What is EMF?

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EMF & RF 101

  • Electromagnetic fields or EMF are produced by electronic charges such as the ones in your cell phone.
  • These fields are both electric and magnetic and travel at the speed of light and this creates Electromagnetic radiation or EMR. Electromagnetic radiation has two types:
    • Ionizing (ex: Xrays or the suns cosmic rays)
    • Non-ionizing (ex: Radio Frequency or RF and extremely low frequency ELF)
  • Radio frequency or RF is measurement in frequencies of 20kHz to 300 GHz.
    • These are the types of frequencies that cells phones, microwaves and laptops operate on
  • Within these frequencies travels energy, we measure in photons.

For ionizing radiation there is enough energy per photon that it can ionize atoms, causing a chemical reaction. This is how we can get skin cancer from the sun. Non-ionizing radiation does not have enough energy in its frequency to cause the ionization effect. Due to this fact the FCC, FDA, NTP and WHO do not explicitly recognize RF exposure to be harmful. But just because it does not affect the body in the way ionizing radiation effects the body does that mean it’s not harmful? Go to Education & EMF awareness pages to decide for yourself.

Key Terms

SAR

The rate at which your whole body absorbs energy. If the dose is more then your body can handle, it can cause harm. 

Photon

A particle representing a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation. A photon carries energy proportional to the radiation frequency but has zero rest mass.

Epidemiological Studies

Studies on human populations, which attempt to link human health effects.

ROS

Reactive oxygen species – are chemically reactive chemical species containing oxygen.

Oxidative stress

Imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons. This allows them to easily react with other molecules.

Epidemiology

The branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.

Pilot Study

A small scale preliminary study conducted in order to evaluate feasibility, duration, cost, adverse events, and improve upon the study design prior to performance of a full-scale research project.

Ionization

Is the process by which an atom or a molecule acquires a negative or positive charge by gaining or losing electrons, often in conjunction with other chemical changes.

Wave Length

The distance between successive crests of a wave, especially points in a sounds wave or electromagnetic wave. 

FCC

Federal Communications Commission

FDA 

Food and Drug Administration

NTP

National Toxicology Program

WHO

 World Health Organization

EMF

Electromagnetic fields – Field produced by moving electric chargers.

EMR

Electromagnetic radiation – waves of the EMF radiating through space carrying energy.

RF

Radio frequency. Is a form of non-ionizing radiation.