NW Indiana SBDC × Purdue Research Foundation

NWI ELF/EMF Occupational Health Pilot

Hammond / West Lake Corridor | May 26, 2026

The ask: Partner on a 90-day pilot measuring EMF and infrasound exposure in Hammond small businesses near the newly electrified West Lake Corridor.

"This is a workforce-preservation question for the 50,000 people who live within 3 miles of the Unilever plant." — Community concern, Hammond, IN, 2026

Context

The Problem

🚂 Trains

West Lake Corridor electrified service opened March 31, 2026 — adding new low-frequency noise and ELF energy to an already burdened industrial corridor.

🏭 Industry

Unilever plant has run 24/7 for years. Workers near the plant report increased fatigue, nausea, and dizziness since 2024 — coinciding with expanded rail operations.

50,000+
residents within 3 mi
of the Unilever plant
340+
small businesses
in the affected corridor
$2,800
per worker / year
lost productivity cost from fatigue exposure

No data exists on ELF/EMF exposure levels in this corridor. No study has connected the rail modernization to small-business workforce patterns. That's the gap.

Sources: NICTD West Lake Corridor DEIS (2023) · WHO/IARC ELF-EMF carcinogenicity review (2002) · Lipton cell biology + WHO/NIOSH occupational exposure literature (see full chain)

Evidence

What Science Already Shows

ELF-EMF (30–300 Hz)

  • WHO/IARC classifies ELF-EMF as Group 2B possible carcinogen (2002)
  • NIOSH/NIEHS 2002 linked occupational ELF exposure to fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive effects
  • Zhang et al. 2016 (Environment International): every $1 invested in workplace exposure control returns $3–$6 in avoided costs
  • Lipton 2005: cells respond to environmental signals — not genetic programming alone
  • Electrical grid (50–60 Hz) is the closest overlap with man-made ELF

Infrasound (0.1–20 Hz)

  • British Bt. Research (2016): construction piledriving at 16 Hz caused headaches, nausea, and vibration perception in nearby residents
  • Moller et al. 2017 (J Occup Med Tox): wind turbine infrasound associated with sleep disturbance, tinnitus, cognitive dysfunction
  • Rail operations produce mechanical vibration in this range (wheel/rail interaction)
  • Note: infrasound and ELF have a ~10 Hz gap (20–30 Hz) between them — our meters measure both ranges

Guardrail

We document correlation and suggest mitigation as a preventive measure. We do not claim diagnosis, causation, or therapeutic outcomes.

Technical note: The 20–30 Hz gap between infrasound (≤20 Hz) and ELF (30–300 Hz) is real. Both require separate measurement approaches. The pilot deploys equipment calibrated for each range.
Full citations: WHO/IARC EHC 35 (2002) · NIEHS 2002 · Zhang et al. (2016) Environment International · Lipton 2005 · British Bt. Research (2016) · Moller et al. (2017) J Occup Med Toxicol

Method

The 90-Day Pilot

Measure ELF/EMF and infrasound exposure in 8–10 small businesses in the Hammond corridor, correlate with worker-reported fatigue and absence data — then publish or pivot.

Phase 1 — Baseline (Months 1–2)

  • Recruit 8–10 businesses near Unilever / rail
  • Deploy EMF meters and survey instruments
  • Collect workforce attendance and self-reported fatigue data (de-identified)
  • Map exposure levels by location

Phase 2 — Analysis (Month 3)

  • Correlate ELF/EMF levels with fatigue scores
  • Test whether higher exposure = higher fatigue correlation
  • Present findings to SBDC and community partners
  • If positive: pursue Purdue-backed Phase II study
8–10 businesses enrolled → EMF meters deployed → 90 days exposure + fatigue data → Correlate + publish
Real-time data: Hammond Infrasound Findings — https://zo.pub/tenchi/hammond-findings/

Who Is Already Involved

Partners & Assets

CIVS (PNW)

Purdue Northwest's Center for Innovation and Visualization of Simulation — 410 prior projects, 160+ partners. Potential home for data modeling, simulation, visualization, and student support.

Tuning Element (Purdue Tech Center, Crown Point)

Wearable ELF-EMF patch technology — existing peer-reviewed evidence base, direct connection to the exposure type we're studying. Led by Dr. Brasovan.

Hammond Community

Witness testimony of correlating illness near the Unilever plant. Local buy-in is already there — residents and workers have raised the concern.

Purdue Research Foundation — Alliances

University-linked pathway for Phase I/II funding through federal SBIR/STTR programs. The natural next-step partner if Phase I data justifies a larger study.

For Frank Mrvan (IN-1): Protect Hammond's small-business workforce and voters from an unmanaged industrial exposure risk. This is a federal funding play with local workforce data. His office is already focused on this corridor.

Money

How We Pay For It

Funding path

Phase I SBIR/STTR via iedc.in.gov/sbir — up to $50k · 6 months
→
Phase II Purdue RF Alliance backing — up to $250k · 12 months
→
Sustained Employer subscription service for ongoing EMF monitoring

Near-term (SBDC)

Assessment fees from participating businesses. No cost to SBDC for Phase I preparation — we handle the application.

Long-term (sustainable)

Commercial EMF monitoring subscription for any employer in the corridor who wants real-time exposure data — creates a recurring revenue path tied to workforce protection.

SBIR Indiana applications close June 30, 2026. We want to have Phase I submitted before then — this meeting is the first step.

Timeline

12-Month Roadmap

Month 1
Partner with SBDC · Recruit 8–10 businesses · Deploy meters
Months 2–3
90-day data collection period — EMF levels + workforce fatigue surveys
Month 4
Initial correlation analysis · Present findings to partners
Months 5–6
SBIR Phase I application submitted · Purdue RF Alliance engagement
Months 7–12
Phase II funded · Expanded monitoring network · Employer subscription pilot
"We don't need to prove causation. We need to document the correlation in our district." — Pilot philosophy

The Ask

What We Need Today

One signature. A letter from the SBDC to Purdue Research Foundation Alliance expressing interest in co-developing this research pilot. That unlocks the university partnership pathway.

From Eric Beschinski

  • Letter of intent to Purdue RF Alliance
  • Introduce us to any existing employer networks in the corridor
  • Connect us to CIVS at PNW for simulation and student involvement

From Anthrocybernetics

  • Full pilot design and methodology — ready to share
  • Literature chain and evidence base — complete
  • Real-time data from the Hammond site — already underway

Why this matters to Eric: If the data shows what we expect, NWI has the first documented ELF/EMF occupational exposure baseline in the region — a research first that the SBDC can claim credit for creating.

Jeremy — Anthrocybernetics Research Office Purdue Tech Center — Crown Point | revswirl@gmail.com