Dangers of EMF Radiation

We live in a sea of electromagnetic radiation. Televisions, light bulbs, the sun, radios, cellphones, power lines, navigation aids -- all emit or use electromagnetic radiation. Each new electronic device we buy adds waves to that electronic sea. So perhaps it's natural that when we search for explanations for health problems, we're tempted to look towards these invisible fields that surround us.

The Electromagnetic Field

• In the middle of the 19th century, an Englishman by the name of James Clerk Maxwell linked together a set of equations, and unified electricity and magnetism. One of the implications of his equations was that a source with a moving electrical charge could create a linked electric and magnetic field that would propagate endlessly, supporting itself to infinity. Suddenly, the nature of light waves was revealed: it was a travelling electromagnetic field (EMF).

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

• Visible light makes up just a tiny portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

  But it was a lot more than light that was explained. Maxwell's equations showed that the propagating electromagnetic fields would travel at the same speed no matter how long their wavelength, or, equivalently, no matter how slow their frequency. Now we know that visible light is just one tiny portion of an electromagnetic spectrum that reaches from long radio waves to extremely short gamma rays.

Electromagnetic Field Energy

• The beginning of the 20th century added to our understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum. Einstein received his Nobel Prize for showing that electromagnetic radiation consists of "wavelike particles" called photons; the energy carried in each photon is proportional to the frequency of the wave. This means that shorter wavelengths carry more energy than longer wavelengths.

Health Effects of EMF Radiation

• X-rays are energetic "ionizing" radiation and exposure should be limited.

  Electromagnetic radiation with enough energy to rip an electron right off of an atom is called "ionizing" radiation. Because molecules are tied together through the electrons they share, ionizing radiation can break molecular bonds. This kind of damage to a biological molecule can cause serious health problems, including cancer. X-rays and gamma rays are a highly-energetic ionizing radiation. Ultraviolet light is the lowest frequency EMF radiation that can cause cellular damage.

Dangers from Radio Waves

• Put simply: none. The highest frequency cellphone radiation, for example, is 2 GHz (2 gigahertz is 2 billion vibrations per second). The lowest frequency UV light that can cause damage is at a frequency of about 750 THz (750 THz is 750 trillion vibrations per second). Cellphone radiation is 400,000 times less energetic than that UV light. If the molecule was a brick wall and ultraviolet light was a 165-pound cannonball that could dent the wall, cellphone EMF would be like a cotton ball thrown at the wall. No matter how many cotton balls are thrown at the wall, it's not going to be damaged. That's why radio waves can't damage our cells.

The Fuss Over EMF

• The studies linking EMF radiation to health problems are all "after the fact." Two office workers develop leukemia, for example, and then it's found their office was next to a power substation. The problem is that there are thousands of other people who work near substations who don't develop leukemia. If there was a strong health effect due to EMF radiation, then it would show up as a clear and consistent factor in the development of disease. It doesn't. On the other hand, people who live near power lines develop cancer -- but so do people who don't live near power lines. There are environmental effects on health, but all the evidence shows that EMF radiation is extremely unlikely to have significant deleterious effects.