A good number of misconceptions are currently circulating on the effects of non-ionizing
radiations on our health which can lead to an oversimplification of the issue to potentially
dangerous assumptions or to misleading data analysis. Health effects may be exaggerated or on
the contrary underplayed. The authors of this work (doctors engineers and researchers) have
endeavored to supply validated and easily understandable scientific information on the
electromagnetic fields and their biological and health effects. After a general review of the
physics of the waves and a presentation of non-ionizing radiations the authors review the main
emission sources encountered in our daily environment. They summarize simply but as accurately
as possible the current knowledge on their biological effects. The safety limits recommended by
international organizations are presented for the different frequency ranges. This book is
intended for doctors teachers scientists students policy makers and anyone else interested
in a deeper understanding of the health effects of electromagnetic fields. Intended to serve a
broad readership everyone will approach it according to their respective level of curiosity
and knowledge. It is neither an exhaustive inventory of all the studies made to date nor a
survey text focusing only on some chosen studies. Nor is the objective to present all the
sources of non-ionizing radiations. Interested readers will be given the opportunity to broaden
their knowledge also by consulting the selected bibliography presented by the authors at the
end of each chapter.
