Wi-Fi sensitivity solution sought on ferries

Wi-Fi sensitivity solution sought on ferries

BEN INGRAM / DAILY NEWS 
JULY 21, 2013

Louise Campbell says sensitivity to wireless electronic devices makes it difficult to endure things as simple as a two-hour ferry ride.  Photograph by: Ben Ingram

While debate rages on over the impacts of wireless technologies on human health, those who claim a hypersensitivity to electromagnetism have called on B.C. Ferries to provide options to limit their exposure.

People worried that wireless technologies may have a negative impact on their health achieved a small victory last week when B.C. Hydro announced modified smart meters would be available at a cost.

The effect of wireless technologies, like Wi-Fi routers and cell phones, on human health has become a contentious topic in recent years. Many in the scientific and medical communities have countered the assault on wireless with stiff resistance. Those who say they suffer call it a disability.

Seemingly routine tasks can be a challenge for Louise Campbell of Nanoose Bay, who says her sensitivity to wireless devices can make a ferry ride to the mainland a nightmare.

"For me, my day is thinking about how long I can spend in the mall, because there's Wi-Fi in the mall. If I'm going to a friend's house, I have to ask them to turn the Wi-Fi off," she said.

Campbell claims her condition causes her to become lightheaded when exposed to wireless devices.

A two-hour trip into the city can leave her fatigued for the rest of the day. Campbell avoids restaurants, coffee shops, movie theatres and anywhere she expects exposure.

The situation impelled Campbell to call on B.C. Ferries to provide a way to limit exposure to the ship's wireless technology while on voyages to the Mainland.

She is not the first to make the request, said B.C. Ferries spokeswoman Deborah Marshall. Marshall advised people like Campbell to reach out to their customer care department.

"There are some areas on the ship that the signals are quite weak. .. for example, the car decks," she said.

Christel Martin, the Nanaimo representative for Citizens for Safe Technology, said more support is needed for people with the disability.

"There has to be a Wi-Fi free zone," she said. "We're asking for equal rights, like any disabled person."

Health Canada maintains that "there is no convincing scientific evidence that exposure to lowlevel radiofrequency (RF) energy from Wi-Fi causes adverse health effects in humans."

Nevertheless, the debate will continue in the coming years as public Wi-Fi become more common and the world around us grows increasingly wireless.

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control capped off a two-year project in March, 2013 with the release of their Radiofrequency toolkit for environmental health practitioners.

The 371-page report broke down the myriad types of wireless frequencies used in Canada, the research on their effects and methods to avoid exposure.

"We realize that there will continue to be divergent views on the effects of RF. And we hope that scientists from across Canada can join us in contributing their knowledge and understanding to future integrative work in this enormous field," wrote Dr. Tom Kosatsky, the BCCDC's director of environmental health services.

To view the report visit www.bccdc.ca.

BIngram@nanaimodailynews.com

Ben Ingram, Daily News / Louise Campbell says sensitivity to wireless electronic devices makes it difficult to endure things as simple as a two-hour ferry ride.;

© Copyright 2013

- See more at: http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/wi-fi-sensitivity-solution-sought-on-ferries-1.546212#sthash.2aH28PXj.dpuf