Are there human health risks from exposure (or overexposure) to radio wave radiation? If so:
· Describe the main risk(s).
· Describe common sources of exposure (or overexposure).
· Describe a technology, device, or behavior that can be used for protection, or to decrease exposure.
Yes there are human health risks from exposure or overexposure to radio wave radiation. The main risks are: You can get cancer, heat burns, High doses of RF radiation can cause injuries through heating. For example, some people accidentally exposed to large amounts of RF radiation from radar equipment have developed severe burns. But it’s not clear if exposure to lower levels of RF radiation, even over long periods of time, can have harmful health effects.
People who are near microwave radar equipment can be exposed to enough pulsed microwave radiation (a type of RF radiation) that they begin to hear clicking noises. This is sometimes called RF hearing and does not seem to cause long term health problems.
Although there is concern that people exposed to low levels of microwaves over long periods of time in their jobs could have an increased risk of cataracts or loss of fertility (in men), this has not been seen in large studies.A number of studies have looked at the possible link between cell phones and cancer. Although some studies have shown a possible link, many others have not. The possible link between cell phones and cancer is hard to study for many reasons, including the relatively short time that cell phones have been in widespread use, changes in the technology over time, and difficulty in estimating each person’s exposure. The possible link between cell phones and cancer risk is discussed in detail in Cellular Phones. Cell phones and cell phone towers use RF radiation to transmit and receive signals. Some concerns have been raised that these signals might increase the risk of cancer, and research in this area continues. For more detailed information, see Cellular Phones and Cellular Phone Towers. Microwave ovens work by using very high levels of a certain frequency of RF radiation (in the microwave spectrum) to heat foods. When microwaves are absorbed by food containing water, it causes the water molecules to vibrate, which produces heat. Microwaves do not use x-rays or gamma rays, and they do not make food radioactive. Microwave ovens can cook food, but they do not otherwise change the chemical or molecular structure of it. Microwave ovens are designed so that the microwaves are contained within the oven itself. The oven only makes microwaves when the door is shut and the oven is turned on. When microwave ovens are used according to instructions, there is no evidence that they pose a health risk to people. In the US, federal standards limit the amount of radiation that can leak from a microwave oven to a level far below what would harm people. Ovens that are damaged or modified, however, could allow microwaves to leak out, and so could pose a hazard to people nearby by potentially causing burns.
Although some people have been injured from microwave ovens, most often they have been burns from contact with steam or hot food. In many airports in the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uses full body scanners to screen passengers. The scanners currently used by the TSA use millimeter wave imaging. These scanners send out a small amount of millimeter wave radiation (a type of RF radiation) toward the person in the scanner. The RF radiation passes through clothing and bounces off the person’s skin as well as any objects under the clothes. The radiation is sensed by receivers that create images of the person. Millimeter wave scanners do not use x-rays (or any other kind of high-energy radiation) and the amount of RF radiation used is very low. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these scanners have no known health effects. However, TSA often allows people to be screened in a different way if they object to screening with these scanners. People can be exposed to RF radiation from both natural and man-made sources.
Hope this helps.!
~A.W~ZoomZoom44
