"Some west Ottawa parents are speaking out about their concerns with wireless internet connections in their children's school, saying not enough is known about long-term exposure to Wi-Fi . . .

"Our children should be dissecting rats, they shouldn't be functioning as lab rats," Van Hees said, "And this constitutes as a massive experiment on children." "Jessica Van Hees says children are being put at risk by schools that have Wi-Fi. (CBC)

"About one-third of schools at the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board are already equipped for Wi-Fi, but the plan is to have all schools, including portables, ready by the end of 2012. Semple and Van Hees Both say their school has not informed them about installing Wi-Fi, which is set for March.

"There is conflicting information about whether exposure to radio frequencies from a wireless internet connection is a health hazard.

"A World Health Organization report from May 2011 indicates the frequencies may be linked to some forms of cancer. In December, Health Canada updated its website to acknowledge the alternative viewpoint from international agencies but insists more research is needed and Wi-Fi is no cause for concern . . .

"One of the best definitions of concentration is, "wherever you are, be there."

"As the number of students using cellular phones in school has grown, situations have arisen when I had to stop a student from using his/her device in class. In those moments, I had to stop teaching and helping other students and instead deal with the cellphone use. Despite the TDSB ban on the use of cellphones in schools, some students continued using their devices at lunch time, before class, and between classes.

"In spring 2011, TDSB Trustees voted to lift the ban on cellphone use. This came to a vote as a result of a proposal made by two Student Trustees and, surprisingly, without consultation with teachers even though teachers would be subject to direct consequences from this decision.

"Allowing young students to use cellphones at any time--especially in school--not only causes many unnecessary environmental and health hazards but also encourages and increases inappropriate moral, ethical and social behaviours in school settings (and elsewhere).

"Since September 2011, as the result of the new cellphone policy, and despite administration's clear message of not using the device without the teacher's permission, and despite several big signs reminding students to turn off their cellphones prior to entering the class, my classes are disrupted at least once each day because a student is texting. This causes extra work and additional classroom management issues for me . . .

Editor's Note: Acoustic neuromas are non-cancerous tumors found in the brain and are accompanied by hearing loss and tinnitus. You can read more about the nature of Acoustic Neuromas in our Tinnitus Information Center.

"There has been a good deal of discussion in scientific circles recently over the concern that radio-frequency (RF) radiation, from cell phone usage, may cause damage to the human brain in the form of an acoustic neuroma.

"The incidence of acoustic neuroma among tinnitus patients is approximately one in one thousand individuals as opposed to one in one hundred thousand in the general population. This is the reason many ENT physicians require an MRI of their tinnitus patients; to rule out the possibility of acoustic neuroma.

"One of the primary symptoms is hearing loss and tinnitus, usually occurring in only one ear. Acoustic neuromas are rare, non-malignant growths that occur on the auditory nerve leading from the cochlea to the brain. They are slow growing, developing over many years, and are not cancerous. They do not spread but continue growing from the point where they begin.

"They can be very dangerous, however, if left undiagnosed. As they grow they may begin to press against the brain, causing pressure on the brainstem and endangering vital functions necessary to life . . .

"To be sure, there are clinical studies that show cell phones do not cause acoustic neuroma or other brain tumors. However, the majority of these studies were conducted on users of less than ten years . . .

"Those at highest risk of suffering long-term consequences are children, who are now beginning to use cell phones at 8 to 10 years old . . .

A position regarding the use of Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation, including WiFi, in the Workplace Researched and presented by the OECTA Provincial Health and Safety Committee January 2012

There are growing health and safety concerns regarding the widespread use of technology, such as cellular phones and wireless computer networking (Wi-Fi), which produce non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation. It is estimated that at least 3 per cent of the population has an environmental sensitivity to the radiation that is emitted by these devices and, as a result, experience serious immediate physical/biological effects when exposed.

As has been the case with other known societal health and safety issues, such as exposure to cigarette smoke or asbestos, the health effects of unprecedented long term exposure to this radiation may not be known for some time. Widespread use of, or exposure to, wireless communication devices and WiFi technology in Ontario schools, can be positioned as a potential workplace hazard.

This paper examines what is currently known about the impact of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, reviews the implications it can have for Ontario schools, including OECTA members, and makes recommendations to the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association on the issue.

Table of Contents 

• Introduction
• What is Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation?
• Health Canada's Position
• The World Health Organization and Other Jurisdictions
• Exposure Increases with Use
• Effects From Exposure
• Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity
• Environmental Sensitivity is a Disability
• Role of the Joint Health and Safety Committee
• Hazard Control and Prudent Avoidance
• Summary
• Recommendations
• Appendix - Occupational Health and Safety Act

What are the potential health issues associated with cellular telephone use? Whether it's the increased use of cell phones by children, or the overall increase in cell phone use by adults, human exposure to electromagnetic radiation is happening in ways never dreamed of before. Very young children are using them, teenagers live on them--and some even sleep with them on their pillows, as cell phones are often used as alarm clocks...

2009: Europe on the move: Some 300,000 Swedes suffer from electrohypersensitivity due to the electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones and Wifi terminal. A European Parliament report has recommended that more be done to limit exposure.

"...Research in Chandigarh, India, revealed that people who talk on a cell phone for more than an hour a day were found to have suffered losses of high-frequency hearing..."

"Over 5 billion people worldwide, about 80 percent of the world's population, now has a cell phone.

"In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determines maximum allowed exposures from cell phone radiation, a determination that has the potential to impact public health on a massive scale, especially in light of increasing evidence that exposure to such radiation may cause cancer, brain changes and other health problems.

"That the FCC is in charge of this regulation is in and of itself perplexing, considering the FCC states: " ... the FCC's primary jurisdiction does not lie in the health and safety area, and it must rely on other agencies and organizations for guidance in these matters."

"Well, according to a new report by Om Gandhi, PhD, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah and colleagues, "Exposure Limits: The Underestimation of absorbed cell phone radiation, especially in children," the FCC standards are based on a one-size-fits-all-model that seriously underestimates RF exposures to those most vulnerable, including children...."

"Another school has removed its Wifi, following warnings that the system emits potentially harmful microwave radiation. "Schools are in the business of helping children, not hurting them so we shouldn't be taking chances," said Brenda Glashan, principal of the Aurora Montessori School, a private elementary school of 350 students north of Toronto...."