Engineering Ethics and Innovation: Analyzing Electromagnetic Radiation

This report delves into the ethical considerations surrounding electromagnetic radiation, a critical aspect of engineering ethics. It begins with an introduction to engineering ethics and defines electromagnetic radiation, explaining its generation and potential harm to organic life. The report then examines the ethical issues associated with radiation from devices like smartphones, televisions, and computers, highlighting the adverse health effects on humans, animals, and plants. It emphasizes the importance of reducing exposure to electromagnetic waves and the ethical responsibility of engineers and users to mitigate harm. The report also explores possible preventative measures, such as using radiation filters, limiting device usage, and raising awareness. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and underscores the need for ethical guidelines in the use of electronic devices. The author shares personal lessons learned and provides recommendations for responsible device usage, emphasizing the importance of limiting exposure to electromagnetic radiation for improved health and well-being. The report also includes a discussion of challenges faced during the research and the development of research and problem-solving skills.

Running Head: ENGINEERING ETHICS AND INNOVATION
Engineering Ethics and Innovation
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Executive Summary
This research is about the analysis of electromagnetic waves and their ethical impacts in real life.
Electromagnetic waves are those waves that are emitted from an electromagnetic field whenever
charged particles are accelerated through space. Electromagnetic waves have serious impacts on
biological cells and hence, raise significant ethical problems and challenges. Some common
devices that emit electromagnetic waves are computers, television and smartphones that are
widely used in almost every home around the world. It is important to reduce the use of these
devices in order avoid and minimize the harmful impacts of the electromagnetic radiation.

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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................3
2.0 Engineering Ethics: An Analysis on Electromagnetic Radiation..............................................3
2.1 Electromagnetic Radiation and Its Effects............................................................................3
2.2 Ethical Issues Associated with Electromagnetic Radiation...................................................4
2.3 Possible Means of Prevention of the Issues...........................................................................4
3.0 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................5
4.0 Lessons Learnt and Recommendations.....................................................................................5
5.0 Personal Competency Exhibited................................................................................................6
5.1 Challenges Faced...................................................................................................................6
5.2 Competency in Research and Solving Problems...................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

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1.0 Introduction
Engineering ethics is a series of ethical and moral standards that are related to the field of
engineering. Engineering ethics ensure that all moral standards and guidelines are followed while
performing an engineering activity or running an engineering device. Engineering ethics are
applied over all fields of engineering like civil, electrical, mechanical and others.
Electromagnetic radiation is defined as the radiation of electromagnetic waves from an electronic
device due to the interaction between the various components of the device (Kerker, 2016).
Some of the commonly used devices that produce electromagnetic radiation are smartphones,
television, computers and others. Due to the harmful nature of the electromagnetic waves for
organic life, several engineering ethical standards have been applied on the usage of the
electronic devices (Umrao et al., 2015). However in reality, most of the users do not follow the
ethical standards or moral issues associated with them and use the devices without any
restrictions. Hence, it is important to analyze the moral and ethical issues associated with
electromagnetic radiation and find out suitable solutions for the same.
In this report, the ethical implications of electromagnetic radiation have been analyzed
and suitable recommendations have been made accordingly.
2.0 Engineering Ethics: An Analysis on Electromagnetic Radiation
2.1 Electromagnetic Radiation and Its Effects
Electromagnetic waves are packets of energy (photons) that arise from electromagnetic
fields due to passage or movement of currents through the circuit. The waves carry
electromagnetic radiant energy that move at the speed of light while being emitted from the
source. Electromagnetic waves are created whenever some charged particles gain some
momentum. Electromagnetic waves are generally harmful for organic life as the travelling wave
can cause serious damage to the biological cells while travelling through them. The amount of
damage depends on the frequency of the rays (Ross et al., 2015). Generally, the electromagnetic
waves have the power to ionize atoms they pass through and it is extremely harmful if the atoms
are in the biological cells as the cells get fatally damaged by the ionization process. With

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prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation, cancer is often produced that ultimately results
in fatality in most cases. In addition to the human beings, other organisms like plants and animals
are also affected (Acharya, Kumar & Mathur, 2018). Exposure to electromagnetic waves causes
deformities, browning of the leaves, irregular photosynthesis cycle and death in plants. Most
small animals like cats, dogs, sparrows and other small birds are mostly affected by radiation
causing significant harmful impacts on their bodies.
2.2 Ethical Issues Associated with Electromagnetic Radiation
As per the recent studies, electromagnetic radiation from commonly used devices like
television, smartphones and others are causing serious health implication on human beings as
well as the animals. Uncontrolled use of the devices can damage nerves of human beings that
may even reach fatal level with constant exposure whereas the plants and animals are also
damaged by the travelling waves (Dasdag et al., 2015). Naturally, the overuse of the devices has
reached such an extent that ethical and moral standards have automatically kicked in. The
electromagnetic waves radiated from the devices not only harm the user only but also the
surrounding people as well as plants and animals. From a study, it has been found that thousands
of children every year are affected by the radiation and catch various diseases like cancer (Havas,
2017). Furthermore, it has been found that due to the radiation, the plants are also affected and
their life cycles are significantly reduced. Small birds like house sparrows are also affected by
the radiation and with each year, they are becoming rarer at an alarming rate.
2.3 Possible Means of Prevention of the Issues
With the constant evolution of technology, these devices are also getting technically
upgraded every year thus increasing their usability and functions. Hence, it seems almost
impossible to prevent the aforementioned issues but it is possible to minimize the problem so
that it does not exceed the ultimate danger limit. The technological demand of this age forces an
individual to utilize the electronic devices for work purposes (Hiemer et al., 2016). However,
several measures can be taken to reduce the impacts of the radiation on the body. On large
computer screens, radiation filters can be used to reduce the amount of radiation coming out of
the device. For mobile devices, it is necessary to reduce usage as much as possible. The devices
should be switched off whenever not required and should not be used when children are around.
Some specially made devices are available in the market that reduce radiation from the devices

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like wifi router, smartphones and others. These devices should be used to reduce the radiation to
as much as possible. Finally, sufficient awareness needs to be raised among the users regarding
the ethical implications of the electromagnetic radiation (Parsanezhad et al., 2015). In addition to
the health issues, the ethical implications are also quite significant and hence, must be followed
in order to reduce the impacts of the radiation on self as well as other individuals residing
nearby.
3.0 Conclusion
Finally, it can be concluded that electromagnetic radiation can cause significant
implications on the usage of electronic devices as it violates a lot of ethical standards for the use
of the devices like smartphones, laptops and others. From the entire research, it has been known
that excessive usage of the devices having serious and harmful impacts on not only the user but
also the individuals around the user. It has been found that in most of the houses where smart
devices are used all day long, the harmful effects appear mostly on the infants and young
children living in the house. Most of the high school children now own smartphones as a system
of style and showoff but on the other hand, these children are continuously harmed by the
electromagnetic radiation. Hence, it is important to raise significant awareness to let the people
about the ethical implications of the use of the electronic devices in addition to the personal
health impacts so that their usages can be restricted to as less as possible.
4.0 Lessons Learnt and Recommendations
During the study for this particular topic, I have learnt a lot of lessons regarding the usage
of electronic devices. Although the harmful effects and ethical issues were known to me
previously, I was wary about them and I used the devices throughout the days without
considering its implications. During the course of this research, I gathered clear idea about the
harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation on the body and I immediately started changing my
habits. I took special attention in ensuring keeping distance from electronic devices whenever not
necessary as much as possible. I also spread awareness among my classmates and family
regarding the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation and told them to reduce the usage of

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the devices as much as possible. I noticed the changes within a few days as my stress levels
decreased significantly and I also felt more active and less tired throughout the day.
My recommendations regarding the use of electronic devices will be as follows.
¨ Keep away from smartphones and other devices like television, laptops and others
as much as possible.
¨ Use these devices only when absolutely necessary.
¨ Avoid the use of the devices when infants and children are nearby.
¨ Switch off wifi router and mobile phones at night while going to sleep.
5.0 Personal Competency Exhibited
5.1 Challenges Faced
I faced several challenges while undertaking research required for the development of
this particular report. I needed to gather sufficient technical knowledge regarding
electromagnetic radiation and its effects on organic life before I could analyze the ethical
implications of the same. Some of the challenges faced during the research were as follows.
Selection of Topic – Before I started my research work, I was provided with a number of
possible topics on which I could research on. However, it was a significant challenge for me as I
could not decide which topic was best suited for me. I overcame the challenge by performing
simple background checks on the topics and selecting the one on which, I had sufficient interest
as well as knowledge.
Selection of Methodology – I also faced challenge during selection of methodology for
the research. There was a host of methodologies that were applicable for research activities and I
needed to select the one best suited for this particular research. I first analyzed the various
methodologies and then tested their applicability on my proposed research plan. Accordingly, I
choose the methodology best suited for my research.
5.2 Competency in Research and Solving Problems
I exhibited significant competency while undertaking the research for preparation of this
report. I accessed an online library where I gathered some journal articles from reputed

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researchers that helped and guided me a lot through the course of my research. However,
collection of literary sources was not enough for the project. I need to find specific data that was
essentially needed to guide me through this research topic. In addition, I needed to perform data
analysis in order gather sufficient insight and knowledge on the given topic. I also gained
sufficient competency in problem solving during this research. I faced some challenges and
issues that slowed my progress of research but I applied my problem solving skills and
knowledge to overcome them and finish my research within the allocated time.

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References
Acharya, R., Kumar, D., & Mathur, G. (2018). Study of Electromagnetic Radiation Effects on
Human Body and Reduction Techniques. In Optical and Wireless Technologies (pp. 497-
505). Springer, Singapore.
Dasdag, S., Akdag, M. Z., Erdal, M. E., Erdal, N., Ay, O. I., Ay, M. E., ... & Yegin, K. (2015).
Effects of 2.4 GHz radiofrequency radiation emitted from Wi-Fi equipment on
microRNA expression in brain tissue. International journal of radiation biology, 91(7),
555-561.
Gramotnev, D. K., & Bozhevolnyi, S. I. (2014). Nanofocusing of electromagnetic radiation.
Nature Photonics, 8(1), 13.
Havas, M. (2017). When theory and observation collide: Can non-ionizing radiation cause
cancer?. Environmental Pollution, 221, 501-505.
Hiemer, B., Ziebart, J., Jonitz-Heincke, A., Grunert, P. C., Su, Y., Hansmann, D., & Bader, R.
(2016). Magnetically induced electrostimulation of human osteoblasts results in enhanced
cell viability and osteogenic differentiation. International journal of molecular medicine,
38(1), 57-64.
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developments of smart electromagnetic absorbers based polymer-composites at gigahertz
frequencies. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 405, 197-208.
Kerker, M. (2016). The scattering of light and other electromagnetic radiation. Elsevier.
Parsanezhad, M. E., Mortazavi, S. M. J., Doohandeh, T., Jahromi, B. N., Mozdarani, H., & Zarei,
A. (2015). Exposure to radiofrequency radiation emitted from mobile phone jammers
adversely affects the quality of human sperm. Int J Radiat Res.
Ross, C. L., Siriwardane, M., Almeida-Porada, G., Porada, C. D., Brink, P., Christ, G. J., &
Harrison, B. S. (2015). The effect of low-frequency electromagnetic field on human bone
marrow stem/progenitor cell differentiation. Stem cell research, 15(1), 96-108.

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Shen, C. (2016). Electromagnetic Radiation from QCD Matter: Theory Overview: The XXVth
International Conference on Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions. Nuclear
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A. (2015). Microwave-assisted synthesis of boron and nitrogen co-doped reduced
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materials & interfaces, 7(35), 19831-19842.
Yan, D. X., Pang, H., Li, B., Vajtai, R., Xu, L., Ren, P. G., ... & Li, Z. M. (2015). Structured
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