Random
tree and shrub deaths and die back in an urban environment at sites which
always show modestly but occasionally drastically elevated radio frequency
power densities compared to background
and arising from multiple sources, an experimental study. By
Dr Chris Barnes, Bangor Scientific and Educational Consultants.
E-mail doctor.barnes@univ.bangor.ac.uk.
1st
released into internet public domain in Beta form (without complete reference list)
August 21st 2013.
Dr Barnes Homepage http://www.drchrisbarnes.co.uk
Abstract
A brief definition of
tree die back together with classical explanations is given. More recent explanations cite pollution as a
contributing factor. In an urban environment
there is road, industrial
and aviation pollution in addition to Radio Frequency Pollution
or electro-smog. This paper reports on
an experimental study in an urban environment, the city of Bangor, Wales which
seems to show that when
random tree and shrub deaths and die back happens in an urban
environment it happens at sites which always show modestly but occasionally
drastically elevated radio frequency power densities compared to background given that the RF is
arising from multiple sources. It is
theorised that trees act as antennas because there component parts form
multi-frequency dielectric
resonators. If vegetation has adsorbed
or absorbed large amounts of conductive or magnetically susceptible pollutant nano-material these resonances may be shifted and the
vegetation may even become a parasitic re-radiator of RF energy. Further work is necessary to establish
if RF at these power densities can ever be herbicidal in its own right or if it
merely acts to potentiate other stresses such as the effects of pollutants,
diseases and/or predators. Nothing in
the work contradicts the quantum
mechanical model for predicting bio-damage previously advanced by the
author.
Introduction
Tree
die-back is not a brand new phenomenon and reported cases go back to the
1950's.
Indeed
had not whole forests died over archaeological timescales due to natural climatic evolution then
modern industrialisation as we know it would not have taken place.
However,
what sets modern day die-back as distinct from whole forest decline is the range of age
and species of tree and shrub affected and the fact that apparently healthy,
young plants will quite suddenly appear
to falter and wither from their growing shoot and leaf tips stem downwards.
It
is true that a number of diseases and predators have in recent years been
identified and account for species specific dieback particularly of oak, elm and
ash.
The
present author has noticed, however, that many other kinds of almost random
species of trees and shrubs appear to be suffering demise. The question which arises
is are there other sorts of stress factors affecting or altering the biological
growth processes of this vegetation or making it more susceptible to
attack.
Atmospheric
pollution, particularly aerosol metallic nano-particles
have been shown to play a part in tree die-back, see for example but not limited
to Acquaviva
et al (2012)[1], Maher (2007)[2].
Moreover, I have recently published evidence of strong support for this
hypothesis by showing that tree dieback is often exaggerated close to high voltage power lines, known to
concentrate such pollution.
Other studies (Silk Personal
Communication) and Silk A. Forestry Commission Report (2004) found at [3] have shown that radio frequency radiation
particularly at specific points in antenna radiation beam patterns also
accentuates oak die back.
I have developed
a quantum mechanical model to predict specific radial (quantised) distances
from antennas ( treated as isotropic
radiators for simplicity) at which
there is maximum bio effect on biological systems in general [4].
From preliminary studies it would appear that the model fits with
observation for tree death and die-back.
An important facet of the model is that damage is done only by the
modulation in a radio-frequency signal the information being contained in the
magnetic vector potential which is not readily screened or attenuated. Thus the model would tend to predict that
there may be damage at even at low field strengths.
I have
further theorised on adsorbed and absorbed nano-metal
particles facilitating plant leaves to
become radio antennas, thereby further maximising radio frequency
absorption. Generally there are more
such particles available in an urban environment, particularly with heavy traffic flow. I live in a city not only with very heavy
traffic flows but also over-flown by
major west-east air routes so there is further potential provision of
conductive or magnetically susceptive nano-particles here.
Experimental and
Apparatus
The apparatus used was a Cornet
Microsystems field meter, type
ED75.
Three simple
experiments were performed. Firstly, the RF Power Density inside the author's
house was measured in a number of locations adjacent to house plants and
shrubs.
Secondly, the power
density was measured in the author's garden generally and adjacent to any
plants/shrubs which showed signs growing tip dieback. There were no completely
dead plants in the garden.
Finally, the author
walked a circular route for approximately two miles keeping his house as a
point on the circumference of the circle.
The route took in other urban roadways abutting gardens, an urban farm
and an urban area of woodland.
Background power densities were measured as were those immediately adjacent
to or as close as practically possible to any dead and dying tree or shrub
vegetation including, for example, trees
with shoot tip die back or larger trees with complete dead branches or
dead sections and including completely dead trees.
In each of the three
experiments also noted was the type of any nearby line off site or visible
mobile phone, radio or TV transmitter mast.
Results :
Experiment
1
Inside the house the
E-Field varied from 0.7-1.4 microwatts cm^2.
There were no dead house plants or shrubs and none with any tip
die-back. There are multiple possible
radio-frequency sources the strongest
including WIFI 2400 MHz , GSM 900 MHz, 3G 1800 MHz , TETRA 390 MHz , Paging 153
and 137 MHz.
There are no plants or people in the room which contains the WIFI hub
and field strengths immediately adjacent to this are considerably larger.
Experiment
2
In the garden the
background power density was on average about 3 microwatts cm^2. It is
envisioned that the sources were the same as above but the power contribution
due to WIFI would be less.
Slight growing tip die
back was evident on a number of trees and shrubs including; a peach tree, an
Acer and a winter flowering cherry adjacent to all of these power
densities in the region of 6 microwatts cm^2 were measured. It should be noted that although these fields
are higher the average background they are still relatively modest compared
with those cited for public exposure limits in certain countries, see http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/power_density_effects.pdf [5].
Experiment
3
The highest power density
of 500 microwatts cm^2
measured in this experiment was adjacent to a dying shrub in a
garden some 300 metres away to the South West from the author's residence. The most visible antenna mast was TETRA about
1000 metres away and line of site but additionally the site was only about 150
metres away from a multi- frequency site employing GSM 900, 3G and 153 MHz
paging. Disturbingly, this level of field was very close to a residential
property and approaches the FCC limit which is regarded by some as very high) and
exceeded the ICNIRP 6 minute guidance limit.
Perhaps the most
interesting results were found in the urban woodland. This was an area of woodland in the shadow of
a hill which shielded the TETRA signals but there was line of site with other
sources including GSM 900, 3G 1800, VHF FM radio, VHF DAB and UHF DVB. However, the latter three
were some 5 km distant.
Typically the average field
strengths were quite low of the order of 1 microwatt cm^2 but without fail were
always well elevated over this value in the region of dead and dying
vegetation, surprisingly so even at heights of only a metre or so above the ground. Intriguing was in some cases how the power density peaked
by up to two orders of magnitude when the field meter was brought into almost
close contact with the dying vegetation. The hypothesis is that trees can act as
antennas although this is by no means new, see for example but not limited to Ikrath et al (1972) [6].
The question arising here however perhaps relates to elucidating if
dead and dying trees make better antennas especially at VHF, UHF and microwave frequencies. This notion will be discussed later.
Conclusions, Discussion and further
work.
The above study has
shown that in urban outdoor locations where trees and shrubs of various species
are showing death or die back there is always an elevated RF power density
compared with the average background.
Such at first site apparently random tree and shrub deaths and die back
in an urban environment is at sites which always show modestly but occasionally
drastically elevated radio frequency power densities compared to background and is where the RF
energy could be arising from multiple sources.
No
indoor plants or shrubs appear to have been affected in a similar way although
the power densities in involved were somewhat lower.
The hypothesis
supported is that pollution, most probably metallic nano-particles,
and RF energy are required to maximise certainty of tree and shrub damage. Such
damage can occur at surprisingly low
power densities and supports the notion that we should always err on the side
of caution where radio frequency exposure of biological systems is involved.
It is logical to
suppose that trees and shrubs can act as dielectric resonators. I propose that the very distinct sections of trees such as leaves,
twigs and branches allowing for multiple frequency resonance and hence making
trees and shrubs very good receiving antennas.
The notion that a tree can indeed be used as a receiving antenna is not new ,see Squier [7].
The resonance frequencies are together with the aerial efficiency presumably
modified by the incorporation of nano-metallic
pollutants which are both conductive and magnetically susceptive, thereby ‘tuning’
the leaves etc. to resonance. This is borne out by the observation of a
sharp rise in measured power density in very close to even dying vegetation and
even at close to ground level. The notion of multiple
resonance effects would simply imply then
on balance the more RF Sources in the environment the more likely are trees and shrubs to
succumb to coincident stresses such as
pollution and/or disease.
The greater majority of
modern RF sources are either pulsed emissions or emissions with at least some
component of amplitude modulation or variation. Publications far too numerous than to cite
here stress the dangers of such
emissions to humans. Other publications
claim there is no or little harm to public health of non -thermal radio
frequency radiation. Deleterious Bio effects would, however, seem to be taking
place in vegetation allied to such emissions, this and the fact that such effects take place at
relatively low power densities is not in contradiction with the author's quantum mechanical
hypothesis. The fact that in the real environment
multiple RF pollution is present does make exact prediction of sites where
bio-damage will occur
more difficult.
Nothing in this work
suggests that RF alone is responsible for tree death only that either it is a compounding
factor. Alternatively, sceptics might
argue that potentially
in some cases that background power levels are simply 'tuned up' by pieces of nanao-particle infested dying vegetation acting as
parasitic ( re-radiating) antenna systems.
Others have very recently confirmed my hypothesis regarding leaf adsorption
of nano-particles, see Richard (2013)[8]. However, others have in the past argued for
RF as an exclusive herbicide. Species as
diverse as pine (needles) [9],
tomatoes (Roux et al 2006)[10] and duckweed (Tkalec et al 2007) [11]have
been considered. For the latter,
oxidative stress was identified as the mechanism. I too have considered the
same in an attempt to link bio damage effects of RF in both plants and animals, see http://www.drchrisbarnes.co.uk/Unified.htm[12].
Doubtless further work
either of this or other interested authors will eventually clarify the
situation. One possible suggested study
is to move pollution free
indoor houseplants and shrubs into close proximity with a WIFI
hub and observe the outcome. Another
possible study would be to
place small healthy urban
garden shrubs, which may have
been exposed to atmospheric pollution but not appropriate RF fields, into household planters, to bring them
indoors and place adjacent to a similar WIFI hub. The outcome of such studies would
presumably clear up the possible ambiguity highlighted above.
References
( added February 2015)
1. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-012-1030-x#page-1
2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231007008175
3. http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/issues/nature.php?id=trees
4. UK Patent Application
GB 1113174.5 A method and apparatus for more accurate prediction of locations
in the vicinity of transmitting antennas or base stations wherein occupants or
other life forms face maximum deleterious bio-effect.
5. http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/power_density_effects.pdf
6. http://dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/742230.pdf
7. http://www.rexresearch.com/squier/squier.htm
9. Premature
aging of pine needles at power density of 0.000027 µW/cm2 (Selga T, Selga M (1996),
‘Response of Pinus sylvestris
L. needles to electromagnetic fields. Cytological and ultrastructural aspects’, The Science of the Total
Environment Vol. 180, pp. 65-73, Elsevier Science BV)
11. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969707008017
12. http://www.drchrisbarnes.co.uk/Unified.htm