IMPACT OF MICROWAVES RADIATION ON HUMAN BRAIN

Abstract Microwave radiation is a part of the electromagnetic (EM) radiation. The effect of microwave radiation has been studied by scientist and they have found humans brain may effected by radiation from the sources such as mobile phones and other digital wireless systems. Long term of exposure could affect human brain since microwave can penetrate through human skin and can cause tumour and brain cancer. Based on the researches by the scientist, they have investigated the impact of radiation on human brain by making experiment on electroencephalograph (EEG). Introduction Microwave radiations are EM waves with wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimetre, or equivalently with frequencies between 0.3 GHz and 300 GHz. Effect of the microwave radiation on the human brain or more accurate, on the bioelectrical activity of human brain has been studied and become major interest with increasing application of telecommunication devices. Part of microwaves emitted by devices such as mobile phone is absorbed by human head. This is due to characteristic of the wave properties of microwave that can penetrate through human body and then hit human brain. When the brain was exposed to this radiation, the bioelectric activity in brain also affected. Long exposure will damage the cell inside the brain. Studies on Impact of Microwaves Scientists have been making many experiments on the microwaves radiation. Since we live in technology nowadays, common technology that tends to have effect on human brain is mobile phone. Study made by V.K Alexander and Uner T. (2003) on EM fields have show the result of microwave radiation from mobile phone could affect human brain. They used a 16-channel telemetric electroencephalograph to record EEG changes during exposure of human brain to emitted EM waves by a mobile phone. Based on their study, EEG showed changes after a period of 10-15 seconds there was no visible change, the spectrum median frequency increased in areas close to antenna, after 20-40 seconds, a slow-wave activity (2.5-6.0 Hz) appeared in the contralateral frontal and temporal areas and lasting for about one second. When the phone turning off, slow-wave activity disappeared and causes the local changes such as increased median frequency decreased and disappeared after 15-20 minutes. They have conclude that the these microwave radiation emitted from the phone may be harmful for human brain, since the

delta waves are pathological if seen in awake subjects (human). Besides, the slow wave activity was more pronounced in children than adults, indicating that the children may be more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of mobile phones than adults, since the absorption of microwaves is greatest in an object about the size of a childs head (Gandi et al., 1996). Radiation can penetrate the thinner skull of an infant with greater ease. Other than that, the study on the modulated 450 MHz microwave on human EEG rhythms and cognitive process has been carried out (Hinrikus, H. et al., 2008). Microwave exposure causes most remarkable increase in the EEG alpha power and smaller increase in the beta power. The effect of microwave on the EEG rhythms depends on the modulation frequency and has non-thermal origin. The effect is stronger at modulation frequencies higher or closes to the EEG rhythms frequencies, and sensitivity to microwave exposure is individual with the rate of the subjects (human) significantly affected was 13-30%. Other than that, they have concluded that physiological adaptation of the brain compensates and even over-compensates the effect of the microwaves exposure. Professor Lennart Hardell, Sweden has made a large study with 1251 cases of brain tumours compared to controls. The risk increased the more years and the more hours per year the phone had been used. The increased risk was 390% for mobile phones and 190% for cordless phones. The greatest risk was for Astrocytoma, a malignant tumour. Other than that, State-funded research in the USA has proven that cell phones influence the activity of the brain to a significant extent. After 50 min exposure to a cell phone, the metabolism of the brain was increased in the areas close to the phone. Conclusion We can conclude that the microwave radiate from devices such as RADAR, microwave oven and mobile phone can affect our brain with long exposure. Most of us use mobile phone today and we use it every day for our daily purposes. Long exposure can damage the cell inside our brain. References Alexander, V., Tan, U. (2003). Effects of Highfrequency Electromagnetic Fields on Human EEG: A Brain Mapping Study. International Journal Neuroscience. 113, 1007-1019. Hinrikus, H., Bachmann, M., Lass, J., Tuulik, V. (2008). Effect of modulated microwaves radiation on electroencephalographic rhythms and cognitive processes. Estonian Journal of Engineering. 14, 2, 91-106.

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Hinrikus, H., Bachmann, M., Tomson, R., Lass, J., (2005). Non-thermal effect of microwave radiation on human brain. The Environmentalist. 25,187-194. mobilstarteng.htm retrieved on 30/11/2011.