Reducing Exposure to EMF's

For starters, the simplest way to reduce exposures is to increase your distance from EMF-emitting electronics, big and small. In fact, just by doubling your distance, the field strength or power density of an EMF drops three-quarters. We can thank the Inverse Square law of physics for that. Why? Because radiation typically spreads out in four directions from its source, rather than just in the direction where you're at. For instance, if you're sitting a foot away from your wireless router, and move another foot away, your exposure is cut to one fourth of what it was. On the other hand, moving closer to an EMF source can increase your exposure just as dramatically (i.e. by three-fourths) That's why you should never hold a mobile phone next to your head during a phone call, or allow your kids to attend a school with a cell tower propped in the parking lot.

While there are some exceptions to the Inverse Square rule, as you'll see, it's still applicable for most of the scenarios described below. So consider printing out the article and taking some notes as you read it. Afterwards, prepare a to-do list and get to work on lessening your health risks. If you'd like to learn more about measuring radiation and maximum exposure limits recommended by EMF safety experts, check out the article "EMF and RF Meters", posted on this website.

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Disclaimer and Caution

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Step One: Identify and Avoid Big EMF-Producing Sources

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At left, a cell phone tower in a Santa Fe, NM neighborhood. At right, a bank of Smart meters at a multi-housing complex. Graphics from left: The City Edition, SafeGrid.net

Never linger around big booming cell phone/WiFi towers, radio antennas and microwave dishes. Aviation radars, weather-monitoring stations, high-voltage transmission lines, electrical public transit lines and electrical substations should also be avoided. If you find one of these bad boys near on the premises of a hotel where you're booked, ask for a room as far away from the source as possible. If you live, work or go to school nearby, you should consult an EMF safety expert or research your options for increasing your physical distance and/or implementing an EMF shielding solution.

While the newer 5G transmitters may not pack as much power as the older 3G/4G towers, they're still propagating robust amounts of radiation in the form of millimeter waves. Research studies have already linked millimeter waves to skin cancer. And 5G towers are in many cases being installed much closer to where you sleep, work or go to school than the towers they're replacing. Watch out for 5G mini-cells on utility poles, bus shelters and the sides of buildings. These transmitters are packed inside small plastic boxes, sometimes labeled, but sometimes not. You may also find them around school and hospital campuses. So try not to park, sit or otherwise linger around them.

Inside public buildings, hotels and businesses, be vigilant in identifying places where wireless routers have been mounted. The most common spot is on the ceiling. Routers most often take the form of plastic boxes with antennas protruding from them. They're function is similar to a cell tower, but on a tinier scale and limited to WiFi communications. However, they can propagate more robust microwaves than the consumer routers used at home.

A wireless router mounted on a library ceiling. Look for these whenever you enter a public place and be sure to sit as far away from them as possible. Graphic: The City Edition

Also keep in mind that if you work in a crowded office complex or highrise, there may be a router operating on the other side of each of your walls, below your floor and above your ceiling. That volume of electrosmog and can really add up, which translates to multiple wireless signals intersecting in space. The end result is a "hotspot" of high EMF radiation. (This is not the same as as a hotspot where you can access WiFi.) Radiation hotspots are an exception to the Inverse Square law, so that super strong clouds of high power density EMF's are present even though no EMF source is nearby.

To make visible this invisible threat, examine the list of wireless networks on your mobile phone's "Network" screen as you stand inside the office. Any network listed with two bars or less is likely not a big deal. Rather, it's all the three and four-bar networks that should give cause for concern. So it's a good idea to explore the possibility of one or more hotspots. To do this, you'll have to methodically scan the room with an RF meter. And if you get a dangerously high reading, be sure to mark the entire area indicated by the meter. Then, see about moving out any chairs, sofas or work stations in the danger zone, and replace them with a giant fake plant or other objects to deter anyone from hanging around there.

Step 2: Geting Smart About Smart Meters

You can usually distinguish a Smart meter from a conventional one by its digital display. However, there are some digital meters that aren't wireless, and many Smart meters are not labeled as such. If you're not sure, try looking up the brand and model number online. Photo: TheCityEdition.com

As explained in the article "5G & Smart Meters", the latter device is replacing conventional utility meters to read electric, gas and water usage throughout the United States. Smart Meters emit bursts of extremely potent radiation about ten thousand times a day, even though they're as silent and unassuming as sheep. Generally speaking, anyone lingering within twenty feet of one (or asleep in a nearby bedroom) is at risk of over-exposure to 900 mH microwaves.

Here are recommendations for addressing the Smart meter conundrum:

• Attach a Smart meter cover or screen onto the device, which can eliminate up to 98 percent of the microwaves. You can buy a sturdy stainless steel cover online or make one yourself with aluminum mesh screen, which you can buy in a roll from a hardware store. The mesh serves as a Faraday cage, which prevents the RF waves from escaping, while still allowing the meter to communicate with your utility company.
• If you're unable to cover your Smart meter, be sure not to linger within at least a 20-ft radius around the meter's location. If you have a bedroom, workshop or other frequently-inhabited room or spot inside this radius, consider changing its use to a closet or some other function.
• If you live in a multi-housing complex or work in a multi-office building, find out where the Smart meters are located. Banks of multiple meters are a worst-case scenario that you should steer clear of at all times. If you discover your work location or apartment is within 100 feet of a meter bank, consider moving or transferring to a location farther away. Alternatively, you can hire an EMF safety expert or electrician to help you devise an EMF shielding solution. Be sure to test the shield after it's installed to make sure it's blocking the radiation.
• Since Smart meters aren't UL listed, you should also keep an eye on any unit that has been recently installed. House fires are known to occur. Warning signs to watch out for: the smell of burning nylon or plastic (copper wire sheathing); frequently-tripping circuit breakers; GFCI wall receptacles constantly de-activated; or electrical equipment acting erratically.
• If you still own a conventional utility meter, you should be able to refuse installation of a Smart meter, since there's no law that says you have to have one. And if you want to replace a Smart meters with a conventional model, you should be able to do that as well. Contact your utility company for information about what brands and models will work for connecting to the utility, gas or water main, and any additional costs involved in switching back.

Step 3: Adjust Your Mobile Phone Settings and Charging Routine

To activate your speaker phone, first dial a number or answer a call, press the speaker icon on the screen that appears, and then place the phone away from you. Other options to protecting your head and neck from RF radiation include using a headset or plugging into a car dashboard console. Above, an Iphone screen shows the speaker icon selected. Photo: TheCityEdition.com

Since most of us use our mobile phones constantly, these radiofrequency-churning devices represent a primary focus for preventative action. Happily, there's a ton of things you can do to vastly limit your radiation risk. Creating a check-off list of all the options available should help get the job done.

• Whenever dialing a call, activate the speaker phone icon immediately afterwards, then set the phone on a table or away from your body for the course of the conversation. Alternatively, purchase a good-quality headset. Most headsets are quite frankly junk, including the ones that come free with most cell phones, so finding the right product will require research. A tube-type headset is considered preferable to the common copper-wire type.
• Never carry a cell phone in your clothes, bra, cell phone holster or within a foot of your body unless it's powered off or in airplane mode.
• When using your phone's wireless mode for internet or apps, put the phone in flight mode first, then activate the wireless mode. This turns off the phone/text signaling, which lessens EMF exposures. Once you're finished with WiFi/internet task work, you can then exit flight mode to check for calls and messages.
• Avoid phone calls while in your car unless you're plugged into your car dashboard console. Otherwise the microwaves coming and going from your phone antenna will be bouncing off the metal of the car chassis that surrounds you. These bouncing signals pass through your head and body again and again. Alternatively, buy a six foot USB cable, and lower your phone outside your window. Then communicate through either the car console or a hard-wired headset.
• Limit mobile phone calls to under ten minutes. Text your friends instead and use a land line for longer calls.
• Get in the habit of checking for new voice communications periodically, rather than leaving your phone in wireless mode all day.
• Switch from phone calls to texting with your friends.
• Unless you're expecting an important call, get in the habit of leaving the phone in Flight mode and checking for messages periodically throughout the day. You should also place your phone in Flight mode before going to bed and whenever you're charging it.
• If you're a frequent phone user at home, spend the extra money and get a land line installed. Remember, cordless phones put out enormous EMF's 24/7, making the switch to a land line pointless.
• If you constantly use your phone to check Facebook posts or other messaging apps, break this habit. Excessive social media browsing exposes you to EMF radiation for no good reason.
• Since a mobile phone must power on in order to charge, put it in flight mode when you set it aside for charging. Keep in mind that the charger itself emits a slight EMF, so never keep the adapter close to your body.
• When using your phone as an alarm clock, put it in Flight mode at night, as a cell phone signal isn't necessary. If you're expecting a call from a ride service the next morning, that's another story. In this scenario, be sure to keep the phone away from your bed and body.

Step 4: Adjust Settings and Usage Habits for Your Laptops, Tablets & Desktop Computers

Note: Routers are addressed in Step 5.

To reduce EMF exposures from all the wireless devices you own:

• Like mobile phones, place all computers, tablets and printers in Airplane mode (or offline) when not in use, or power them off completely.
• When shopping for any electronic/computer/wireless device, be sure to check the wattage (power) spec. A lower number means less radiation gets emitted. In the case of laptops, the adapter rating (e.g. 65 watts) also provides this number. As explained in Step 6 below, displays, batteries and control boards all produce hard-wired EMF's in addition to wireless microwaves.
• Some wireless devices, like Smart appliances and baby monitors, may require a quick read of the user manual in order to disable their wireless transmission. If there's no setting for this, power off the appliance or device when it's not being used. (For convenience, you can connect a remote on/off switch to this and other devices that plug into the wall.) For some appliances, powering off means losing the clock setting, and while that's a nuisance, compared to the alternative of slowly losing your health from 24/7 RF wave propagation it should be taken in stride. You can also just cover the time display up with cardboard if you don't need it.
• Avoid holding a tablet, laptop or electronic gaming device in your lap, as this exposes your skin, testicles, ovaries, internal organs and blood circulation to radiation at close range.
• When possible, leave your laptop or tablet adapter unplugged while using the device, since adapters generate an EMF as well. Otherwise, set the adapter away from your body.
• At night, recharge all your devices in an unoccupied room.
• Desktop computers should not be set up alongside a bed unless you plan to power off all components any time to plan to lie down on it.

Step 5: Reduce Radiation Exposure From Routers

Shopping for a router is not as easy as it used to be. Nowadays, you'll find lots of obscure specs to contemplate, which is unfortunate, since what you ultimately choose can have significant health impacts, depending on the intensity of the radiation produced. Above is a photo, not of a router, but an "ethernet network switch". You may have to buy this additional item, which connects to a wireless router for the purpose of using hard-wired connections. Photo: tp Link

Since routers are a mini-version of a cell tower, they emit considerably more RF waves than computers and other devices that receive their signals. As in the case of mobile phones, they're sold at either a "low-density" frequency of 2.4 gigahertz or "high-density" frequency of 5+ gigahertz. Because the 5G models may be more dangerous due to the millimeter waves they produce, see if a low-density model will work for all your devices. (Note: Many 5G reviewers have criticized the claim of faster downloading as wildly exaggerated, since 2.4gH waves transmit more efficiently.)

In fact, you don't even need wireless for most of your home and office equipment. Way back in the olden days of the early 2000's, before WiFi came along, everyone connected their electronics to a router via hard-wired Ethernet cables . And Ethernet is still alive and well. These cables connect as easily as USB cables and transmit signals faster than wireless mode. Routers themselves used to include four ethernet ports in addition to the unit's wireless capacity. That's not always the case now, but a new product, called an Ethernet Network Switch, allows you accomplish the same thing. But first make sure the router you own or buy has an off/switch for the wireless function. If you can't turn wireless off, it defeats the whole purpose of the ethernet cables.

Other recommendations include:

• When out and about town, avoid hanging out in places that have lots of routers and mobile phones crammed into one space. This applies to internet cafes, colleges, libraries and hospitals. (Alternatively, visit these locations when there's less of a crowd.) To determine how much propagation is going on in any particular spot, check "available networks" on your mobile phone or laptop to see how many routers, phones and other devices are propagating there.
• Always turn off wireless mode or unplug your router at night. Getting a good night's sleep free microwave propagation and other EMF exposure is essential to maintaining your health. While it may take ten minutes to get the unit reconnected to the internet the next morning, that's a minor inconvenience compared to sacrificing the health of everyone in your household. Some routers allow you to set designated hours for the wireless transmitter to turn on and off automatically each day. You can also attach a remote switch to the device so you can power it on and off remotely
• When shopping for a router, opt for a the low-density 2.4 gigahertz model. Any 5G electronics should still work, but check the product literature to make sure. Units with multiple antennas indicate excessively intense wave propagation, which is unnecessary for most small to medium size homes. A 50-foot range really should be enough.
• Before purchasing Ethernet cables to use with your router or Ethernet Network Switch, determine the length of cable you'll need to connect to computers and other applicable wireless devices in each room, including your printer (if it's not already connected with a USB cable).
• If you'll be using the router's wireless function frequently, you'll have to place the router in a place far from inhabited areas to limit exposure. That may mean you'll need longer cables. The attic or laundry room may be good placement options. For convenience, attach a remote switch to the router so you turn it on and off anywhere in the home.
• If you prefer to rent a router from your cable/dish/phone company (which, incidentally, is not as cost-effective as owning your own router), ask for the lower density model and make sure it has both hard-wired ports and an on/off switch for wireless mode. As explained above, you'll want the cable company installer to locate the router far away from bedrooms and other frequent-use areas like the kitchen and family room.
• Don't place a router near a food storage area, since its wireless radiation may degrade your food over time.

Step 6: Identify and Distance Yourself From Hard-Wired EMF's

All electrical components, electronics and wiring produce EMF's around them when voltage or current is activated. EMF's also hover around the utility service panel, generators and batteries providing power to them. Of course, the potential radiation danger for all these items varies, however. Generally the more wattage, amps or voltage of a component or appliance, the greater the EMF. Keep that in mind when setting up or re-arranging your office, kitchen, garage or other work area where all these components, appliances, tools, entertainment systems, and other consumer electronics may be located.

Here are some suggestions for preventing and limiting hard-wired exposures:

• When in operation, never linger next to any of your electric kitchen appliances, even your coffee maker. You should also avoid entertaining guests here or using the space for non-kitchen-related work activities.
• If the kitchen shares a wall with a bedroom or other frequently inhabited area of the house, alert family members to avoid placing, beds, chairs or sofas desks where they'll be within four feet of the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can try to limit the radiation by placing EMF shielding in the wall. (You'll need to test the effectiveness of this solution with an EMF meter after installation, when the refrigerator motor is operating)
• Do not use a work counter directly next to a refrigerator for more than a few minutes.
• If you have a microwave oven, it already contains electronic shielding in the form of a Faraday cage. The cage blocks the high-amplitude 2.4 gigahertz microwaves that heat your food inside the cooking chamber. As a rule, there shouldn't be any radiation leakage, but in practice older ovens can and do leak, most often because door seal loosens over time. An RF meter is needed to determine if this is the case.
• Avoid buying Smart appliances as they are always emitting wireless microwaves. They also communicate private data about your household to the Smart electric meter. If you already own Smart appliances, see if you can turn off their wireless communication except when you need it.
• The utility service panel, power tools and battery chargers in the garage also give off strong EMF's. While tools can be used for work activities, the duration of use should be kept to a minimum and bystanders should not stand in the work area. Welding equipment, grinders, table saws, air compressors and generators all produce large EMF's.
• Since they may be powered on 24/7, battery chargers should be housed in an out-of-the-way place. Alternatively, you can disconnect power to the chargers whenever you need to work within proximity of them.
• Avoid placing regularly needed tools and household items close to the utility service panel and Smart Meter. Otherwise you'll be constantly needing to visit this area, thereby exposing yourself to a potentially harmful amount of radiation.
• Entertainment electronics generate EMF's of different power densities. Generally, no one should linger within six feet of a television screen, even if it has an LED display. Large stereo speakers and amplifiers also generate strong EMF's because they have magnets inside them.
• Dimmer switches are another big producer of magnetic fields and are thought to contribute to dirty electricity problems in the home. Whether in use or not, they emit strong magnetic fields 24/7/365. The only effective way to stop their EMF emissions is by flipping the circuit breaker assigned to the utility circuit that feeds them. Alternatively, you can try covering the switches with a specially-designed metal plate that blocks the magnetic field from escaping. However, you'll need to test the effectiveness of this solution with an EMF meter before assuming the field has been neutralized.
• You can completely stop EMF radiation from hard-wired sources in your bedroom at night by flipping the circuit breaker assigned to the room. People who have Electro Hypersensitivity Syndrome routinely apply this fix to insure a good night's sleep free of EMF's. You can switch to battery operated lamps, clocks and other devices until morning.
• Avoid using digital clock radios as they have also generate an unusually robust EMF. Never have one close to your head while you sleep unless it's turned off. Alternatively, place it as far away as possible from your location, both day night. If you need an alarm clock, it's better to use a small battery-operated product.
• Unless you absolutely need them, minimize your use of or avoid entirely wireless baby monitors, electric blankets, electric hair dryers and other products with wireless capability or electric features known to generate high EMF's (motors, electric coils, antennas, etc.)
• When charging battery-operated tools, don't leave the batteries inside chargers indefinitely; remove them when the charging is complete and disconnect the charger from the wall socket.
• Consumer safety groups warn that compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL's), because they operate on a range of frequencies, also produce EMF's. To reduce your exposure, relocate lamps so no one has to sit or lie with a few feet of one. Also be aware that if there's a ceiling light fixture mounted directly below the floor where you're standing or sitting, its EMF may be within a foot of your body. Be extremely careful when handling fluorescent bulbs. Because they contain toxic mercury, if you break one, you may inhale the vapors. Always ventilate the room first before cleaning up the breakage. Be sure to wear gloves and package the waste in a bag you can seal.

Step 7: Diagnose and Fix Dirty Electricity Anomalies

Because electrical issues often require professional mitigation, property owners tend to put off repairs and ignore problems for as long as possible. However, dirty electricity is not a nuisance matter, and radiation-related illness may develop a lot sooner than with other equipment emitting EMF's. As explained in the main article on this website, women's health journalist Ann Louise Gittleman recounts specific cases of people who became sick at the hands of this little-known culprit. In her 2010 book Zapped! Gittleman attributed dirty electricity to:

• voltage transients moving through the utility grid into your home
• voltage transients generated by digital electronics in your home
• faulty wiring and aging circuits
• stray electric currents running along copper pipes, sometimes into sinks, bathtubs and water heaters
• electrical transformers, whether mounted on utility poles or humming inside appliances

Here are a few things you can do to investigate dirty electricity:

Step 8: Take Extra Precautions for Pregnancy, Infants & Children

If you're pregnant or have children, always remember that susceptibility to EMF radiation is much greater for anyone under 18, and even moreso in the case of a developing embryo or fetus. Be sure to do all the following:

• limit the use of all wireless electronics in the home as much as possible
• create an EMF-free nursery.
• discard aging appliances (without replacing them with Smart appliances).
• move beds away from wall outlets, large stereo speakers and appliances (like a refrigerator) operating on the other side of a wall.
• create an EMF-free nursery.
• create an EMF-free nursery.

A few other suggestions:

Step 9: Address EMF and Wireless Radiation at Work or School

If circumstances put you into close proximity to wireless microwaves for hours on end -- for instance, if you work in an internet cafe -- you'll be faced with harder choices if you want to safeguard your health. Don't fret, however. Worrying can be a worse affliction in the short run than the effects of more long-term EMF exposures. Instead, prepare and execute a plan to change a job or school as quickly as possible. At the same time, you must also be vigilant in monitoring your health for symptoms of radiation. Workers compensation should be granted for any illness or injury caused in the course of your employment, including conditions caused by EMF exposure. A physician's note may help with getting an accommodation in the short term, including reassignment away from high EMF environments

If your campus has gone wireless, ask the authorities or school nurse how you can limit your EMF exposures for health reasons. Of course, they may not know what you're talking about, so you should download and print out an article or two and share these with them during your visit. Always be diplomatic and nonconfrontive in order to gain their trust and cooperation. Once that's accomplished, ask them:

• about any suspect towers or stand-alone structures, microwave dishes,or locked rooms that may contain high EMF-emitting electronics, wireless transmitters or electrical equipment with motors or transformers near your classroom, study area, cafeteria, auditorium or athletic venue.
• what the school's indoor routers look like and where they're mounted in classrooms, libraries, laboratories, cafeterias, study areas and dormitories.
• whether or not the option for using a hard-wired (ethernet) connection with computers is available. (Of course, plugging a cable into the same environment where microwave propagatation is still taking place will not solve the problem. You'll also have to be reassigned to a room away from the reach of the wireless router).
• for copies of any reports, explanatory documents, or recorded measurements of EMF's taken from the objects and locations described above to determine if any of this equipment may be irradiating everyone on campus (especially for school-age kids and pregnant moms who may be employees or volunteers).

If you find school administrators uncooperative or punitive in responding to your requests, here are some remedies that might help:

• Document in writing all your interactions, including names and dates.
• Inform the school nurse about any specific health concerns, like tinnitus, headaches, heart palpitations, skin rashes and other symptoms you may have.
• Ask your parents to intervene on your behalf.
• Contact an EMF advocacy organization for advice.
• Enlist the aid of a lawyer familiar with EMF-related liability claims.
• Circulate a petition around the campus that asks the school to provide wired ethernet or newer fiber optic technology, as well as wireless-free zones on campus and timely accommodations to students reporting symptoms of radiation sickness.
• Write a letter to the school's health insurer explaining that school authorities are being unresponsive to EMF radiation concerns. (Send it by certified mail.)
• If you're currently experiencing symptoms of an EMF-related illness, ask your doctor for a note or letter explaining your diagnosis and suggesting suitable accommodations to limit your EMF exposures.

Step 10: Miscellaneous Advice and Tips

TSA body scanners at airports expose your body to an unknow level of radiation, but many EMF safety advocates urge fliers not to consent to potential health risk. At present, it's still possible to forego the scanner by asking for a patdown instead. If you plan to do this, be sure to add at least 30 minutes to the time it takes to reach your flight's boarding gate.

Ironically, hospitals present a substantial EMF health risk because of the sophisticated electronics and diagnosis equipment in use at these locations. In addition, every exam room is equipped with a wireless computer terminal for review and editing of patient records. While a short hospital stay isn't generally a problem for most people, folks with auto-immune diseases or cancer might conceivably have their conditions exacerbated unless extra precautions are taken.

Nowadays, most new cars and trucks come outfitted with wireless electronics. Be sure to read the vehicle manual to find out how to turn off the transmitting antennas when not in use. Since GPS map apps are routinely available on cell phones, there's no reason for you (or your children) to be irradiated all the time whenever you're driving. Other vehicle issues to consider

• Automobiles and other vehicles also emit EMF's. Basically, the more modern the vehicle, the greater the exposure you'll find packed onboard. Of course, base models have less bells and whistles than the premium, limited, etc.
• Since the passenger cabin is encased in a metal chassis, wireless waves coming from your phone or tire TPMS transmitters may be bouncing off the metal and passing through you over and over. See Step 3 above for alternative options for phone calls inside your vehicle. Note: It's illegal to disable TPMS tire valves. The best alternative is to buy an older car or truck that doesn't use them.
• To reduce your exposure while driving, keep the dashboard radio/computer display turned off except when you need to use it to adjust settings.
• If your ignition key includes a remote function, there will also be a continuous wireless signal propagating from the dashboard. You can contact your dealership to have this signal disabled, and simply use your key in the old-fashioned way for opening the door. Note: Doing this may disable your car theft alarm as well, so ask how if there's an alternative way to turning the alarm on and off.
• Many new vehicles also have fuse boxes installed below the steering wheel or elsewhere in the passenger cabin. It's unclear how much of an EMF this generates, but if you're body is within 18 inches of the fuses, you may want to consider a shielding solution, such as aluminum screen placed over the plastic cover plate.

Although different from EMF's, blue light radiation emitted from computer and cell phone displays can damage your vision over time. Of course, by having bright light around you (i.e. daylight and/or incandescent lighting), the radiation is dispersed. But many people, especially kids and young adults, routinely spend hours on a Smartphone, laptop or wireless game in pitch black darkness, either on their beds, at night clubs or restaurants, creating or exacerbating the health risk. To help mitigate the problem, blue light screen filters can be purchased online. There's also free software that automatically adjusts the screen light and colors to the temperature or time of day. One product, called "f.lux" can be downloaded from the product website.

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