This policy brief focuses on how RF-EMF exposure should be quantified in health research, emphasizing the role of near-field sources and proposing cumulative dose (J/kg/day) as a health-relevant metric. It reports mean cumulative dose estimates of 0.29 J/kg/day for the whole body and 0.81 J/kg/day for the brain. The brief notes established RF-EMF effects (heating, microwave hearing under highly pulsed radiation, and stimulation) and discusses indications of biological effects below thermal thresholds, while stating that improved metrics do not by themselves confirm harm.

This review argues that current mobile-telephony safety guidelines address excessive microwave heating but may not account for potential non-thermal influences of low-intensity, pulsed radiation. It highlights an asserted oscillatory similarity between pulsed microwave signals and certain electrochemical activities in humans as a reason for concern. While acknowledging uncertainty about health consequences, it notes reported consistencies between some non-thermal effects and neurological problems described by some users and people with long-term base-station exposure.