Does Occupational Exposure to Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation Cause Brain or Blood Cancer?

Introduction
RF is classified as non-ionizing radiation that is emitted from cell phones, broadcasting towers, radio transmitters, microwaves and radars. Due to established health effects of RF, occupational exposure limits have been set in place to prevent skin and eye injuries in workers. However, it is unclear if current guidelines are able to protect against other adverse health effects, such as brain and blood cancers that may be associated with RF exposure. While several protective measures are supposed to be in place to protect workers, these precautions may be insufficient to protect exposed workers. The purpose of this paper is to identify gaps in exposure assessment in existing literature in order to better understand discrepancies in existing research.

Methods
The author conducted an extensive literature review of 17 original research articles written between 1987-2010 that focused on occupational exposures to RF, and incidence of cancers of the blood and brain.

Results
This review found either inconclusive, contradictory or weak associations of RF exposure with brain and blood cancers. The majority of these studies included middle aged, male, communication and electronic technician population. None of the studies accounted for personal protective equipment (PPE) or protective behaviors. All studies suggested further research is needed to establish a scientific link between RF exposure and brain and blood cancers.

Discussion
Measuring use of PPE and personal protective behaviors, as well as reevaluating current exposure assessment methods are crucial first steps in improving assessment of health outcomes related to RF exposure. Better assessment methods can improve identification of at-risk workers, identify efficient intervention strategies, increase understanding of dose- response relationships, and improve work assessment standard. This is an important issue, as information regarding risk can inform policy, and help policymakers to develop regulations that will ensure worker safety.