Investigation of natural levels of copper in fungi as protection in wearable textiles for electrically sensitive individuals

Linda, Row, Venkatraman, Prabhuraj D, Apeagyei, Phoebe and Velusamy, Viji (2018) Investigation of natural levels of copper in fungi as protection in wearable textiles for electrically sensitive individuals. In: Textiles and Place 2018, 12 April 2018 - 13 April 2018, Manchester, UK.

Preview

Available under License In Copyright. Download (6MB) | Preview

Abstract

Electro-smog from technologies such as Wi-Fi and mobile phones are a ubiquitous part of modern-day living and the incidence of electro hypersensitivity is rising. The growing number of individuals who are sensitive to electromagnetic fields is the forewarning of an emergent dystopia, from symptoms including skin rashes, heart palpitations and headaches to brain fog and attention deficit disorder. Efforts to address such detrimental concerns have become crucial in all sectors including the wearable technology in the fashion industry. To establish a mechanism for neutralizing the potentially harmful effects of manmade radiation, a pilot study was undertaken by this study to hypothesise and test that the hyper-accumulation of copper, in some species of fungi, could be extracted and used as a protective element for the electrically sensitive population in wearable textiles. Three samples of silk, pre-mordanted with alum or pomegranate skins, were treated with an extract of either Shiitake (Lentinula edodes), Blewit (Lepista nuda) or Button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Applied kinesiology (Manual muscle testing) was further employed to determine the change in muscle strength of participants with the treated silk. The results showed that there was a significant difference between muscle strength and the fungi treated silk during exposure to cell phone radiation. Blewit and alum produced a better muscle response, warranting further experimental work with this variant. The study combines traditional and innovative methods of neutralizing electromagnetic fields.