Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Technological Civilization and Health Impact Assessment of Non-Ionizing Radiation in Nigeria: Review

Version 1 : Received: 3 May 2023 / Approved: 4 May 2023 / Online: 4 May 2023 (08:20:47 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Ndoma, E.; George, N.; Nathaniel, E.; Orosun, M.; Agbo, E.; Offorson, G. Technological Civilization and Health Impact Assessment of Non-Ionizing Radiation in Nigeria: Review. Polytechnica 2024, 7, doi:10.1007/s41050-023-00045-9. Ndoma, E.; George, N.; Nathaniel, E.; Orosun, M.; Agbo, E.; Offorson, G. Technological Civilization and Health Impact Assessment of Non-Ionizing Radiation in Nigeria: Review. Polytechnica 2024, 7, doi:10.1007/s41050-023-00045-9.

Abstract

The emergence of Non-Ionizing Radiation (NIR) has stimulated the growth and advancement of technological civilization. NIR is ubiquitous; it has helped improve all fields and even deepened democratic processes through the transfer of data and electronic transmission of results etc. A breathtaking part of NIR is its recent application in the treatment of adverse health effects through radiofrequency ablation, phototherapy, etc. as summarized in Table 1. The benefits of NIR are enormous, however, technological civilization has not come without a cost; some of the adverse health effects associated with NIR include skin cancers, sleep disorders, photo-aging, etc. as summarized in Table 2. Therefore, with the rapid and sporadic increase in the sources of NIR from Natural and Artificial sources including fossil fuel burning, Starlink technology, mobile phones, mobile base antennas, etc., background radiation is expected to rise beyond the exposure limit leading to health illnesses. Intrinsically, there is a dare need to marry concerns that evolve with this growth. Hence, this review article aims to congregate the health hazards associated with NIR and the state-of-the-art applications of NIR in medicine and the health sector in Nigeria being a developing country. Part of our recommendations is that the government at all levels should set up enforcement agencies and policies to drive strict adherence to NIR as provided by ICNIRP; frequent-periodic assessments of background radiation in public places should be carried out due to the increasing sources. In addition, further research is needed to ascertain the health hazard from emerging sources of NIR like Starlink technology and to substantiate findings of non-thermal effects.

Keywords

Non-Ionizing Radiation; Electromagnetic Radiation; Health; UV Solar radiation; Nigeria

Subject

Physical Sciences, Biophysics

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