AUTHORITIES QUESTION MICROWAVE SAFETY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120018-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2012
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: December 25, 1977
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

I
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/05/10: CIA-RDP88B01125R000300120018-2
1 OS 1NGLk:S "i' li?:t.:'i
25 Dec. 1977
R ifies , i ti
Safety
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sed Mosco i,ass ,
Y E>! ploye Subjects . o Cancer Survey From Untied 1'rt$$ Intfrnatbnal 'long
'Microwave ?technolo -term study of populations living ad n to
gy has made' in areas of microwave pollution. tional policy, as suggested by the Na-
:'modern life easier in many ways, and People living near airports, In ur- tional Research Council, vrotrld call
'lot just by drastically reducing the ban areas-and near broadcast towers on cooperation from the Defense De-
'time needed to get hot food on the ta- -powered by microwaves may be the partment, the Food and Drug Ad,:1in-
ble. But authorities are increasingly ones to keep track of, according to istration, the Federal Communica-
concerned about the damage these Thaler, tions Commission, the State Deoi.rt- -
.waves could do to a person's health. ?. Such studies, as the physicist sees ' ment, the CIA, the Environmental
~') One well-publicized incident' oc- it, would bring some significant an Protection Agency, the Commerce
?" urred at the U.S. Embassy in Mos-- savers to the questions about micro- Department, the Federal Trade Com-
',- ow, which the Russians were repot- wave pollution and its alleged threats mission and more, including the
to health. Army, Navy, Air Force and-M=3.
telly bombarding with microwaves t6. "We need research trying to iden- - goody, according to Thaler, some
listen in on secret conversations, tify the problem without causing pa- $3 million to SIO rri!lion a year is.
Many persons who have`worked at nic," he said. spent by the U.S. gover.-iment for re-
the embassy since the Russians start- Asked if people living near radar search aimed at answering the many
ed beaming rrd?owaves at it .in the installations or broadcast antennae. unknowns about microwaves, on the
1963s are said to have. come down were in any greater danger than oth- J scene only since the early 1940s. But
with cancer. or precancerous -condi- ors, he said "l don't know." he said that isn't nearly enough, con-
lions. The National Research Council of sidering the problem.
Is it the microwaves? the National Academy of Science is Microwaves-invisible and sound-
One authority told President Carter circulating a proposal to investigate less-can cause sudden death, some-
0
the former residents of that embassy microwaves. The council wants to thing the Army knows. Its flameless
study the epidemiology ((lisease pat-- flamethrower uses specially focused
have the highest incidence of cancer i terns of exposed populations), assess microwaves which can cook an ene-
ofany group in the world. , research efforts, and determine the my. the way a microwave oven roasts-
The truth will be known when Dr... size and effect of this electronic smog, meat.
Abraham Lilienfeld reports in June as it is called. Investigations under .way may
on his analysis of health records of Thaler said a big problem is that show, as suspected, that the antenna
the up to 4,000 persons who have there are few true experts in the mi- of a citizens band radio can o ve off .
worked at the embassy since the . crowave field. Such an expert would - microwaves that -could damage* a
1Q60 be a combination biologist, electronic
pa