Aviation Health & Safety in the Digital Age - Radio-frequency (RF) Exposure from Mobile Devices and In flight WiFi

"Who will be monitoring accumulated exposures, as well as monitoring usage of mobile devices in flight? Is anyone monitoring WiFi-enabled aircraft to track the flight crew and passengers for potentially related occurrences/symptoms in flight? Are your aviation medical experts up to date with this issue, and the emerging medical condition electrohypersensitivity (EHS), or microwave sickness syndrome, and its symptoms and adverse effects?"
Aviation Health & Safety in the Digital Age Radio-frequency (RF) Exposure from Mobile Devices and In flight WiFi – A New Human Factor?
Kerry Crofton, PhD, 2013

We are an international group of experts in aviation, medicine, science and engineering. We are raising several key questions as there is evidence of adverse effects on human health and performance from exposure to electro-magnetic radiation, especially radio-frequency/microwave radiation from mobile communication technology. The evidence indicates that adverse effects can occur at levels well below existing safety standards. So the position that the “low level” exposures from WiFi and mobile phones are within government standards (based only on thermal levels) does not dismiss the evidence of biological damage that occurs with non-thermal exposure.

There is some good evidence for harm; there does not seem to be conclusive evidence for safety, and there are potential adverse outcomes with wireless technology that have not been thoroughly investigated. We urge you to require proper testing on flight crews before implementation.

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