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In the late-1990s, the FCC and ICNIRP adopted radiofrequency radiation (RFR) exposure limits to protect the public and workers from adverse effects of RFR. These limits were based on results from behavioral studies conducted in the 1980s involving 40–60-minute exposures in 5 monkeys and 8 rats, and then applying arbitrary safety factors to an apparent threshold specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4 W/kg. The limits were also based on two major assumptions: any biological effects were due to excessive tissue heating and no effects would occur below the putative threshold SAR, as well as twelve assumptions that were not specified by either the FCC or ICNIRP. In this paper, we show how the past 25 years of extensive research on RFR demonstrates that the assumptions underlying the FCC’s and ICNIRP’s exposure limits are invalid and continue to present a public health harm. Adverse effects observed at exposures below the assumed threshold SAR include non-thermal induction of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, cardiomyopathy, carcinogenicity, sperm damage, and neurological effects, including electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Also, multiple human studies have found statistically significant associations between RFR exposure and increased brain and thyroid cancer risk. Yet, in 2020, and in light of the body of evidence reviewed in this article, the FCC and ICNIRP reaffirmed the same limits that were established in the 1990s. Consequently, these exposure limits, which are based on false suppositions, do not adequately protect workers, children, hypersensitive individuals, and the general population from short-term or long-term RFR exposures. Thus, urgently needed are health protective exposure limits for humans and the environment. These limits must be based on scientific evidence rather than on erroneous assumptions, especially given the increasing worldwide exposures of people and the environment to RFR, including novel forms of radiation from 5G telecommunications for which there are no adequate health effects studies.

Mobile telephones and their base stations are an important source of ultra high frequency electromagnetic fields (UHF-EMFs; 800-1800 MHz) and their utilization is increasing all over the world. Epidemiological studies have suggested that low energy UHF-EMFs may have biological effects, such as changes in oxidative metabolism after exposure. Therefore, we have investigated the effect of acute UHF-EMF exposure on non-enzymatic antioxidant defense and lipid and protein oxidative damage in the rat frontal cortex and hippocampus. We have used malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonyl assays to assess lipid and protein oxidative damages, respectively. No changes in lipid and protein damage, and also in non-enzymatic defense were found in frontal cortex or hippocampus. These results suggest that acute UHF-EMF exposure is not able to produce detectable oxidative stress in rats from any age tested. However, more tests using a longer period of exposure and evaluating other tissues are necessary to ensure that there is no health risk associated with the use of mobile phones.

Resumo-Neste trabalho e apresentado 0 desenvolvimento de urn programa para calculo da Taxa de Absorcao Especifica (SAR) na cabeca e no olho de urn usuario de transceptores portateis como os telefones celulares, utilizando 0 metodo das diferencas finitas no dominio do tempo (FDTD). Sao mostrados os principais resultados obtidos com estas simulacoes e as comparacoes com os resultados simulados e medidos por outros autores. Sao tambem discutidas altemativas visando minimizar os riscos que a absorcao do campo pode representar para a saude dos usuaries, incluindo a utilizacao de antenas que emitem mais no sentido oposto acabeca.