Benefits and Hazards of EM Waves

Benefits:
-The killing and destructive power of electromagnetic radiation can be used constructively
for curing cancer by eradicating the cancer cells through radiation therapy. (Example of
this is the ‘Linear Accelerator’, a medical machine that uses x-ray beam to destroy
cancer tumors without undergoing open surgery.)
-Electromagnetic waves have a vast range of practical everyday applications that includes
such diverse uses as communication by cell phone and radio broadcasting, Wi-Fi, cooking,
vision, and medical imaging. (

Hazards:
-Over-exposure to certain types of EM waves can be harmful. The higher the frequency of
the radiation, the more damage it is likely to cause to the body:
-Ultraviolet radiation is found naturally in sunlight. We cannot see or feel ultraviolet
radiation, but our skin responds to UV exposure by turning darker over time. This is called
a suntan. This happens as our bodies attempt to reduce the amount of ultraviolet radiation
reaching deeper skin tissues.

Darker skins absorb more ultraviolet light, so less ultraviolet radiation reaches the deeper
tissues. This is important because ultraviolet radiation can cause cells to become
cancerous.
-Microwaves cause internal heating of body tissues
-Infrared radiation is felt as heat and causes skin to burn
-X-rays damage cells causing mutations (which may lead to cancer) and cell death -
this is why doctors and dentists stand behind protective screens when taking lots of X-
rays.
-Gamma rays also damage cells causing mutations and cell death.
Benefits and Hazards of EM Waves

Benefits:
-The killing and destructive power of electromagnetic radiation can be used constructively
for medicinal purposes. (Example of this is the ‘Linear Accelerator’, a medical machine
that uses x-ray beam to destroy cancer tumors without undergoing an open surgery.)
-Electromagnetic waves have a vast range of practical everyday applications that includes
such diverse uses as communication by cell phone and radio broadcasting, Wi-Fi, cooking,
vision, and medical imaging. (As mentioned by the other groups before, EM waves have
different uses and applications that help us with our daily lives.)

Hazards:
-Over-exposure to certain types of EM waves can be harmful. The higher the frequency of
the radiation, the more damage it is likely to cause to the body:
-Microwaves cause internal heating of body tissues (Water is very good at
absorbing microwaves. As you might know humans are about 70% water. When we are
exposed to microwaves, the water in our cells absorbs them. This makes our cells
heat up which scientists think could be dangerous.)
-Infrared radiation is felt as heat and causes skin to burn (We can absorb infrared
radiation which is transferred to heat energy and if we absorb too much infrared
energy we will burn.)
-UV radiation damages the DNA inside skin cells (Ultraviolet radiation is found
naturally in sunlight. We cannot see or feel ultraviolet radiation, but our skin
responds to UV exposure by turning darker over time. This happens as our bodies
attempt to reduce the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching deeper skin tissues
because darker skins absorb more ultraviolet light, so less ultraviolet radiation
reaches the deeper tissues.)
-X-rays and gamma rays damage cells causing mutations which may lead to cancer and
cell death. (These ionizing radiations carries huge amount of energy that damages the
DNA inside the cell which may lead to unwanted mutations and can cause the cells to
grow very quickly and lead to cancer. Therefore, doctors and dentists stand behind
protective screens when taking x-ray image of your body to reduce the risk of
exposure.)