26

Safety Aspects of Radio Frequency Effects in Humans from Communication Devices

26.1Introduction

26.2Radio Frequency Effects in Biological Tissues

General Tissue Properties • Limitations of Animal Models •

Measurement Techniques • Measurement Probes for

Human Exposure Assessment • Practical Measurements of

Radio Frequency Absorption • European Committee for

Electrotechnical Standardization Phantom

26.3Health Effects of Radio Frequency Radiation

Thermal and Nonthermal • In vitro Research • In vivo

Research • Effects on DNA • Epidemiology • Cognitive

Effects

26.4Other Safety Issues

Interaction with Safety Critical Equipment • Driving

		26.5	Exposure Guidelines for Radio Frequency
			Radiation
	Alan W. Preece		NRPB • ICNIRP • United States, Canada, and Australasia
		26.6	Recent Reviews
	Medical Physics University
	Research Centre	26.7	Conclusions

26.1 Introduction

The spectacular increase in personal communication systems could hardly have been predicted. In excess of 50 million mobile phones is a number that will continue to increase if the pattern in Finland (currently the world leader in proportion of the population with a mobile phone at about 72% in 2000) is an example. It is only the ingenuity of the manufacturers and network providers in providing cheap units, effective use of radio spectrum, and wide coverage that will determine the pace of increase. The public seems to have taken to a “keeping in touch” approach. However, accompanying this new communication increase is a media-driven anxiety about possible adverse health effects in the areas of cancer, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke), eye and memory damage from handset use, along with similar worries about base stations. In 2000, there were some 22,000 masts in the United Kingdom alone, many sited on schools and in areas of high population density. Additional safety concerns are associated with phone use while

© 2002 by CRC Press LLC