electrosmog index
                     Glossary

 

(Electrosmog)

 

[A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ]

(Note - Greek letters are written out by name - alpha, beta etc.)

 

- A -

absorbed dose
Energy absorbed by the tissues considered.

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accumulated dose
Sum of the absorbed doses in a certain time interval.

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Alzheimer disease
Severe progressive pathology of the brain. It causes brain cell loss in specific cerebral areas inducing failures of the biochemical signal transmission.

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ampere (A)
International System (SI) unit of measure for electric current intensity.

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anorexia
Nervous disease in a psychological form that leads to the loss of appetite.

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aspecific health damage
Damage that is added to damage of the same type present also in individuals not exposed to the cause.

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- B -

benefit
Any advantage obtained with expedients or human activities. (Compared with the entity of the cost needed to reach the goal).

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- C -

carcinogenic
Any cause that may lead to a malignant neoformation, which is capable of proliferating indefinitely and of attacking the invaded tissues.

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collective dose
Generally, it refers to the "collective effective dose equivalent" which considers different sensitivity to radiations and is obtained by multiplying the average effective dose equivalent by the total number of persons exposed.In the ionizing radiation field the unit used is man-Sv (man-sievert).

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conductor
Any medium capable of transfering energy or electric signals to a distance.

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cost (referring to the protection field)
Gravity of the health damage induced by actions or infrastructures.

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current density
The current passing through the surface unit of the conductor. It is measured in A x m -2).

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- D -

dielectric
Material with electric insulator properties.

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dielectric constant
Dielectric constant in vacuum: eta0 = 8.85 x 10 –12  farad x m-1. Referring to a specific material, the relative dielectric constant eta is defined as dielectric constant/dielectric constant of vacuum.

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dose
General term which indicates a certain amount of radiation energy. See: absorbed dose, collective dose, dose equivalent, effective dose equivalent (terms used in radiation protection).

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dose equivalent
Absorbed dose corrected by the radiation quality factor.

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- E -

E
Electric field vector; the force F exercised on a charge q is F = qE.

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effect
Disturbance ascribable to a cause. An effect may be: "without any consequences", "beneficial" or "detrimental".

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effective dose equivalent
Dose equivalent corrected by the Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE).

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electric dipole
A distribution of the electric charges equivalent to a spatial structure with two equal punctiform charges q of opposite sign, separated, by a   distance. Electric dipole momentum = ql.

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electric field
Field of the electric forces surrounding an electrified body or a moving magnet.

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Electric induction (D)
It is defined by D = eta x eta0 x E.

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electric potential
Work needed to transport the electric charge unit from a specific point to infinity.

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electromagnetic field
Interdependent electric and  magnetic fields, produced by moving electric charges.

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electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic wave, or photon, of the same nature as light. In the whole range their whole wave length spectrum is extremely wide. In vacuum they travel at the speed of light.

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electrosmog
Electromagnetic-non-ionizing radiation  pollution.

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ElectronVolt
Energy acquired by a particle with an elementary electric charge (1.6 x 10-19 C) when it is accelerated by a potential difference of 1 Volt (1 eV is approximately 1.6 x 10–19  J).

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ELF (Extremely low frequencies)
Including all the waves  from "static field" up to 300 Hz frequencies and consequent wave length up to many kilometers.

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energy
Possibility to do work. Its unit is the Joule. The energy of a photon is E= hf where h stands for the Planck costant.

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environmental impact
Set of the effects that a structure (industrial system, electrical system, road, etc.) provokes on the surrounding environment, inducing alterations or disturbances to single components of the entire environmental system. The building of large-scale structures requires a prior estimate of its environmental compatibility: VIA ( environmental impact evaluation).

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epidemiologic studies
Investigations into causes and spread of diseases, performed by direct observation on groups of human individuals.

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exposure
Physical values which define the energy absorption from electromagnetic fields.

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- F -

field
Region of space where a measurable physical greatness is measurable.

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frequency (f)
In the electromagnetic fields it indicates the number of oscillations a wave performs in a time unit. It is measured in hertz (1Hz =1 s-1). The classification is according to rising frequencies:  ELF (extremely low frequencies, up to 3 kHz), VF (voice-frequency) and VLF (very low frequencies from 3 to 30 kHz), LF (low  frequencies, from 30 to 300 kHz), radiofrequencies (from 300 kHz to 300 MHz) divided in  MF-medium, HF- high and VHF very high frequencies.

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- G -

gamma rays
They are of the same nature as X rays, with higher energy and wave length down to picometer.

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Gauss
Unit to measure magnetic induction on the cgs system. (1 gauss = 10-4 tesla).

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genetic damage
When the fertility cells have been affected.

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genetic mutation
Stable alteration in the nuclear DNA of a cell. (When the modified DNA belongs to a somatic cell, the mutation is called somatic and it disappears with the cell or tissue death to which it belongs. While, if the alteration happens in the reproduction cells of a fertile person, the mutation is called hereditary as it may pass to the descendants).

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greenhouse effect
Natural phenomenon due to the sheltering effect of the atmospheric carbon dioxide which does not allow the dispersion in space of the heat from the earth's surface. Lately the phenomenon has been slightly amplified, pushing up the average temperature of our planet.

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- H -

H
Magnetic field vector; in the electromagnetic wave it is perpendicular to the E vector and to its propagation plane.

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health damage
Noxious effect on health.

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health risk
Probability that an effect may produce dangerous sanitary effects.

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heat capacity
Heat necessary to raise of 1 degree centigrade the temperature of a body.

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homeostasis
Active process in the living organism capable of regaining the normal equilibrium after a  perturbation.

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hormesis 
Epidemiological evidence of a possible beneficial reaction to harmful agents.

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- I -

indicator
Any parameter which allows for the simple representation of a complex phenomenon. For example, an environmental indicator derives from the observation or measurement of an environmental variable.

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indoor
Inside a building.

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industrial frequency
Frequency used for the production, distribution, and use of electric energy (50 Hz in Europe, 60 Hz in the USA). It belongs to the ELF.

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infrared (IR)
Electromagnetic radiation with a wave length between 800 nm and 1 mm. (Note: the acronym IR is preferentially used to indicate the "Ionizing Radiations").

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ion
An atom or a molecule which became electrically charged loosing or adding electrons to its system.

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ionization
The process through which a molecule or an atom acquires electrical charge expelling or capturing electrons.

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ionizing radiation (IR)
Any electromagnetic radiation, and/or particle beam, with enough energy to ionize a water molecule at normal temperature.

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IS
International sistem of measure unit.

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- J -

justification
It indicates the necessity that each intervention be justified on the basis of the net benefit expected and of the consciousness that there was no better way to reach the same purpose.

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- K -

- L -

laser
Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiations. Apparatus which generates an intense and choerent electromagnetic beam with well defined wave length.

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leukemia
Neoplasm interesting the white blood cells (leucocytes) characterized by heavy anomalies in the proliferation and development of such cells.

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linear equation
When the variables are at power 1 (direct proportionality).

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- M -

magnetic field
Field of the forces surrounding a magnet or a conductor crossed by electrical current.

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magnetic induction (B)
It is defined as:  B = mu x mu0 x H. It is also known as magnetic field.

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magnetic permeability
In vacuum, the magnetic permeability is mu0 = B0 /H0 = 4 pigreco x 10-7  IS unit. In a material medium, B = mu x mu0 x H, where mu indicates the specific permeability of the medium.

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membrane potential
The electric potential difference existing between the inside and outside of the cell membrane, due to the active ion pressing through the membrane itself.

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microwaves
Electromagnetic radiations having a frequency between 300 MHz and 300 GHz (wave length from 1 mm to 1 m).

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multiples and submultiples of 10
The most frequent ones are ranked by 3 magnituded orders:
10-12  pico; 10-9 nano; 10-6  micro; 10-3 milli; 103 chilo; 106  mega; 109 giga; 1012 tera.

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- N -

near electromagnetic field
The field existing inside a distance of a wave length from the source.

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neoplasm
Also called malignant tumour and indicates the growth of anomalous tissues which escape control by the organism's normal auto-regulation systems.

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NIR (Non-ionizing radiation)
Electromagnetic radiation where "quanta" have not sufficient energy to ionize, in normal environmental conditions, the water molecole, taken as reference for the human body.

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NMR (Nuclear magnetic resonance)
Property of some atomic nuclei to absorb electromagnetic energy at special frequencies, in the radiofrequencies area.

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non-thermal effect
When the absorbed energy does not modify the structures by heating processes.

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- O -

oncogenic
Capable to induce tumour formations.

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outdoor
Outside buildings.

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- P -

photon
Elementary particle, an electromagnetic energy quantum having no mass and no charge.

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Planck constant  (h)
Fundamental quantistic constant equal to: 6.626 x 10-34  J x s.

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pollution
Alteration of the physical, chemical and biological parameters typical of an environment, due to human activities.

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power
Energy in a time unit. It is measured in Watt (W).

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power density
Power emitted or received per surface unit: it is measured in W x m –2.

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prudent avoidance
A form of advice against non-justified exposure to radiations.

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- Q -

- R -

radiation
Wave, or photon or particle beam. The radiation may carry energy both in vacuum and in a material medium.

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radiation intensity (S)
It indicates the energy going through a surface unit in a time unit. The vector S corresponds to the product of the electric and magnetic field vectors (S= E x H). It is measured as: W x m-2.

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radiation protection regulation
The whole body of the rules which define conditions and the maximum exposure limits for operators and for normal individuals.

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radiation protection recommendations
Generational suggestions for the appropriate use of radiations given by scientific bodies recognized at international level.

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radiofrequencies
They include the electromagnetic waves from 300 kHz to 300 MHz having wave lenghts from 1 m to 1 km.

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radiography
Photographic technique using X rays to highlight the body's internal structures thanks to their different opacity to the radiation.

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radiotherapy
The use of high ionizing radiation doses to treat pathologies due to anomalous cells and tissues; in particolar to treat malignant neoformations.

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rays from cosmic swarms
Electromagnetic radiations formed during the interactions on the atmospheric elements of high energy particles coming from particular celestial bodies.

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resources optimization
To try and obtain the maximum "advantage" comparing cost and benefit .

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- S -

SAR (specific absorption rate)
The electromagnetic energy absorbed by a biological tissue in the unit of time and mass. It is measured in: W x kg-1.

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sinusoidal wave
Periodical wave characterized by frequency, f, wave length, lambda, and propagation velocity v = lambda x f.

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somatic
Concerning all the organism cells excluding reproduction cells.

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somatic damage
When the fertility organs are not involved.

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specific health damage
Damage for which the relation between cause and effect can be proved.

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- T -

thermal denaturation
Non reversible alteration of the molecular structure caused by increasing temperature, typical when organic tissues are heated.

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thermal effect
Physical effect that alters the chemico-physical structure of the material exposed (warming ..... cooking).

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tesla (T)
Measure unit for the magnetic induction. 1T=1weber x m–2, oppure, 1T=104 Gauss.

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- U -

UV (ultraviolet)
Electromagnetic radiations with wave length between 4 and 400 nm. The IEC (International Energy Committee) recognizes various bands: UV –A from 400 to 325 nm; UV –B from 325 to 280 nm; UV –C from 280 to 100 nm; and vacuum UV - those with wave length of less than 100 nm (of little practical value since they are completely absorbed by air).

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- V -

visible light
Electromagnetic waves perceived by the human organ of sight. They are limited to wave lengths from 400 to 700 nm.

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Volt
Unit of measure for electric potential difference.

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- W -

Watt
Unit of measure for power, 1 W = 1 Joule. sec-1.

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wave
Oscillatory perturbation propagating in space with defined velocity.

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wave length (lambda)
Distance between two crests or two valleys of a wave (lambda = v/f where v indicates the propagation velocity and f the frequency of the wave)

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- X -

X rays
Ionizing electromagnetic radiation (photon)  produced by a radiogenerator or emitted during the internal energetic rearrangement of an atom. They go with increasing energies from the UV rays up to nanometer wave length.

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- Y -

- Z -