A REVIEW OF THE EFFECTS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

This paper examines potential environmental effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) of major electrical technologies including power lines and undersea cables, communication systems, solar power satellite, radar, high powered broadcast transmitters, cellular phones. Brief summaries are provided of environmental field levels produced by the technologies, considerations related to exposure assessments and mechanisms responsible for biological responses to the fields, and reported effects of fields on biota. While environmental effects from fields emitted by major
technologies appear to be generally minor and localized, assessments of environmental impacts of such fields have been very scattered and open to criticism on a number of grounds. Overall, it appears that the human EMF exposure limits recommended by the International Commission on
Non-Ionizing Radiation (ICNIRP, 1998) would also be protective of the environment.