Electromagnetic Radiation
Can radiation from electrical appliances, power lines, microwave ovens, and wireless technology such as cell phones and baby monitors alter our DNA, cause illness and lead to disease?
In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) consists of waves of the electromagnetic (EM) field, which propagate through space and carry electromagnetic radiant energy. It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, (visible) light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. All of these waves form part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
What are examples of electromagnetic radiation?
Radiation Examples
- ultraviolet light from the sun
- heat from a stove burner
- sound waves from your stereo
- microwaves from a microwave oven
- electromagnetic radiation from your cell phone
- microwave radiation from your wifi router
- beta particle radiation from a sample of strontium-90
- gamma radiation from a supernova
- x-rays from an x-ray machine
- radio waves
- a laser beam
- ultraviolet light from a black light
- alpha particles emitted from the radioactive decay of uranium
As you can see, most of the examples on this list are examples from the electromagnetic spectrum, but the energy source doesn’t need to be light or magnetism to qualify as radiation. Sound, after all, is a different form of energy. Alpha particles are moving, energetic helium nuclei (particles)
At the turn of the 20th century, electric power lines and indoor lighting spread across the world. Scientists realized that the power lines supplying all that energy to the world’s population were sending off EMFs, just like the sun does naturally, but more damaging.
Over the years, scientists learned that many of the emerging electrical appliances also create EMFs. As the medical world advanced, much of its diagnostic and treatment equipment, like imaging devices for X-rays and CT scans, were also found to make EMFs.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified non-ionizing EMFs in the radiofrequency range as Group 2B, a possible human carcinogen. These fields are produced by electronic products like cellphones, smart devices, and tablets.
IARC operates under the World Health Organization (WHO). It convenes working groups of scientists from around the world regularly to evaluate the cancer risks presented to humans by environmental and lifestyle factors.
The current IARC evaluation from 2011 pointed to a possible link between RF radiation and cancer in people, particularly glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer.
This conclusion means that there could be some risk. The report emphasized that the link between cellphone use and cancer risk needs to be carefully monitored by the scientific community. It said more research was needed into long-term, heavy use of mobile phones.
Some researchers feel there’s already enough evidence of harm from long-term, low-level exposure to non-ionizing radiation that the IARC should upgrade the classification to a Group 1, a known carcinogen.
Researchers began substantial research into the potential link between cellphones and cancer in 2000 in what would become the largest studyTrusted Source to compare cancer cases in cellphone users and nonusers.
The gliomas were more often found on the same side of the head that people used to speak on the phone.
The researchers followed cancer rates and cellphone use in more than 5,000 people in 13 countries. They found a loose connection between the highest rate of exposure and glioma.
Even so, the researchers said that the connection wasn’t strong enough to conclude that cellphone use caused cancer.
In a smaller, more recent study, researchers analyzed data over almost 2 decades and found that people exposed to high levels of extremely low-level frequency magnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) over a long duration showed an increased risk of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of leukemia in adults.
European scientists also uncovered a possible link between EMF and leukemia in children. In a literature review of previous studies, they suggested that between 1.5 to 5 percent of childhood leukemia can be attributed to ELF-EMFs.
But they noted that the result was inconclusive because monitoring of EMF was lacking. They recommended more research and better monitoring.
One reviewTrusted Source of more than two dozen studies on low-frequency EMFs suggests that these energy fields may cause various neurological and psychiatric problems in people.
In one study, researchers found that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), or a short burst of electromagnetic energy, can affect nerve activity in rats.
They suggested that long-term EMP exposure could be harmful to cognitive ability and may induce pathology similar to that of Alzheimer’s disease.
Also, tentative research suggests that the body’s tissues and its nervous system may be affected by the heat generated by RF-EMFs. A studyTrusted Source conducted on rats and mice suggested that the heat from cellphones affected body tissue heating and nerve activity. Again, researchers said more study is needed.
Another research reviewTrusted Source suggested that radiofrequency EMFs might contribute to neurological cognitive disorders.
Most researchers said further studies are needed.
Can radiation from electrical appliances, power lines, microwave ovens, and wireless technology such as cell phones and baby monitors alter our DNA, cause illness and lead to disease?
Possible symptoms related to EMFs in the studies included:
- headache
- tremor
- dizziness
- memory loss
- loss of concentration
- sleep disturbance
Danger levels
EMF exposure levels are monitored and enforced at the global, national, and local levels in a varied patchwork of procedures by multiple organizations, depending on where you live.
The electric industry in the United Kingdom maintains a database where you can see the widely varied exposure limits and enforcement measures in countries around the world.
Internationally, the primary guidance on radiofrequency EMFs comes from the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). It bases its guidelines on its evaluation over many years of peer-reviewed scientific literature concerning health effects from RF EMF exposure.
ICNIRP is a non-governmental organization recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source.
In 2020, WHO updated its international ICNIRP Guidelines for limiting exposure to larger RF electromagnetic fields ranging from 100 KHz (kilohertz) to 300 GH (gigahertz).
The ICNERP guidelines currently specify that people at work shouldn’t be exposed to current electric densities in the body’s head, neck and trunk of greater than 10 mA m-2 (the “basic restriction”).
A lower limit of 2 mA m-2 is given for the general population to account for children and people who may be more sensitive.
The expression 10 mA m-2 represents a measurement of electric current density. It translates as “10 milliamperes per meter squared.”
A milliampere is one 1/1000th of an ampere. It’s the level above which electric and magnetic fields have been shown to have effectsTrusted Source on bodily tissue and cognitive brain function.
In the United States, there are no federal restrictions on overall EMF exposure, but a few states have issued their own restrictions. Also, a variety of federal governmental agencies have responsibility for managing EMF exposure from certain products and technologies.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coordinates EMF exposure recommendations in the United States. It generally relies on the ICNERP Guidelines.
In its EMF Guidelines, the EPA points out that the ICNERP EMF exposure limits protect people from “well-known biological and health effects of exposure to high EMF levels.”
But the EPA takes a difference stance on low levels of EMF radiation. The EPA states in its EMF Guidelines that it neither recommends nor imposes limits on low-level EMFs because there’s no scientific evidence that low levels of electromagnetic radiation damage human health.
To support its statement regarding the relative safety of low-level EMF radiation, the EPA issued its 2020 official reportTrusted Source, a literature review of 70 major studies conducted between 2008 and 2018. The report focused on cancer but also discussed many other health concerns.
In the United States, a variety of governmental agencies have specific responsibilities for managing EMF exposure from various technologies, facilities, and products. Local governments sometimes impose their own controls and regulations. Here are some examples of federal controls:
- Electronic devices. Standards for all electronic devices emitting non-ionizing or ionizing radiation are set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source.
- Cell phones. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets exposure limits on electromagnetic radiation from both cell phones and cell phone towers. The FCC rules and guidelines are based on standards developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP), plus input from other governmental agencies.
- Smart meters. The FCC sets exposure limits for radiation emitted from smart meters, those boxes on sides of houses and businesses that use a cellular transmitter to track power consumption.
- Power lines. Currently, there are no federal restrictions on EMFs from power lines in either residential or occupational settings.
- Medical use. Many medical devices and procedures use ionizing radiation to diagnose and treat conditions and disease. Some examples include X-rays, CT scans, and radiation therapy. Various regulatory agencies share responsibility for the safety of these procedures and devices, including the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the FDA, the EPA, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
- Nuclear power. Several regulatory agencies share responsibility for regulating nuclear power and coordinating disaster response, including the EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the NRC.
- Imported products. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screens imported goods to be sure they’re free of harmful substances.
- Workplace. Exposure to EMF in workplaces is governed by legislation and enforced by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).
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