Epidemiological and Other Investigations in the Human

A number of retrospective studies have been done on human populations exposed or believed to have been exposed to RF/MW energies. There have been a few epidemiological studies of MW/RF exposure but these have generally been limited in scope (Silverman, 1979, 1980). Persons exposed while assigned to the military services or occupationally exposed in industrial settings have been the principal groups studied. A few other populations living or working near generating sources or exposed to medical diathermy have been or are being investigated (Silverman, 1979, 1980; Bureau of Radiological Health, 1980; Ruggera, 1980). Information about health status has come from medical records, questionnaires, physical and laboratory examination, and vital statistics. Sources of exposure data include personnel records, questionnaires, environmental measurements, equipment emission measurements, and (assumed adherence to) established exposure limits. Although there have been advances in measurement, microwave dosimetry still presents formidable problems for meaningful assessment in most epidemiological studies (Roberts and Michaelson, 1985; Silverman, 1979, 1980).