Our desire for new technology grows every year but new innovations can also lead to concerns about possible health effects. In the 1970s microwave ovens were linked to health concerns, in the 1980s the debate turned to VDUs, then in the 1990s concern was voiced about mobile phones and their base stations. The debate is currently focused on concerns about exposure to radio signals from wireless computer networking (WiFi).

Satellite navigation systems, broadcast radio and television, mobile phones and WiFi all use radio signals transmitted through the air. The number of radio transmitters in the community and in homes has increased markedly over recent years.

At the Health Protection Agency's (HPA)…