Electromagnetic Fields of Wireless Communications: Biological and Health Effects

Source: www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.1201/9781003201052/electromagnetic-fields-wireless-communications-biological-health-effects-dimitris-panagopoulos

Edited By Dimitris J. Panagopoulos
First Published 2022
eBook Published 30 December 2022

DOI doi.org/10.1201/9781003201052
Pages544
eBook ISBN9781003201052

ABSTRACT

This book reflects contributions from experts in biological and health effects of Radio Frequency (RF)/Microwave and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) used in wireless communications (WC) and other technological applications. Diverse topics related to physics, biology, pathology, epidemiology, and plausible biophysical and biochemical mechanisms of WC EMFs emitted by antennas and devices are included. Discussions on the possible consequences of fifth generation (5G) mobile telephony (MT) EMFs based on available data and correlation between anthropogenic EMF exposures and various pathological conditions such as infertility, cancer, electro-hypersensitivity, organic and viral diseases, and effects on animals, plants, trees, and environment are included. It further illustrates individual and public health protection and the setting of biologically- and epidemiologically-based exposure limits.

Features:

- Covers biological and health effects, including oxidative stress, DNA damage, reproductive effects of mobile phones/antennas (2G, 3G, 4G), cordless phones, Wi-Fi, etc.
- Describes effects induced by real-life exposures by commercially available devices/antennas.
- Illustrates biophysical and biochemical mechanisms that fill the gap between recorded experimental and epidemiological findings and their explanations.
- Explores experimental and epidemiological facts and mechanisms of action. Provides explanations and protection tips.
- Transcends across physical, biological, chemical, health, epidemiological, and environmental aspects of the topic.

This book is aimed at senior undergraduate/graduate students in physics, biology, medicine, bioelectromagnetics, electromagnetic biology, non-ionizing radiation biophysics, telecommunications, electromagnetism, bioengineering, and dosimetry.


Comments (L.V.)

A new book with chapters contributed by many authors, some well known in this field, like Antony Miller, Igor Yakymenko, Dominique Belpomme and Alfonso Balmori. Normally I would recommend such a book. Perhaps I should still do so.
I do have a problem, however, with the introduction written by the editor, Panagopoulos. In the introduction he writes (my comments in Italic):

In nature, all electric charges oscillate in all possible directions, and the generated EMFs/EMR have similarly random polarizations
- if all electric charges would oscillate in all possible directions, there would be no EMFs in nature, no electric signals in our body (heart, brain, nerves), so we and other mammals would not be alive/exist, there would not be lightning strikes, Schumann resonances would not exist, etc.

Polarization Is a Principal Property of All Man-made EMFs
- Polarization can be induced in dielectric material by EMFs. The word polarization can also be used for the direction of the electric field component of the EMF's used for wireless communication. As such it does not give additional information. Polarization (if you want to use the word) is then only one of the principal properties, the other two would be frequency and phase, see:
www.stopumts.nl/pdf/Man-made-and-Natural-EMF-EMR.pdf .

Measuring Incident EMFs Is More Relevant than Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
- Both are relevant, they give different information, but I agree that it is more easy to measure the EMFs radiation intensities cq. field strenghts.

All Man-made EMFs Emit Continuous Waves, Not Photons
- EMFs do not emit waves, they are waves. The emission (and absorption) is being done by antennas. In the far field, from about 1 to 2 wavelengths from an antenna, the EMFs are not continuous, but consist of photons. For most practical applications (calculations) one can use Maxwell's equations in which EMFs are described as being continuous.

The present chapter also explains that man-made EMFs/EMR, in contrast to light and ionizing electromagnetic emissions, do not consist of photons but of continuous “classical” waves and, thus, do not obey Planck's formula connecting photon energy (ϵ) with frequency (ν), ϵ = h ν.
- As I wrote above, man-made EMFs/EMR do consist of photons in the far field, beyond 1 tot 2 wavelengths from the antenna (30 to 15 cm for 1 and 2 GHz), and of course obey Planck's formula.
- In the near field, within 1 to 2 wavelengths from the source (e.g. high-voltage line with wavelengths of 6000 km and 5000 km for 50 and 60 Hz, respectively), the electric and magnetic field components are separate and there are therefore no photons.

In this book, referred to at the top, there is also a chapter:
Mechanism of Ion Forced-Oscillation and Voltage-Gated Ion Channel Dysfunction by Polarized and Coherent Electromagnetic Fields
also by Dimitris J. Panagopoulos
www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003201052-16/mechanism-ion-forced-oscillation-voltage-gated-ion-channel-dysfunction-polarized-coherent-electromagnetic-fields-dimitris-panagopoulos
The abstract ends with the following statement:

'Since no convincing corresponding non-thermal mechanism exists for Radio Frequency (RF) EMFs, and because all RF EMFs employed in wireless communications (WC) and other applications are necessarily combined with ELF pulsation, modulation, and random variability, it seems that all non-thermal biological effects of man-made EMFs attributed, until now, to RF EMFs are actually due to their ELF components and can be explained by this mechanism.'

This is an interesting statement. It has been suggested in many papers that the low frequency components in the RF EMFs would be the most important ones in causing health problems, but that these would be the only ones?
It might indeed be possible that resonant ion-oscillations, induced by the applied EMF, are the first step in a sequence of further possibly hazardous bio-chemical reactions.



Lees verder in de categorie Artikelen | Terug naar homepage | Lees de introductie