User Guide

Health and Safety
140 Health and Safety
range. They also emit RF at substantially reduced time intervals when in the
stand by mode. Whereas high levels of RF can produce health effects (by heating
tissue), exposure to low level RF that does not produce heating effects causes no
known adverse health effects.
The biological effects of radio frequency energy should not be confused with the
effects from other types of electromagnetic energy.
Very high levels of electromagnetic energy, such as is found in X rays and gamma
rays, can ionize biological tissues. Ionization is a process where electrons
are stripped away from their normal locations in atoms and molecules. It can
permanently damage biological tissues including DNA, the genetic material.
The energy levels associated with radio frequency energy, including both radio
waves and microwaves, are not great enough to cause ionization of atoms and
molecules. Therefore, RF energy is a type of non ionizing radiation. Other types
of non ionizing radiation include visible light, infrared radiation (heat), and other
forms of electromagnetic radiation with relatively low frequencies.
While RF energy does not ionize particles, large amounts can increase body
temperatures and cause tissue damage. Two areas of the body, the eyes and the
testes, are particularly vulnerable to RF heating because there is relatively little
blood ow in them to carry away excess heat.