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Lasers and masers—health hazards and their control

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Roswell G. Daniels, Bernard Goldstein · 1965

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Scientists recognized laser and maser health hazards within five years of their invention, establishing early precedent for EMF safety research.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

This 1965 research examined health hazards from laser and maser devices, which emit focused electromagnetic radiation. The study investigated biological effects and safety controls for these emerging technologies. This represents early recognition that concentrated EMF sources required health protection measures.

Why This Matters

This research from 1965 marks a pivotal moment in EMF health awareness. Just five years after the first laser was invented, scientists were already investigating potential health hazards from these concentrated electromagnetic sources. The study's focus on both biological effects and safety controls demonstrates that concerns about EMF health impacts aren't new or fringe - they've been part of mainstream scientific discourse for decades.

What makes this particularly relevant today is how laser and maser technology has evolved into countless everyday applications, from barcode scanners to fiber optic communications to medical devices. The concentrated electromagnetic energy that concerned researchers in 1965 now surrounds us in forms both visible and invisible, yet comprehensive safety standards often lag behind technological deployment.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

To delineate variables involved in tissue damage caused by exposure to laser and maser sources, and to present an acceptable interim control program

We stress that the ultimate standards for control of these hazards may best be designed to fit the specific type of laser device under consideration. Wide variation between types of beams and intensities makes this specific 'tailoring' appear desirable. The general control program, submitted above, can be quite effective long before the resolution of all the problematic details leading to a sophisticated program. Let us not forget, however, that in the application of any health control program, history has repeatedly demonstrated that apathy, inertia, and ignorance may be the most important impediments to program implementation.

Cite This Study
Roswell G. Daniels, Bernard Goldstein (1965). Lasers and masers—health hazards and their control.
Show BibTeX
@article{lasers_and_masers_health_hazards_and_their_control_g4180,
  author = {Roswell G. Daniels and Bernard Goldstein},
  title = {Lasers and masers—health hazards and their control},
  year = {1965},
  
  
}
No DOI on file for this study.

Quick Questions About This Study

Masers are microwave amplification devices that preceded lasers, emitting focused electromagnetic radiation in the microwave spectrum. Like lasers, they concentrate EMF energy into narrow beams, creating potential exposure concerns that researchers identified as early as 1965.
The concentrated electromagnetic energy in lasers represented a new type of EMF exposure requiring immediate safety evaluation. Researchers recognized that focused radiation beams could cause biological effects different from ambient electromagnetic fields, prompting early hazard assessments.
This early research established that concentrated EMF sources require specific safety protocols. Today's laser applications in consumer electronics, medical devices, and communications systems all trace back to these foundational safety investigations from the 1960s.
Early laser safety research focused on potential damage to eyes, skin, and other tissues from concentrated electromagnetic radiation. The concern was that focused EMF energy could cause thermal and non-thermal biological effects requiring protective measures.
Yes, this early recognition of EMF health hazards from concentrated sources helped establish the precedent that new electromagnetic technologies require biological safety evaluation before widespread deployment, though implementation of this principle remains inconsistent today.