HOMEFRONT

It’s not enough that earthlings of the ‘90s have to protect themselves from the sun, the sky, the water and other natural hazards, but now we face endangerment from Mr. Toaster. Recent studies have linked exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) to the development of cancer and fetal complications, generating anxiety in an already edgy population.

EMFs are the inevitable byproduct of an addiction to alternating electrical current. Power lines are an obvious source, but potentially dangerous EMFs are also radiated by anything that’s plugged in--from espresso machines to VCRs. The only sure-fire way to escape is to chuck the electronic gadgets and trudge back to the Stone Age. Fortunately, EMF levels drop off quickly as they radiate and experts say that distance, even a matter of inches, minimizes the hazard. Enter Theta Sciences Inc., a San Diego-based company that recently introduced a hand-held EMF detector, The HFS-IV Home Field Sensor. For $49.95, it locates “hot spots,” ranging from 0-200 milligaus. Anything more than six is potentially dangerous--standing two feet away from a TV, for example, exposes you to about 50 milligaus. But Hal Buscher, 50, and Robert Le Clair, 32, the aerospace engineers behind Theta Sciences, admit that there are no “safe” readings. And until the Environmental Protection Agency sets standards (the report is still in draft form), they advise “prudent avoidance,” rearranging the furniture if necessary. Perhaps finding that cave isn’t such a bad idea.