As a physicist, it's generally disconcerting to read about electromagnetic fields and radiation online. The internet is a place where misconceptions roam free and unrestrained, and the World Health Organization's website is no exception. At the time of writing, the following explanation of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can be found on the WHO website:
The Claim
"Electromagnetic fields (EMF) of all frequencies represent one of the most common and fastest growing environmental influences, about which anxiety and speculation are spreading. All populations are now exposed to varying degrees of EMF, and the levels will continue to increase as technology advances. Electromagnetic radiation has been around since the birth of the universe; light is its most familiar form. Electric and magnetic fields are part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation which extends from static electric and magnetic fields, through radiofrequency and infrared radiation, to X-rays."
The Response
Now, it's understandable if you made your way through that paragraph without much of a second thought, especially if you have no formal training in physics. However, allow me a moment to point out several inconsistencies and erroneous statements that will make you think twice about trusting the WHO as an authoritative source on this matter in the future.
(1) The opening phrase "electromagnetic fields of all frequencies" is gibberish. Frequency refers to the oscillation of an electromagnetic wave. There is a fundamental difference between electromagnetic fields and electromagnetic waves. The fact that the WHO doesn't understand this is our first cause for alarm.
(2) "All populations are now exposed to varying degrees of EMF" implies that the electromagnetic field exposure is the bogeyman that is causing alarm among many people and nations. This is generally untrue as most of the scientific debate revolves around exposure to electromagnetic radiation.
(3) "Light is its most familiar form" is perhaps the most concerning statement within the WHO's description. All electromagnetic radiation IS light. By definition, that's what light is. The terms are fundamentally interchangeable. Now, there is a difference between visible light (the colors that we see all around us) and non-visible light (which includes microwaves, x-rays, radio waves, etc.). However, that is no excuse for the World Health Organization to butcher the fundamental physics of electromagnetic phenomena.
(4) To claim that "electric and magnetic fields are part of the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation" is also false. The static fields being referred to here are not part of the electromagnetic spectrum because the spectrum is, by definition, defined by frequency of the wave (see point 1).
Readers are urged to use caution when evaluating resources from the World Health Organization with regard to the topics of electromagnetic fields and radiation.