{
  "id": "glossary:non-ionizing",
  "collection": "glossary",
  "slug": "non-ionizing-radiation",
  "name": "Non-ionizing radiation",
  "summary": "Electromagnetic radiation whose photons lack the energy to remove electrons from atoms — everything below ultraviolet, including all EMF discussed on this site.",
  "status": "verified",
  "lastVerified": "2026-08-12",
  "data": {
    "definition": "Non-ionizing radiation covers all electromagnetic radiation below the ionization threshold, meaning it cannot break chemical bonds directly the way X-rays and gamma rays do. This is a statement about mechanism, not a statement that no effect is possible: established non-ionizing effects include tissue heating at RF and nerve stimulation at ELF, both of which exposure limits are built around.",
    "category": "physics",
    "seeAlso": [
      "glossary:rf",
      "glossary:thermal-effect"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "icnirp-2020",
      "title": "Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz)",
      "publisher": "International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection",
      "url": "https://www.icnirp.org/en/publications/article/rf-guidelines-2020.html",
      "year": 2020,
      "kind": "guideline",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    },
    {
      "id": "who-emf-rf",
      "title": "Radiation: Electromagnetic fields (questions and answers)",
      "publisher": "World Health Organization",
      "url": "https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-electromagnetic-fields",
      "kind": "government",
      "retrieved": "2026-08-12"
    }
  ],
  "links": {
    "self": "https://emfbase.com/api/glossary/non-ionizing-radiation",
    "html": "https://emfbase.com/glossary/non-ionizing-radiation",
    "markdown": "https://emfbase.com/glossary/non-ionizing-radiation.md",
    "collection": "https://emfbase.com/api/glossary"
  }
}