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RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATION: ACTIVITIES AND ISSUES
Citation:
Elder, J. RADIOFREQUENCY RADIATION: ACTIVITIES AND ISSUES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-86/135 (NTIS PB86217155), 1986.
Description:
The question of human safety relative to exposure to RF radiation obviously predates the first ANSI guideline established in 1966, but no enforceable Federal standards or guidelines exist for RF radiation exposure; the ANSI guideline which was revised in 1982 is voluntary or advisory. EPA has been pursuing the goal of promulgating guidance to control exposure of the public to RF radiation. In support of the regulatory activity, a report entitled 'Biological Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation' was published in September 1984. The conclusion of the report was that biological effects occurred at a dose rate of about 1 W/kg, and that these effects may be significant under certain environmental conditions. Examples of adverse biological effects that occur in laboratory animals at dose rates of 2-6 W/kg are death and temporary male sterility. These effects as well as the behavioral changes that are the basis for the ANSI guideline can be attributed to heat stress in animals caused by absorption of RF energy. Some experimental results occur at very low exposure conditions that cause no significant thermal input; these responses are called non-thermal effects. The mechanisms of interaction of non-thermal effects and their physiological significance are a subject of scientific debate. RF radiation research budget reductions, which reflect changes in funding priorities, will leave unresolved many of the questions concerning the biological effects of RF radiation and their possible health implications.