Update on health risk assessment of electromagnetic environments

Abstract

In recent years, society has been engaged in the process of implementing a digital transformation. To achieve this social infrastructure, communication using wireless radio waves is an important basis. In Japan, the 5th generation communication standard (5G), which enables high-speed and high-capacity communication, was introduced in 2020 and is currently being deployed nationwide. The speed of 5G communications will be 10 times faster than that of the 4th generation, and it is expected that technologies that could drastically change our lives, such as self-driving technologies for automobiles and telemedicine (remote surgery) will be introduced in the future.

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields from electric power facilities, high frequency electromagnetic fields from TV, and radio transmissions also contribute to the electromagnetic environment. In recent years, induction heating (IH) cookers have become widespread, and wireless power transfer system, which uses electromagnetic fields to transmit electrical energy, has also entered commercial use. Since these technological innovations mean that our living environment will be increasingly flooded with radio waves and electromagnetic fields, there is a certain degree of concern among the public regarding the health effects of these electromagnetic fields. On the other hand, there is also the practical situation that the strength of the electromagnetic fields in our living environment is controlled based on scientific evidence. In this article, the current scientific evidence and the health risks of electromagnetic environments are outlined.