Search

The increasing applications of microwaves, mainly in mobile phones and radar, induce a higher rate of exposed people, sometimes cause of worry. Eyeballs are hotspots of radiofrequency field radiation because of their anatomy and composition. We propose a review of the various effects on the eye. The studies are hardly comparable because the exposure systems, power densities and dosimetries are different. While the thermal effects on the eye are well known including cataracts, corneal edema, endothelial cell loss and retinal degeneration, the non-thermal effects are still controversial. Cell cycle abnormalities, early apoptosis were reported in experimental conditions likely due to oxidative stress, but the studies could not show any significant effect on human eyes when exposed to long-term and low-dose radiation. Next studies need to be closer to human exposure.