>non-ionizing radiation is harmful
At one end of the electromagnetic spectrum are X-rays and gamma rays, which have extremely high frequencies (1016 Hz to 1025 Hz and above) and hence extremely high energy. Next on the electromagnetic spectrum is ultraviolet light, which has somewhat lower frequencies (1015 Hz to 1016 Hz) and hence somewhat lower energy. Below it is the familiar spectrum of visible light, followed in sequence by infrared waves, microwaves (1 billion Hz to 300 billion Hz), and television and radio waves (500,000 Hz to 1 billion Hz). Although each of these has progressively lower frequencies and energy, even the lowest (AM radio) has a frequency range of 500,000 Hz (500 kHz) to 1.6 million Hz (1600 kHz). ....
An important consequence of the low frequency and resulting low energy of electric and magnetic fields is that they are non-ionizing. An atom or molecule is said to be ionized when one or more of its electrons is dislodged by an energetic outside force such as very high-frequency radiation. Gamma rays, X-rays, and high-frequency ultraviolet light are termed ionizing radiation because their energy is so great that they are capable of ionizing atoms or molecules of ordinary matter. When that matter is human tissue, ionization can damage the DNA molecules of the cells, causing mutations and various forms of cancer.... Like visible light, infrared, microwaves, and television and radio waves, electric and magnetic fields are therefore termed non-ionizing radiation.
One form of non-ionizing radiation—microwaves—can nevertheless cause biological damage by a different process: microwaves are absorbed by the water present in tissue, and can induce currents strong enough to heat the tissue.11 But “...There is no reason to believe that health effects can be caused by such minuscule amounts of heat.”
sauce: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1774113.html -- actual settled US law from a coutroom
At one end of the electromagnetic spectrum are X-rays and gamma rays, which have extremely high frequencies (1016 Hz to 1025 Hz and above) and hence extremely high energy. Next on the electromagnetic spectrum is ultraviolet light, which has somewhat lower frequencies (1015 Hz to 1016 Hz) and hence somewhat lower energy. Below it is the familiar spectrum of visible light, followed in sequence by infrared waves, microwaves (1 billion Hz to 300 billion Hz), and television and radio waves (500,000 Hz to 1 billion Hz). Although each of these has progressively lower frequencies and energy, even the lowest (AM radio) has a frequency range of 500,000 Hz (500 kHz) to 1.6 million Hz (1600 kHz). ....
An important consequence of the low frequency and resulting low energy of electric and magnetic fields is that they are non-ionizing. An atom or molecule is said to be ionized when one or more of its electrons is dislodged by an energetic outside force such as very high-frequency radiation. Gamma rays, X-rays, and high-frequency ultraviolet light are termed ionizing radiation because their energy is so great that they are capable of ionizing atoms or molecules of ordinary matter. When that matter is human tissue, ionization can damage the DNA molecules of the cells, causing mutations and various forms of cancer.... Like visible light, infrared, microwaves, and television and radio waves, electric and magnetic fields are therefore termed non-ionizing radiation.
One form of non-ionizing radiation—microwaves—can nevertheless cause biological damage by a different process: microwaves are absorbed by the water present in tissue, and can induce currents strong enough to heat the tissue.11 But “...There is no reason to believe that health effects can be caused by such minuscule amounts of heat.”
sauce: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-supreme-court/1774113.html -- actual settled US law from a coutroom
