Public health concerns and regulatory standards for millimeter waves

As the technology is advancing, there is a need for a reliable and a fast transmission mode of communication which Millimeter waves have made this possible. Millimeter wave is an extremely high frequency electromagnetic radio spectrum that allows transmission frequencies of between 30 GHz and 300GHz. It is used in modern developing technology, in the case of 5G networks in telecommunications industry. It has helped in the developing technology because of a massive increase in transmission speeds. However, despite the advantages, it has raised a public health concern due to the radiation rays to humans. 

Public Health concerns on usage of Millimeter waves.

A lot of questions still arises on the usage millimeter waves about the health impacts which are still on debate. Their higher frequencies are the one responsible for the health concerns. The research has already been done with experiments on the effects on the human skin, the eyes and also the long-term usage effects on humans.

Effect on Human skin

The millimeter waves have a short wavelength, this makes it easier for it to penetrate human skin. A human tissue is moist, and as a result of high-water content, it leads to higher absorption in the outer layers, the epidermis and dermis. This brings localised heating and prolonged exposure could result to skin burns as well as damage to human tissues. Some studies also shows that the high intensity could lead to skin irritation.

Effect on eyes

Eyes are more vulnerable as they do not have a lot of blood flows which dissipates heat. On the case of skin, heat can be easily diffused by the blood flow. In addition to that, eyes are located at the outermost of human body and thus it is directly exposed to the radiations. The effect on the eyes depends on the intensity of and duration of exposure. Examples of the effects includes damage due to heating as well as formation of cataracts.

Long term health Effects

Though it has not been proven yet, but there is a possibility of some the effects below which are still on research thesis:

Radiations results in cancer- some of studies have raised concerns about the potential risk of cancer due to long time exposure to this ray of radiation. It is noted that with due time it could lead to cell damage of human tissues.

It results to genetic damage- there is also discussion on whether the rays could lead to variation of genes and DNA damage.

Regulatory standards for Millimeter waves

Without solving the health issues, it could lead to undesirable difficulties in the future and therefore there are various regulatory organizations that have been formed. Their aims are to mitigate the risks, forming and administering rules and regulations while giving room for the Millimeter waves expansion. The two below are the organizations that provides guidelines:

a). International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)- this is an organization that provides scientific advice and guidance on the health and environmental effects of non-ionizing radiation. They bring standards, conducting risk assessment on health based on the latest research and also offering recommendations on radiation protection standards and policies. In addition, they promote research. Their functions help protect public health by minimizing harmful exposure to non-ionizing radiation.

b). Federal Communications Commission (FCC)- the objective is to provide information on safety guidelines and exposure limits for radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. The organization focuses on preventing thermal effects by limiting the power density of transmitted signals. On contrary they also set standards for millimeter waves used in telecommunications like 5G.

Research and future recommendations

A lot of research is being conducted, and that they are essential because it helps to gain better understanding of the potential health risks associated with Millimeter waves and to inform future regulatory decisions.

Technologies are still on development for example, autonomous vehicles which would require a lot of transmission speeds. This would need a high frequency speed and could lead to more effects. Thereby it is important to rely on the standards as it would be important in the coming future as research still progresses.

The millimeter waves have a lot of impact on the technological advancements, despite that, the public health concerns need to be addressed with more efforts to ensure safe implementation. The main objective is to ensure that the essential benefits of millimeter waves are realized while mitigating the health effects. Through research conduction, developing regulatory standards and providing frameworks would thoroughly help to address the emerging challenges bringing more cautious approach.