Wave
2-4 Effect on human body
In spite of the introduction to electromagnetic wave, we still doubt whether electromagnetic wave will damage human health. Now, let’s see the opinions of experts or civil groups!
Research report made by World Health Organization (WHO) onelectromagnetic wave
WHO: no evidence can prove that electromagnetic wave will have a negative effect on human health.
WHO: no evidence can prove that electromagnetic wave will have a negative effect on human health.
With the increase of global electronic products and wireless devices, WHO has engaged itself into the research whether electromagnetic field (EMF) has a negative effect on human health since 1996. So far, WHO has published “No. 193 Report” and “No. 304 Report” and both of them holds that “no scientific evidence can prove that the weak electromagnetic wave produced by base station will have a negative effect on human health”; “No. 322 Report” also specially indicates that no scientific evidence supports that extremely low frequency electromagnetic field is related to childhood leukemia.
● No. 193 Report: the strength of frequency modulation electromagnetic field caused by mobile phone can only penetrate human body by several centimeters. Human body will produce heat after absorbing the energy of frequency modulation, but the normal temperature regulation mechanism in human body will remove the heat.
● No. 208 Report: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the jurisdiction of the WHO classifies the electromagnetic wave produced by mobile phone into Grade 2B “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, namely “the evidence in epidemiology is limited and evidence in animal experiment is limited or insufficient”.
●No. 296 Report: some people hold that their heath is related to the exposure of electromagnetic field. Such sensitive reaction to electromagnetic field is usually called “electromagnetic field hypersensitivity (EHS)” and the symptoms include skin redness, stabbing pain, burning senseation, neurasthenia, fatigue, toil, lack of concentration, dizziness, nausea, digestive disorder, etc. Some EHS patients have suffered mild symptoms which can be relieved if they keep away from source of radiation. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and no scientific evidence can prove that the two factors are positively correlated with each other.
●No. 304 Report: as proved by scientific literature, human health effect related to radio frequency electromagnetic wave often happens to those people who are densely exposed to industrial equipment to have the high body temperature. Relatively, electromagnetic wave of base station has too little effect on the rise of human body temperature to affect human health. In the past 15 years, various researches reviewing the relationship between radio frequency electromagnetic wave and cancer showed that no evidence can prove the causal relationship between radio frequency electromagnetic wave and cancer.
●No. 322 Report: the current scientific evidence about childhood leukemia still cannot support the causal relationship between extremely low frequency electromagnetic field and childhood leukemia.
IARC under the jurisdiction of the WHO classifies the electromagnetic wave produced by mobile phone into Grade 2B “possibly carcinogenic to humans” through these researches, namely “the evidence in epidemiology is limited and evidence in animal experiment is limited or insufficient, and the evidence of carcinogenic risk for electromagnetic wave produced by base station is also insufficient.
Classification grade |
Classification description |
Example |
Grade 1 |
Have sufficient evidence in epidemiology |
Asbestos, tobacco, X-ray, areca nut, alcoholic beverage, wood shavings, processed meat products (including hot dog, ham, sausage, bacon, corned beef), etc. |
Grade 2A |
Have sufficient evidence in animal experiment |
Sunlamp, ultraviolet radiation, deep fried starch, DDT, red meat, etc. |
Grade 2B |
Have limited evidence in animal experiment |
Coffee, pickled vegetable, extremely low frequency magnetic field (for childhood leukemia), electromagnetic wave of mobile phone, etc. |
Grade 3 |
Have insufficient evidence both in epidemiology and animal experiment |
Methylbenzene, ampicillin, pypocholoride, etc. |
Other civil groups
I. Taiwan Electromagnetic Radiation Hazard Protection and Control Association (TEPCA)
Whatever extremely low frequency electromagnetic field or radio frequency electromagnetic radiation mentioned in the text has been proved to possibly harm human health. It is rarely known by people that long-term exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic field may cause childhood leukemia or cancer. Electromagnetic radiation may damage DNA to affect gene function and cause long-term illness. The authorities in Sweden have also admitted that approximately 2% to 5% population has the electromagnetic radiation hypersensitivity – the relatively short-term symptom according to the statistics. The symptoms of electromagnetic radiation hypersensitivity: tinnitus, skin rash, headache and dizziness, glow in eyes, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and weakness, pain in muscles and joints, poor blood circulation, paralysis, face swell, lower abdomen contraction pain, cardiac arrhythmia, breath with difficulty; meanwhile, they will also further cause palpitation, migraine, cramp, stroke, irritability, depression, flurry, absence of mind, sense of balance and ndocrine disorders, hypomnesia, light sleep, insomnia or lymphangoncus.
If any symptom above is found, you are advised to seek for a doctor and try to find out the source of electromagnetic radiation near your house. If it can be isolated effectively, the symptoms can be relieved.
From: TEPCA http://tepca.blogspot.tw/
II. Professional service websites in library
According to the results of experimental research, investigation and observation, the hazard of electromagnetic radiation on health is diverse and complex, and the main hazards are described as below: 1. Hazard on central nervous system;
In addition to the above-mentioned hazards of electromagnetic radiation on health, it also exerts a bad effect on endocrine system, hearing, material metabolism and morphological change of tissue and organ. |
III. OVERPOWERED: The Dangers of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF) and What You Can Do About It Doc. Martin•Blank
The research conclusion in this aspect reached by the author has been mentioned in the text that “as a whole, significant health risk has been found according to scientific evidence, but standard value to be set is still required for discussion. With the help of precautionary principle, people can deal with the challenge of electromagnetic radiation to health well. It is still controversial and uncertain whether low frequency electromagnetic field will harm human health, and we should formulate laws and regulations with an attitude of prudence”.
Written by Doc. Martin Blank and translated by Chao-ju Wei, the Commercial Press
IV. <Panic for Electromagnetism >Ji-shing Lin
<Panic for Electromagnetism> is the nationally first book giving a thorough discussion on the hazards of electromagnetic wave. It is written by Doc. Ji-shing Lin, the editor in chief of Science Monthly and the former president of electromagnetic field plan of WHO, Michael Repacholi writes the preface for this book. Ji-shing Lin thinks that anyone can only get to know science via media when he has no profound understanding of nuclear energy. However, the inaccurate reports in the media cause people’s deep panic for electromagnetic wave. Ji-shing Lin thinks that electromagnetic wave is a kind of energy filled in the daily life and even human body will also emit similar energy which will have a much larger effect on human health than the energy produced by the outside world.
National Taiwan University Press, Ji-shing Lin
