Inuence of High-frequency Electromagnetic Radiation at Non-thermal Intensities on the Human Body Volume 3, Number 1 Supplement
February 2001
1. Introduction
2. Natural Electromagnetic Background
3. History of Research in the USSR
4. Physical Approach to Resonant Absorption of Low-
intensity HF EMR
5. Reception of EHF EMR at the Cellular Level
6. Experiments on Animals
7. HF EMR in Medicine
8. Mechanisms of Action of EHF EMR on Biological
Objects
9. Standards and Normalization of HF EMR
10. Effects of High-frequency Communications Media on
Human Health
11. Discussion
12. Conclusions
13. Appendix
14. References
1. Introduction
This rev i ew examines pri m a ri ly direct ex p e ri m e n t a l
studies of the effects of low-intensity high fre q u e n cy electro -
magnetic elds (HF EMF) on biological subjects, including
humans. Unlike ep i d e m i o l ogical observat i o n s , d i re c t
experiments allow parameters of the acting EMF to be
established more accurately, the condition of the subject to
be monitored before and during exposure and for a certain
period afterwards, and scientic hypotheses on the mecha-
nisms of the effects to be veried. Clinical experiments
done with the intention of improving the condition of the
patients are the only legitimate experiments on people, and
for this reason, published articles more often deal with the
positive effects of HF EMF. One should consider, however,
that EMFs with therapeutic effects comprise only a minus-
cule portion of all acting elds, and that there is a large
probability of harmful effects from incidental generalized
exposure, as conrmed in experiments on animals.
Currently we still do not know the specic receptor in
humans for perception of extremely high frequency elec-
tromagnetic radiation (EHF EMR). Nevertheless, the pres-
ence of sensory reactions has been established during local
peripheral exposure of humans to EHF EMR [Andreev,
Beliy and Sitko, 1985]. At this moment in time, the fol-
lowing can be considered established:
1) Humans are cap able of diffe re n t i ating re l i ably
between exposure to EHF EMR and a sham exposure;
2) Electromagnetic sensitivity in humans is determined
by the biotropic characteristics of the EHF EMR: fre-
quency, power, time and place of exposure;
The most typical reaction in humans is of a resonant
character and is observed during changes in the exposure
frequency [Andreev, Beliy and Sitko, 1985].
No Place To Hide - Newsletter of the Cellular Phone Taskforce Inc.
Inuence of High-frequency Electromagnetic Radiation
at Non-thermal Intensities on the Human Body
(A review of work by Russian and Ukrainian researchers)
Nikolai Nikolaevich Kositsky
1
, Aljona Igorevna Nizhelska
2
and Grigory Vasilevich Ponezha
3
Translation by Patricia Ormsby
From the
1
Informational Support Laboratory,
2
Special Measurements
Laboratory, and
3
Quantum Physics Laboratory, Scientic Research
Center of Quantum Medicine Vidhuk.
Adress correspondence to: N.N. Kositsky, SRC Vidhuk, 61-B,
Volodymyrska Str., Kiev 01033, Ukraine.
Commissioned by EMFacts Consultancy, Australia, and Powerwatch,
England. Partially funded by the Foundation for Children with
Leukaemia.
Copyright � 2001 by Cellular Phone Taskforce, Inc. The use of extremely low power EHF EMR of 10
-19
W/Hz in millimeter wave resonance therapy for treating
people involves selection of an individual frequency which
has the maximum therapeutic effect [Andreev, Beliy and
Sitko, 1985; Sitko, Skripnik and Yanenko, 1999].
3) The so-called points of Chinese acupuncture play a
particular role in this reception, and are notable for having
been used for thousands of years in treating practically all
systems of the human body.
2. Natural Electromagnetic Background
Natural sources of background EMF consist mainly of
objects of cosmic origin: radio emissions from the sun and
planets, relict radiation, and noise from atmospheric events
[Pisanko, Pyasetskiy].
Background microwave radiationrelict radiationis
cosmic radiation with a spectrum characteristic of an abso-
lutely black body at a temperature of 2.7 K; it determines
the intensity of the background radiation of the universe in
the shortwave radio band (in cm, mm and sub-mm waves).
It is characterized by the highest degree of isotropy. The
main contribution to the energy density is made by radia-
tion with wavelengths from 6 to 0.6 mm. In this range, the
energy density is 0.25 eV/cm
3
. Radio emissions from an
active sun, during eruptions and ares, are observed at fre-
quencies of 1.2, 3, 9.5, 35 and 70 GHz, raising the total
activity by 30%. The intensity of natural background EMR
is at a maximum in the morning hours and at a minimum in
the evening. A power ux density (PFD) of 3 x 10
-7
mW/cm
2
in the range of 100-300 GHz was recorded on the
Earths surface when the atmospheric concentration of
water vapor was 2.7g/m
3
. EMR with wavelengths less than
3 cm is absorbed by resonance in the atmosphere:
1) in precipitation (rain, fog, snow);
2) by molecular absorption in water vapor and oxygen.
Researchers [Yesepkina, Korolkov and Pariyskiy] note
the resonant absorption of water vapor at frequencies of 26
and 188 GHz. Atmospheric oxygen has absorption maxima
at frequencies of 60 and 118.7 GHz. In addition, this band
contains windows of transparency at wavelengths of 8.6
mm, 3.2 mm, 2.1 mm and 1.2 mm.
R a d i ation in the mm band penetrating from space
through the windows of transparency can be considered to
be the primary radiation. On Earth, the heating of various
physical bodies also gives rise to radiation in the mm band,
which can be considered secondary. Such sources of EHF
EMR are water, sand, bricks, plaster, granite, marble,
wood, etc. [Sitko, Skripnik and Yanenko, 1999].
Since living organisms have evolved under conditions of
low natural background EHF EMR, they lack a ready-made
mechanism of evolutionary adaptation to heightened levels
of radiation resulting from technogenic factors.
3. History of Research in the USSR
In the 1950s in the USSR, there was development in a
new scientic directionmastery of the millimeter (EHF)
portion of the spectrum of coherent electromagnetic oscil-
lations [O.V. Betskiy, 1997]. This work was conducted in
the organizations of the Ministry of Electronic Industry, in
the Academies of Science of the USSR and Ukrainian SSR,
and in institutions of higher education. The Scientic
Council on the Problem of Generation, Amplication and
Transformation in the mm Wave Band was founded under
the direction of academician N.D. Devyatkov.
In the 1960s, all necessary instrumentation was created
for the millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength bands.
In 1965, N.D. Devyatkov and his coworkers set forth an
original idea that all living organisms on Earth are not
adapted to this type of radiation, because under natural con-
ditions it is practically absent due to strong absorption by
the Earths atmosphere (mainly by water vapor). A propo-
sition was also put forward about the possibility that low-
intensity electromagnetic waves have specic effects on
biological structures and organisms. Research was begun
on the interaction of mm-waves with biological objects.
The research showed that generation of coherent waves
by cells is a systemic process in which cell membranes,
protein molecules and transport mechanisms are involved.
There are data on excitation in cells of coherent oscilla-
tions in a wide range of frequencies, but a particularly large
part of the data are concerned with frequencies of 30 to 300
GHz, which corresponds to the mm wavelength range.
Three possible channels were pointed out for conduction
of operative signals within an organism over considerable
distances: the nervous system, the humoral system and the
system of acupuncture points. In addition, a number of
peculiarities of these channels were discovered:
Conduction of signals through the nervous system is
accomplished in the myelin sheaths of the axons.
Conduction of signals through the humoral system is
connected with the movement of generating cells through
the blood and lymphatic systems. In this way, within the
organism, the transmission of signals is accomplished, ap-
parently, not by conduction of radiation, not by movement
of charges, but by the displacement of generator-cells, the
oscillations of which reect the information being carried.
Water molecules strongly absorb EHF radiation, and
play a big role in various biophysical effects involving mm
waves.
Many bio