Biological potential hazards of electromagnetic fields: the case of mobile phones

The widespread use of various types of man-made sources of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiations in our present day societies has raised concern about the possible harmful effects of these radiations. Many studies have been conducted in an attempt to uncover possible health effects produced by exposure to these man-made radiations. Although results of the studies on the biological hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF) of low intensity, such as from mobile phones, are contradictory, yet in view of the almost universal use of mobile phones, several investigations were conducted to find out whether there are indeed health hazards from mobile phone emissions. The present work identifies the main frequency ranges of EMF, together with their respective interactions with tissues. The biological effects of EMF and methods of its detection and measurement are outlined. This is followed by discussion of the published work on the biological effects of mobile phone radiations and their potential health risks.