The Effects of High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulses on human body: Propagation, Dosimetry (SAR), and Comparative Study

Abstract

The development of different technologies using electromagnetic waves in various applications (telecommunications, medical, military, etc.) was beneficial for humanity but, on the other hand, created new challenges to human health. The increasingly complicated electromagnetic environment has led to a growing interest in the study of the electromagnetic field's interaction with biological tissues.

The majority of research studies the health effects of mobile phones, but there is less study on the effects of other electromagnetic sources, such as the high-altitude electromagnetic pulse.

The High-altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (H-EMP E1) can cause malfunctions and disorder in electronic equipment and serious damage to electric power systems and communication networks. But we don’t know exactly the effects of EMP on biological tissues and the human body.

The work presented in this paper aims to study the propagation of electromagnetic pulses (EMP) and show their predicted effects on a human body in different cases (in open space and in a shielded environment such as a vehicle).

For that, we use two models (simplified and anatomical) in a 3D simulation in order to study dosimetry and show clearly the effects on the human body by calculating the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), and we compare, interpret, and explain the results between the two models.