• DocumentCode
    1111592
  • Title

    Historical introduction to EMF health effects

  • Author

    Bren, Stephan P Albert

  • Author_Institution
    Madigan Army Med. Center, Tacoma, WA, USA
  • Volume
    15
  • Issue
    4
  • fYear
    1996
  • Firstpage
    24
  • Lastpage
    30
  • Abstract
    The history is traced from the knowledge of the ancient Greeks, through the effects of "static electricity" in the eighteenth century, to the nineteenth century which saw rapid developments in electrotechnology and also in medical uses of electricity and magnetism. Through the nineteenth century, attention began to shift from the applications of static electricity to those of galvanic current. The beginning of the twentieth century marked a period of intense interest of physiologists into the modes of interaction of RF energy with biological systems. Public controversy arose over the issue of microwave oven safety. Finally other questions of cancer in relation to ELF bioeffects and power-frequency magnetic and electric fields are addressed
  • Keywords
    bioelectric phenomena; biological effects of fields; biological effects of microwaves; biomagnetism; distribution networks; health hazards; history; legislation; safety; ELF bioeffects; EMF health effects; RF energy; ancient Greeks; biological systems; cancer; eighteenth century; electric fields; electricity; electrotechnology; galvanic current; historical introduction; magnetism; medical uses; microwave oven safety; nineteenth century; power-frequency magnetic fields; public controversy; static electricity; Accidents; Contacts; Contracts; Feathers; Galvanizing; Glass; Iron; Medical diagnostic imaging; Muscles; Rubber;
  • fLanguage
    English
  • Journal_Title
    Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, IEEE
  • Publisher
    ieee
  • ISSN
    0739-5175
  • Type

    jour

  • DOI
    10.1109/51.511979
  • Filename
    511979