Dr. Samuel Milham was the first scientist to alert the world that exposure to electromagnetic fields can cause disease. His new book, Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization, documents Dr. Milham’s early years and education, and describes his discovery of the link between electromagnetic field exposure and most of the twentieth century diseases of civilization, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and suicide.

In Dirty Electricity, Dr. Milham discusses the recent proliferation of radio frequency radiation from cell phones and towers, terrestrial antennas, Wi-Fi and Wi-max systems, broadband internet over power lines, and personal electronic equipment and warns of the epidemic of disease and mortality that we may soon face because of these technologies. These technologies, he explains, are creating the 2nd wave of illnesses from electromagnetic fields, the first being from electrification beginning in the early part of the 20th century and only recently discovered thanks to Dr. Milham’s work.


Dr. Milham says the ‘War on Cancer’ has been a failure because “people have missed the major carcinogen”. He has tried to get the attention of several government agencies, as well as the marines, as to the role that electromagnetic fields–and in particular ‘dirty electricity’ –have played in the illnesses of our times, to no avail. Thus, he has written “Dirty Electricity: Electrification and the Diseases of Civilization” to bring the key learnings of his career to the public. A winner of the Ramazzini prize for his pioneering work in the occupational risks for cancer from electromagnetic fields, Dr. Milham has long been on the forefront of understanding biological effects from electromagnetic fields. After recently doing pioneering work linking cancer clusters in schools to Dirty Electricity, he is now especially concerned about a cluster of Boeing workers with Lou Gehrig’s disease and would like to study the electromagnetic environment there but so far has not been granted access. He also says that Gulf War Syndrome may have an important electromagnetic component, and that military health issues blamed on things like water quality in certain instances may in fact be electromagnetic in nature, such as from extensive portable air conditioning for soldiers in the Middle East.

ElectromagneticHealth.org’s interview with Dr. Milham begins with a discussion of the very low incidence of many diseases among one sect of the Amish that uses no electricity whatsoever, and his finding that doctors there report no ADHD in children. Another very interesting learning from this interview is that EMF risk from cell towers is not only from the radiation (RF) being emitted (i.e. the microwave radiation), but from the dirty electricity the operation of the tower puts onto the electrical system in the neighborhood, suggesting anyone who lives near a tower might be well advised to check the level of Dirty Electricity with a Graham Stetzer meter, developed by Dr. Martin Graham, Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and Dave Stetzer of Stetzer Electric. Graham Stetzer meters to measure Dirty Electricity, and filters to address the problem (capacitors), can be found at www.EMFSafetyStore.com.

Dr. Milham says, “Government has really failed. It has let the people down.” As one additional example of this Milham says, “Why on earth would governments allow cell towers to be put on school grounds?”

Dirty Electricity explained

Electromagnetic Fields caused by Electrical Transients
"How does the noise on electrical wiring get onto my body?"
By understanding how electrical transients are generated and propagated, we can then understand how these phenomenon cause invisible fields that surround everything in their vicinity to varying levels of intensity.
What are transient voltages?
"Transients", are actually "Transient Voltages". More familiar terms may be "surges" or "spikes". Basically, transients are momentary changes in voltage or current that occur over a short period of time.
Where do Transient voltages come from?
Transients can be generated internally, or they can come into a facility from external sources. The least common of the two are externally generated transients. They've been described as "electronic rust".
External sources:
Lightning is the most well known of the externally generated transients. Most lightning transients are not actually the result of direct lightning strikes....they are most often "induced" onto conductors as lightning strikes near the power line. The large electric fields generated during a discharge can couple into the power system, creating induced transients. A cloud-to-cloud discharge can generate a 70 Volts per meter electric field. On a 1/2-mile length of transmission line this is equal to a 56,000-volt transient, and it didn't even touch the power line wires!
Poor or loose connections in the distribution system can also generate transients. They may be caused by high winds, which can blow one power line into another or blow tree limbs into the lines causing arcing.
Another common source, not well known, is neighbouring businesses or residences. If you share a transformer with other users, any transient activity generated on his premises will be seen at your electrical main. Remember, you are both physically connected at the secondary side of the power distribution transformer.
Internal Sources:
The vast majority of transients are produced within your own facility or residence. The main culprits are device switching, static discharge, and arcing.
Each time you turn on, turn off, load, or unload an inductive device, you produce a transient. Inductive devices are those devices that use "magnetic mass" to function. Examples of inductive loads are motors, transformers, relays and power supplies, etc. The inductive "kick" from a small motor turning on can produce a transient in excess of 1,000 volts. A motor with a faulty winding, commutator, or other insulation fault can produce a continuous stream of transients exceeding 600 volts! Even transformers can produce a large transient, particularly when energizing. Interestingly enough, this isn't produced the way many people think (from the sudden load on the system), but is a result of the collapse of the magnetic field upon energizing the transformer.
Arcing can generate transients from a number of sources. Faulty contacts in breakers, switches, and contactors can produce an arc when voltage jumps the gap. When this gap is "jumped" the voltage rises suddenly and the most common effect is an oscillatory-ring-type transient. Faulty connections and grounds can produce arcing.
How Do Transients "Travel"?
The common aspect of all these internally generated voltages is your electrical distribution system. Your facility or home wiring is designed to transmit electricity with the least impedance possible so that maximum efficiency is maintained. This same efficiency works to transfer the transients produced throughout your facility with minimal obstruction.
All of the electric interfaces are physically bonded together via protective earth system. Transient activity "seen" at one interface is easily transmitted to all other interfaces within your system, dependent upon transient frequency and magnitude.
What are the effects of transient activity?
These rapidly changing transients set up fluctuating invisible electromagnetic fields that radiate from the electrical system and wiring. The larger the transient, the higher the strength and density of the surrounding fields. It is these fields that "induce" a charge into nearby bodies and surfaces of objects in their vicinity, and this induced charge is believed to be biologically harmful to living organisms.
What are Electromagnetic Fields?
There are two types of field that are set-up, the Electric field and magnetic field. These are two interrelated aspects of a single object, called the electro-magnetic field. They are generated by moving electron charge otherwise known as a flow of current. The energy, which is the rate of flow of current, in the transient is related to the strength of the field.
Electric Field
The term electric field is used for a single vector field, denoted E-field. In physics, the space surrounding an electric charge or in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field has a property called an electric field. This electric field exerts a force on other electrically charged objects.
The SI unit of electric field is newtons per coulomb (N/C−1) or, equivalently, volts per metre (V/m−1).
Magnetic Field
The term magnetic field is used for two different vector fields, denoted B-field and H-field, although there are many alternative names for both. To avoid confusion, we use B-field and H-field for these fields, and use magnetic field where either or both fields apply.
Magnetic Field Strength (H)
The strength of the field depends on the current and the area of the wire loop.
The SI unit of magnetic field strength is expressed as Amperes per metre (A/m).
Magnetic Flux Density (B)
The Magnetic Flux is the rate of flow of magnetic energy across or through an area or surface.
The SI unit of magnetic flux density is the Tesla, (T).
How Do We Reduce These Fields?
The best way to reduce the electromagnetic fields is by eliminating them at source. However, we can’t stop external sources such as lightening strikes, and we wait while technology gradually improves emissions from internal sources from electrical devices. In the interim, we can eliminate many electrical transients using techniques such as filtering and shielding. Thus, if we reduce the electrical transient activity and the size of the individual transients, then we can effectively reduce the potentially harmful fields generated by them.
Micropulse filters located around the electrical system will effectively reduce transient activity.

Low energy bulbs

Low energy bulbs and dirty electricity

We are seeing a dramatic increase in illness reported by people after the installation of low energy bulbs (CFL’s) in their home or office environment and now many GPs agree there does seem to be a connection between CFL’s and certain illnesses. This relatively new technology we know from our electro pulse filter research and development program creates dirty electricity like nothing else and this would seem to be still further evidence to support the dramatic linkage being made in the States by Havas, Stetzer and Millham, et al with exponential climbs in diabetes, autism, ADHD and even cancer and ever dirtier electricity.

Mainstream media is focusing on the mercury danger from broken bulbs and attributing sudden illness after CFL installation to the ultra violet light or mercury exposure, even though the vast majority have yet to break or dispose of a CFL and therefore experience any exposure to mercury from this source.


In our opinion it would seem clear that people are actually responding adversely to the increased levels of dirty electricity created by these bulbs.

Fluorescent lamps will only run on an alternating current. They also need a pulse of high voltage and heated filaments at either end to start the electrical discharge to illuminate them. After that, the current must be limited externally, otherwise too much would flow causing the lamp to burn out. In a traditional fluorescent strip light, this is accomplished by the starter switch and the choke (a coil of wire wound around an iron core).



Once started, the current flows through the tube as a smooth sine wave at mains frequency, which is 50 Hz (50 cycles per second) in Europe and 60 Hz in America. This makes the light flash on and off with each half cycle (i.e. 100 or 120 times a second) and some people, such as epileptics and migraine sufferers find this disturbing.

However, almost all CFLs use electronic control gear. This usually incorporates a switched-mode power supply in the base of the lamp itself. It rectifies the AC from the mains to convert it to DC and then chops it electronically into a series of sharp rectangular alternating pulses, which then light the lamp. However, the new frequency, which is usually about 40 kHz (40,000 cycles per second), is so high and the gaps between pulses are so short that the relatively slow response of the phosphors can fill them easily. Consequently, these lamps do not flash.
Biological effects
Despite the absence of flashing, many people have reported ill effects when using CFLs. Typical symptoms include dizziness, nausea, tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears), headaches and various skin disorders. In particular, many migraine and epilepsy sufferers have found that they aggravate their conditions

The effects may be due to pulsed electromagnetic radiation.
The symptoms of exposure to CFL radiation are remarkably similar to those reported by electrosensitive individuals when exposed to pulsed electromagnetic fields. Since the lamps do not flash, it seems probable that they are a direct effect of the pulsed radiation on the brain and nervous system. The magnetic component of the radiation is the more dangerous because it can penetrate deep into the human body where it generates electrical voltages proportional to its rate of change. The rapid rise and fall times of these magnetic pulses can therefore give relatively massive and potentially damaging voltage spikes both in living cells and across their membranes.

Contamination of the mains
Poor quality CFLs often allow these pulses to leak back into the mains wiring to contribute to “dirty electricity” and increase the range of their effects to neighbouring rooms or houses. You should be able to detect these by holding a portable radio tuned between stations on an AM band near the wiring. This is because pulses, by their very nature, also contain harmonics (multiples of the original frequency) that can extend well into the radio frequency spectrum. If you hear a buzzing sound from the set, it means that pulses are leaking into the mains and you should replace the offending lamp by another of better quality.


Contamination of the mains to give “dirty electricity” can come from many sources, not just CFLs. Measurements made by David Stetzer in the library of an American school showed it to consist of hundreds of sharp spikes that could be up to hundreds of millivolts high, superimposed on each cycle of the 120 volt mains supply. Although the largest of them was
only a tiny fraction of the overall mains voltage, their rapid rise and fall times give them biological activity. The sharp magnetic spikes they generate penetrate living tissue easily, where their sudden changes in field-strength induce large voltage spikes.

Several studies by Dr Magda Havas of Trent University in Canada and various co-workers have shown that simply removing these spikes from the mains with “Graham/Stetzer” filters has resulted in improvements in the health, learning ability and behaviour of schoolchildren, reductions in the insulin needed to treat diabetics and an alleviation of the symptoms of electrosensitivity.

Low energy bulbs will save you money but at what cost?

Low energy bulbs and dirty electricity

We are seeing a dramatic increase in illness reported by people after the installation of low energy bulbs (CFL’s) in their home or office environment and now many GPs agree there does seem to be a connection between CFL’s and certain illnesses. This relatively new technology we know from our electro pulse filter research and development program creates dirty electricity like nothing else and this would seem to be still further evidence to support the dramatic linkage being made in the States by Havas, Stetzer and Millham, et al with exponential climbs in diabetes, autism, ADHD and even cancer and ever dirtier electricity.

Mainstream media is focusing on the mercury danger from broken bulbs and attributing sudden illness after CFL installation to the ultra violet light or mercury exposure, even though the vast majority have yet to break or dispose of a CFL and therefore experience any exposure to mercury from this source.


In our opinion it would seem clear that people are actually responding adversely to the increased levels of dirty electricity created by these bulbs.

Fluorescent lamps will only run on an alternating current. They also need a pulse of high voltage and heated filaments at either end to start the electrical discharge to illuminate them. After that, the current must be limited externally, otherwise too much would flow causing the lamp to burn out. In a traditional fluorescent strip light, this is accomplished by the starter switch and the choke (a coil of wire wound around an iron core).



Once started, the current flows through the tube as a smooth sine wave at mains frequency, which is 50 Hz (50 cycles per second) in Europe and 60 Hz in America. This makes the light flash on and off with each half cycle (i.e. 100 or 120 times a second) and some people, such as epileptics and migraine sufferers find this disturbing.

However, almost all CFLs use electronic control gear. This usually incorporates a switched-mode power supply in the base of the lamp itself. It rectifies the AC from the mains to convert it to DC and then chops it electronically into a series of sharp rectangular alternating pulses, which then light the lamp. However, the new frequency, which is usually about 40 kHz (40,000 cycles per second), is so high and the gaps between pulses are so short that the relatively slow response of the phosphors can fill them easily. Consequently, these lamps do not flash.
Biological effects
Despite the absence of flashing, many people have reported ill effects when using CFLs. Typical symptoms include dizziness, nausea, tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears), headaches and various skin disorders. In particular, many migraine and epilepsy sufferers have found that they aggravate their conditions

The effects may be due to pulsed electromagnetic radiation.
The symptoms of exposure to CFL radiation are remarkably similar to those reported by electrosensitive individuals when exposed to pulsed electromagnetic fields. Since the lamps do not flash, it seems probable that they are a direct effect of the pulsed radiation on the brain and nervous system. The magnetic component of the radiation is the more dangerous because it can penetrate deep into the human body where it generates electrical voltages proportional to its rate of change. The rapid rise and fall times of these magnetic pulses can therefore give relatively massive and potentially damaging voltage spikes both in living cells and across their membranes.

Contamination of the mains
Poor quality CFLs often allow these pulses to leak back into the mains wiring to contribute to “dirty electricity” and increase the range of their effects to neighbouring rooms or houses. You should be able to detect these by holding a portable radio tuned between stations on an AM band near the wiring. This is because pulses, by their very nature, also contain harmonics (multiples of the original frequency) that can extend well into the radio frequency spectrum. If you hear a buzzing sound from the set, it means that pulses are leaking into the mains and you should replace the offending lamp by another of better quality.


Contamination of the mains to give “dirty electricity” can come from many sources, not just CFLs. Measurements made by David Stetzer in the library of an American school showed it to consist of hundreds of sharp spikes that could be up to hundreds of millivolts high, superimposed on each cycle of the 120 volt mains supply. Although the largest of them was
only a tiny fraction of the overall mains voltage, their rapid rise and fall times give them biological activity. The sharp magnetic spikes they generate penetrate living tissue easily, where their sudden changes in field-strength induce large voltage spikes.

Several studies by Dr Magda Havas of Trent University in Canada and various co-workers have shown that simply removing these spikes from the mains with “Graham/Stetzer” filters has resulted in improvements in the health, learning ability and behaviour of schoolchildren, reductions in the insulin needed to treat diabetics and an alleviation of the symptoms of electrosensitivity.