Overview
- A social‑media thread by wellness entrepreneur Peter Cowan linking soft‑tissue injuries to low‑frequency EMFs near the 49ers’ facility surged in attention after George Kittle’s Achilles rupture.
- UC Davis radiology professor Jerrold Bushberg says there is no firmly established evidence that typical 60‑hertz exposures cause biological harm in humans.
- EMF researcher Frank Barnes says the purported link cannot be ruled in or out and recommends agreed‑upon measurements, noting a reported 8.5‑microtesla reading would exceed typical home levels without proving harm.
- The Mission Substation has operated beside the team’s practice fields since the 1980s, complicating narratives that recent moves explain injury patterns.
- The NFL, the 49ers, and Silicon Valley Power declined or did not respond to inquiries, and studies on EMF effects remain mixed, including research into possible healing applications.