A review on combined biological effects of microwave and other physical or chemical agents

Abstract

With the development of science and technology, microwave has been used in many fields such as industry, military, medicine and communica on. People are living in a lapped and dynamic electromagne c environment. Concerns about poten al hazards of microwave are ge ng increasing a en ons. The single biological effects of microwave were widely discussed which was considered harmful. Relevant safety standards had been formulated and applied. However, the real environment was more complex. Microwave was not the only factor that organisms might be affected. Other physical or chemical factors, such as ionizing radia on (IR), ultraviolet (UV), magne c field and chemical drugs, o-en existed with the microwave radia on. Even the microwave itself could create combined exposure situa on, because the environment consisted different frequency microwaves. Nuclear weapons and high-power radar could produce microwave and ionizing radia on. The ultraviolet ray and magne c field generated by the instrument's opera on could act on the human bodies along with the microwaves. The combina on of radiofrequency therapy and chemotherapeu c agents was also commonly used in cancer therapy. Therefore, the combined biological effects of microwaves and other physical or chemical factors were very important. This review had covered the original ar cles in this aspect. In order to be er understand the combined biological effects, the compara ve studies of different frequency microwaves were also included. Differences in biological effects were found among different frequency microwaves, and the combined biological effects contained both hazards and benefits. Findings in combined biological effects were very prac cal for ra onal uses of microwave technologies.