
study. As a part of Renovation2050, low cost strategies to reduce
exposure to EMF were incorporated in the pre-design phase and
constructed as integrated processes throughout the project. In order
to gage the relative and geographical effectiveness of the mitigation
strategies, in-situ EMF levels were compared to both pre-retrofit
and surrounding neighborhood levels.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Research design
A neighborhood field study of 29 houses within 0.4 km of Renova-
tion2050 was conducted to create a baseline EMF map representing
typical levels for the Toronto single family residential building typology.
The houses were selected by circulating an invitation to participate to
approximately 300 houses on two neighboring streets and all 29 re-
spondents were accepted into the study. As this was a preliminary
study without a specific hypothesis statistical test was not performed.
Questionnaires were collected and EMF field measurements were
performed in 29 houses surrounding the test house. This paper presents
results from both the Renovation2050 case study and the neighborhood
field study. Due to the lack of international consensus on guidelines for
prolonged EMF exposure limits for living spaces, these results are com-
pared to the conservative BauBiologie Maes guidelines and those pub-
lished by academics studying in this field (Baubiologie Maes, 2003;
Havas and Olstad, 2008) rather than the limits set out by the ICNIRP
(International Commision on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, 2009).
Conclusions are presented with respect to effectiveness of low cost mit-
igation strategies employed in Renovation2050 and trends observed
during the field study relating aspects of residential building typology
to EMF exposure.
2.2. Instrumentation
Three instruments were used in this study, each addressing a differ-
ent element or spectrum of EMF ranging from power grade magnetic
and electric fields to longer wavelength radio frequency radiation
such as cell phone networks and Wi-fi. The instruments used were as
follows:
SPECTRAN NF-5030: Manufactured by the Aaronia Corporation, this
spectrum analyzer was used on two different settings to assess both
AC electric and magnetic fields in the 1 Hz to 10 MHz range.
SPECTRAN HF-6080: Also built by the Aaronia Corporation, this
instrument was employed to analyze the EMF spectrum ranging
from 10 MHz to 8 GHz.
Stetzerizer microsurge meter: Invented, built and sold by Stetzer
Electric Inc., this unit detects and evaluates the presence of high
voltage transients, dirty electricity, and displays the result as a
range between 0 and 1999 GS units. Each GS unit is equal to
0.02 μA in an 800 pF capacitor bridging the positive and negative
terminals of a 120 V wall socket. This unit covers the 10 kHz to
100 kHz frequency band (Graham, 2005).
2.3. Neighborhood field study
The field study comprised two elements: (1) a paper survey pro-
viding background and contextual information and (2) a site visit in-
corporating the EMF measurement throughout the house performed
under regular occupancy conditions.
The questionnaire was an introductory tool for attracting and
documenting the interest and consent of potential participants. It
also served to provide preliminary context for analysis of the results
from the EMF field testing. Information gathered included: number
and type of household appliances, types and configurations of house-
hold heating and electrical systems, wireless networks and lighting,
window and bed and mattress types, renovation levels and dates (if
any). Window types were recorded to evaluate if low-e, or any
other, coatings reduced EMF transmission. Furniture types were in-
cluded to explore possible links between large amounts of metal
and EMF levels in sleeping areas. This information was later evaluated
for relevance and correlation to compare trends identified from the
field study.
The field testing comprised a 45–60 minute visit to each household.
Spot and trawling measurements were compiled in one or multiple loca-
tions in each room and floor in the home. Apparent baseline values for
each room (or area) were recorded, in addition to local spikes and surges
when possible efforts were taken to locate the cause of any abnormally
high measurements. In addition, certain areas known to cause EMF
surges, such as electrical panels, electrical service and major appliances
were examined and measured.
The following spectra of EMF were measured:
1. AC electric fields: Baseline readings in the center of the room were
taken, followed by a brief search of the room to determine whether
any hot spots existed due to appliances, transformers or unusual
wiring, among other causes. When measuring electric fields, it is
important for the instrument to be placed on a non-conducting
surface and not touched by the surveyor as human electric fields
will affect the measurements when in contact with the monitor.
2. AC magnetic fields: Similar to the AC electric fields, baseline read-
ings in the center of the room were taken. Since human touch does
not affect the readings, the room was then trawled along the walls,
ceiling and floor in an effort to locate isolated hot-spots possibly
caused by appliances, transformers or unusual wiring.
3. Radio frequency radiation: Readings for RF radiation were taken in
the center of each room. Since these are longer wavelength signals,
the placement of the instrument in different areas of the room did
not yield significantly differing results. The scanning equipment
was set to scan in the xy plane and moving throughout the room
provided omnidirectionality.
4. Dirty electricity: Readings were taken using every available electri-
cal socket in each room and a baseline was recorded as well as any
individual sockets that displayed higher than the baseline read-
ings. Focus was also placed on known transformer based switches
and lighting.
The results from the neighborhood field study were compiled and
analyzed on an individual dwelling, street and neighborhood basis.
These results were then compared to the Renovation2050 test house
for further evaluation of the EMF reductions achieved as a result of a
previous parallel study (Siddiqui, 2010). Finally, these results were
 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634
compared with the BauBiologie Maes and Havas GS standards and indi-
vidual reports were submitted back to the participants for their infor-
mation and personal use (Baubiologie Maes, 2003; Havas, 2006).
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Renovation2050 case study results
The impetus for this neighborhood study began in the application
and evaluation of certain low cost strategies for residential EMF
reduction (Siddiqui, 2010). As part of a larger project to complete a
sustainable urban residential renovation focused on creating a high-
performance, durable and energy efficient building envelope containing
a superior indoor environment, these strategies were implemented to
reduce EMF pollutants. The Renovation2050 case study involved first
measuring the EMF levels of this three-story single family detached
home prior to the retrofit. An initial dirty electricity analysis as well as
an AC current and radio frequency radiation analysis was performed be-
fore the retrofit. Based on those results a low-cost EMF remediation
strategy was implemented during and after construction to reduce the
presence of dirty electricity as well as AC electric and magnetic field
comprising the following:
▪ Installation of BX (armored) cable throughout the house in re-
placement to traditional Romex cables.
▪ Concentrating the horizontal and vertical (e.g. the main stair well)
wire runs in areas most distant from high occupancy zones such as
kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms.
▪ Installation of a di-electric coupler approximately 0.25 m from the
main water line entrance to the dwelling.
▪ Installation of low-e coatings on the glass liters within the window
assembly.
Fig. 1. Renovation2050 magnetic field “hot-spots”. From left to right: Basement, first, second and third floors.
627
▪ 20 stetzerizer microsurge filters were installed to combat the high
dirty electricity readings and armored BX wiring and carefully
planned electrical routing were implemented to reduce AC electric
and magnetic EMF pollution.
Dirty electricity displayed the greatest reductions of the four met-
rics examined, with reductions from 13% to 54% without the GS filters
installed by employing BX cable with its twisted pair configuration
and armoring. Installing 20 stetzerizer microsurge filters brought
the reductions to the 84% to 90% range. When coupled with the neg-
ligible external influences and the BX cable, the low cost strategies
were found to provide adequate shielding for AC magnetic and elec-
tric fields within the home with reductions approaching 80%.
While the electric fields were consistently low throughout the
house, thanks to the BX cable, there were three isolated “hot spots”,
or areas of concentration, with higher than normal magnetic fields
(Fig. 1). The first of the three was centered on the basement mechan-
ical room. The higher magnetic field readings here were to be
expected with the presence of the electrical panel and major HVAC
appliances, however the readings were higher than desired in the ad-
jacent washroom, ranging from 3 to 4 mG rather than the average of
around 0.5 mG. The second concentration area was located nearby at
the base of the first two flights of stairs, along the primary vertical run
of the BX cable. Readings in this location were as high as 7 mG, ex-
ceeding even the highest acceptable levels for prolonged exposure
(Baubiologie Maes, 2003). However, this was not deemed to be an im-
mediate concern as the levels dropped below 1 mG less than 1 m away.
The third concentration area was found on the second story in the
northwest corner, immediately adjacent to the location the electrical
service reached the dwelling on the exterior. Based on our observations
and on the results of this field study, this area of elevated EMF pollution
levels can be attributed to the 200 A service entering the house near the
628 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634
third hot-spot. Given that the isolated “hot-spots” were in low traffic
and non-sedentary zones, they were not deemed of immediate concern.
While the remediation strategies were significantly effective in
most cases, the presence and magnitude of the magnetic field con-
centration areas require further examination. Further testing and
remediation strategies involving shielding mechanisms will be
conducted in the near future. The outcomes of this detailed investi-
gation on residential AC magnetic field areas of concentration as
well as an evaluation of various filtering strategies will be the sub-
jects of future work.
3.2. Field study results — Sample house summaries
Following the completion of each field study participant, individu-
al field measurements with the corresponding paper survey results
were combined to form a ‘house summary sheet.’ Each sheet contains
the averages, maximum and minimum values and deviations for each
metric on a floor-to-floor basis and also overall for each house. In
addition, each summary sheet highlights prominent survey results
in order to begin to establish links between each building and its in-
terior environment (Appendix A, Figs. 1,2 and 3). The following plot
(Fig. 2) compares three reference houses to the Renovation2050 test
house as well as to established standards for long-term exposure
(Baubiologie Maes, 2003; Havas and Stetzer, 2004). While the AC
magnetic, electric and dirty electricity EMF metrics were found to
vary greatly depending on several factors, the high frequency read-
ings displayed smaller variations seemingly unrelated to state of the
Fig. 2. Box and whisker plot of the AC electric and magnetic fields as well as the high voltage frequency transients for the three reference houses and the Renovation2050 test house
compared to prolonged exposure safety standards (Baubiologie Maes, 2003; Havas and Stetzer, 2004). Example houses represent high, low and average result sets.
homes electrical or wireless systems. For the sake of clarity the high
frequency results were omitted from the following figure (for full
results see summary sheets: Appendix A, Figs. 1,2 and 3).
Reference house 1 (Fig. 2) was a relatively positive case study
among the sample group. The AC magnetic and electric EMF
levels were found to be lower than the neighborhood average and
within the “slight concern” range as set out by the BauBiologie Maes
standards (2003) standards. While the dirty electricity readings
were above the maximum recommended level of 50 GS units
(Havas, 2006) the household average of 192 GS is significantly
below the typical neighborhood range. The survey responses for this
house (Appendix A, Fig. 1) were standard for the majority of the
houses polled, especially given the 100 A electrical panel and typical
Romex wiring.
Reference house 2 (Fig. 2) ranked poorly among the sample group.
Contrasting the positive results of reference house 1, the AC electric and
magnetic EMF readings were of “severe concern” on the BauBiologie
Maes (2003) scale. These high levels are consistent with the neighbor-
hood average speaks to the generally elevated AC electric and magnetic
EMF readings in this area. The most unusual aspect of the second refer-
ence house was the very high dirty electricity levels. With an average of
fourteen times higher than the recommended limit (Havas and Stetzer,
2004) it is clear that certain aspects of the houses' electrical systems are
questionable. This is confirmed by examining the survey responses for
the house (Appendix A, Fig. 2), given that both the 200 A panel and
outdated knob and tube wiring are likely to play a role in elevated AC
current derived EMF.
 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634
Reference house 3 (Fig. 2) was an average results dwelling com-
pared to the group. While the significantly elevated AC electric EMF
levels in reference house 3 are notable, the significant below aver-
age magnetic and dirty electricity EMF readings serve to indicate
the great variability between each metric at many houses. Further-
more the survey results indicate that, despite the higher than aver-
age AC electric EMF results, this house does not conform with the
same electrical system indicators as many of the other houses test-
ed do.
3.3. Street and neighborhood level results
Given the number of houses studied and the variability involved
between field cases, it becomes important to compare individual
houses against the street and neighborhood averages (Fig. 3), as
well against the recommended limits (Baubiologie Maes, 2003; Havas,
2006).
In order to contextualize the results of each individual house a
summary sheet was created, containing averages for each metric as
well as a parsing of significant survey responses (Fig. 3). One of the
most significant aspects of this figure is the large range of results in
the low frequency spectra: AC electric, magnetic and dirty electricity
EMF. In comparison, the radio frequency spectra were relatively con-
sistent. This consistency is likely due to the prevalence of double
wythe brick exterior wall construction in the majority of the houses
in the neighborhood (Siddiqui, 2010). While neither cordless phones
nor cellphones were ubiquitous in the survey results, each household
had at least one source of wireless transmission inside. Despite our
expectations, neither the presence of one nor many wireless devices
was shown to have a significant effect on the specific spectra mea-
sured during the study.
3.4. Household averages compared to existing standards
Similar to the ICNIRP (International Commision on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection, 2009) standard, Canada employs Safety
Fig. 3. Neighborhood and street summary. Averages, maximum and minimum, standard deviation and spikes by street and overall.
629
Standard 6 (Canadian Ministry of Health, 2009) to govern exposure
to electromagnetic frequencies. However this standard applies only
to federally regulated sites. In typical residential areas the ICNIRP
(International Commision on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection,
2009) standard is frequently used, but a more conservative guideline
will be used for comparison herein. This standard, published by the
BauBiologie Maes (2003) institute was used to evaluate the AC electric,
magnetic and radio frequency EMF levels in the test houses (Appendix
A, Figs. 4 and 5). High frequency voltage transient levels will be evaluat-
ed according to the recommendations put forward by Havas and Stetzer
(2004).
The majority of the houses tested performed poorly in each of the
low frequency EMF spectra (Appendix A, Fig. 4). The consistency be-
tween houses is somewhat unsurprising given that the majority of the
factors influencing EMF are related to issues of house construction
(Riley, 2005) rather than occupancy related aspects which tend to be
more individualized. Typically, the sample houses were built in the
same time period (1890 to 1920) with similar retrofits conducted
between the 1970s and 1990s, leading to a similarity in construction
styles including wiring types, grounding practices and electrical service
amperages.
All houses evaluated were significantly above the recommended
high frequency voltage transient levels (Havas and Stetzer, 2004),
the average being seven times higher than 50 GS with some cases
having averages over thirteen times higher. Fortunately this can be
greatly reduced by implementing the relatively low cost remediation
technique of installing approximately 20 GS filters (Havas and Stetzer,
2004; Siddiqui, 2010).
While installing these filters was proven effective in the Renova-
tion2050 case study, most of the houses studied also experience ele-
vated AC magnetic and electric field levels. It was demonstrated in
the Renovation2050 Case Study that the use of BX armored cable pro-
vided significant reductions in AC electric and magnetic EMF radia-
tion. While this is not a simple change to make, the vast majority of
the houses measured would greatly benefit from a similar reduction.
Renovation2050 was the lone house in the ‘no concern’ range in any
current derived metric (Appendix A, Fig. 4).
630 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634
Even by the conservative BauBiologie Maes (2003) standards,
very few of the houses in this study displayed serious levels of
radio frequency EMF pollution (Appendix A, Fig. 5). This is most
likely the result of several factors, the most prominent being the
geographical proximity to known HF emitters, such as television,
mobile phone networks base stations and radio sources. Further-
more, in the preface to their long-term HF level study conducted
in Greece, researchers Gotsis, Papanikolaou, Komnakos, Yalofas,
and Constantinou emphasize that single ‘ad-hoc’ measurements
are insufficient to determine realistic exposure information (Gotsis
et al., 2008). Their article, “Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation
Monitoring in Greece” provides detailed information regarding the
necessity, design and results of a long term, continuously sampled
HF monitor network.
3.5. Observed trends
In comparing individual household results with the survey out-
comes several possible trends have arisen. Though proving any of
the following trends beyond a doubt would require significantly
more research, the existence of these links is enough to support the
direction of future research efforts. In exploring these trends it is im-
portant to understand that no one factor affected the EMF levels in a
house and that establishing direct causal links will require a larger
sample size.
Prior to the outcome of this study it was expected that the pres-
ence of a 200 A service would have a definite link to elevated AC elec-
tric and magnetic EMF levels. Two of the six houses with 200 A panels
(excluding the Renovation2050 test house) did exhibit higher than
average levels of AC electric EMF: 6.1 V/m and 7.6 V/m. However,
the remaining three houses exhibited at/or below average readings,
ranging from 2.9 V/m to 4.5 V/m. This result indicates that while
the presence of a higher amperage panel may lead to higher EMF
levels it is not a definitive variable and is subject to many other fac-
tors. One such factor is that, being a product of the flow of current,
magnetic fields will likely only be elevated above normal if an unusu-
ally large percentage of those amperes are being used i.e.: actual
amperage rather than potential amperage. While 200 A services do
exhibit higher AC electric readings surrounding the panels, the cur-
rent that flows to the rest of the house is of the same amperage as a
lesser service.
Knob and tube wiring, an outdated wiring technique that sepa-
rates the positive and negative conductors, eliminating their ability
to reduce each other's magnetic fields (Riley, 2005), appears to affect
AC electric EMF levels in the houses surveyed. Five of the six houses
that had at least one knob and tube circuit remaining displayed AC
electric readings at or above the neighborhood average, ranging
from 6 V/m to 7.8 V/m. While these were not the only houses in the
“severe concern” range (Baubiologie Maes, 2003), all other factors
being equal, the presence of knob and tube wiring is indicative of
higher AC electric EMF levels. An intriguing related observation was
the lack of consistently higher AC magnetic EMF readings in this sam-
ple group, as Riley indicates (Riley, 2005). In 150 houses surveyed,
knob and tube wiring was the fourth most common cause (Riley,
2005). Our research aligns with Riley's findings, given that wiring in
general appears to be the primary cause of elevated AC electric and
magnetic levels.
There appears to be no direct link between elevated dirty elec-
tricity levels and elevated AC electric or magnetic levels in the
houses studied. While high GS levels were frequently accompa-
nied by elevated AC electric or magnetic readings this appears to
be the result of their shared causes, rather than a direct causal
link. This lack of a direct trend is likely due to AC electric and
magnetic EMF being caused by wiring issues, while dirty electric-
ity EMF pollution is caused primarily by the effects appliances
on power quality. Thus one cannot expect the installation of GS
filters to also reduce the other power level EMF pollution in a
household.
In examining the locations of higher than average “spikes” in AC
electric, magnetic and dirty electricity levels it becomes clear that
these spikes occur most often at consistent locations in a residential
dwelling. The most common discernable causes for isolated elevat-
ed EMF spikes were at/or near small appliances and at the electrical
service panel. Small appliances, most often computers, fans and
clock radios, accounted for one quarter of all spikes recorded, with
levels as high as 345 V/m at a clock radio. These spikes occur be-
cause the coils used to step down voltage in transformers for
small appliances are a significant source of AC electric and magnetic
fields (Riley, 2005). It is generally considered prudent to move
small appliances away from areas of prolonged exposure, for exam-
ple beds and desks.
Electrical panels appeared to be the largest source of AC magnetic
fields, especially in houses with 200 A services. The isolated nature of
these hot spots suggests that electrical panels, most often located
away from heavily trafficked areas, are not a significant cause of con-
cern due to the relatively rapid diminishing levels with distance from
the source.
Finally, the large voltage present at the electrical mast or ser-
vice entrance of each house appears to consistently create an AC
electric and magnetic EMF area of concentration. The prudent
avoidance strategy can be enacted in these locations by ensuring
that no beds or work spaces be adjacent to these locations. Al-
though none of the houses tested had buried electrical services, it
is likely that the soil would shield the majority of electric EMF as
well.
4. Conclusion
Household electromagnetic pollution is very real and compared to
the BauBiologie Maes standard, of very serious concern (Baubiologie
Maes., 2003). With the exception of the Renovation2050 test house,
every single home tested showed elevated power frequency EMF
levels. Approximately 50% of the homes tested showed AC electric
and magnetic EMF levels in the severe concern range. Residents in
these homes and in others of similar ages and construction styles
need to be aware of the threat posed by EMF pollution and they
need to be informed as to what remediation options are available.
While certain contributing factors to this EMF pollution have been
remediated successfully (Siddiqui, 2010), other causes remain elusive
and dangerous.
High frequency voltage transients, or dirty electricity levels are
also of severe concern in this neighborhood. Homeowners need to
be more aware of the effects that wiring errors, poor quality power,
old or faulty appliances and out of date wiring might be having on
their health.
Certain patterns emerged during this study, highlighting sever-
al possible causes for elevated electromagnetic field levels. We
found that local heightened EMF levels were often observed near
appliances, even when they were not running, near electrical
panels and especially near clock radios. This information, as well
as the EMF pollution generated at electrical panels and masts,
should be taken into account when furnishing and arranging
one's home.
As a pilot study this project has proven to be successful in that it
is possible to gather useful data using this protocol. The testing
methodologies applied in this study suitably highlight the EMF is-
sues at hand and these techniques could easily be applied to larger,
statistically sound sample groups in order to develop a true base-
line. The data gathered to date suggests that more studies such as
this, evaluating the real-world EMF conditions in dwellings, are ab-
solutely necessary.
 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634 631

Appendix A. Expanded result data

Appendix A Fig. 1. Reference house 1 result summary. Averages, maximum and minimum, standard deviation and spikes by floor and overall, shaded cells indicated individual
averages that exceed the street and neighborhood averages.

Appendix A Fig. 2. Reference house 2 result summary. Averages, maximum and minimum, standard deviation and spikes by floor and overall, shaded cells indicated individual
averages that exceed the street and neighborhood averages.
632 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634

Appendix A Fig. 3. Reference house 3 result summary. Averages, maximum and minimum, standard deviation and spikes by floor and overall, shaded cells indicated individual
averages that exceed the street and neighborhood averages.

Appendix A Fig. 4. Numbers of houses in each low frequency, alternating current derived EMF exposure concern bracket according to the Baubiologie Maes (2003) and Havas and
Stetzer (2004).
 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634 633

Appendix A Fig. 5. Numbers of houses in each high frequency EMF exposure concern bracket according to the BauBiologie Maes (2003).

Appendix A Fig. 6. Full list of household averages as well as reference guidelines for EMF pollution levels.
634 R. Richman et al. / Science of the Total Environment 466–467 (2014) 625–634
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