harms resulting from too much exposure to microwaves are understood, and national and local governments have established safety standards relating to such exposure. 5.2 Protection Against Possible Harms from Microwaves States have identified earth-based industrial and occupational standards to protect the safety of humans. Occupational standards for an eight-hour day range from 10 mW/cm for the United States to 0.01 mW/cm for the Soviet Union. The U.S. standard relates to tissue-heating potential. An exposure level of 1.0 mW/cm was assumed to be safe for continuous exposure of the general populace to microwave radiation by a joint DOE/NASA workshop in October 1977. In planning for the future the United States NSAS has put forward as a proposed standard for SPS transmissions a microwave power density not to exceed 23 mW/cm at the center of a beam emanating from a space object in geostationary orbit and 1 mW/cm at the edge of a rectenna situated on Earth. However, the world community acting through both public and private institutions has given only an insignificant amount of attention to international microwave standards. There is no legally binding international treaty on microwave exposure standards. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, General Safety and Health Standards. OSHA 2206 (29 CFR 1910). Interim Environmental Guidelines for Satellite Power System (SPS) Concept Development and Evaluation, PRC Energy Analysis Co., pp. D-l, D-2, Figure D-l, June 1978, cited hereafter as Interim Guidelines. NASA, Solar Power Satellite Baseline Review by MSFC-JSC, p. 8, July 23, 1978.
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