Answer to Question #6957 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

In general, there is nothing to worry about. The proposed tower should be placed high enough so that any radiation reaching you would be very, very low. There are government standards to protect the public. Electromagnetic emissions, be they radiowaves or microwaves from radar or cellular telephone towers, must be below a certain level, while higher levels must be restricted, usually with fencing or distance, by using a tower. These restrictive emission levels are usually at the point of nearest public access, but the effect of additional distance reduces these levels even more so.

In addition to these regulatory requirements, there also continues to be a lack of credible scientific evidence to show that such emissions pose a safety issue for the public. I personally don't consider them dangerous. My concerns with such structures is usually aesthetic.

The primary mode of biological interaction for these types of radiation is heating and is very different than ionizing radiation (nuclear bombs, x rays, radioactivity). Since one can never prove that anything is absolutely safe, there will always be concern and anxiety. There are more important things to worry about than the emissions from this tower.

For additional information on radiofrequency (RF) radiation, I refer you to the Health Physics Society's Q and A section that addresses similar questions with answers. Embedded in some of these answers are additional links to other Web sites with useful information.

Orhan H. Suleiman MS, PhD