Progress and prospective in biological effects of terahertz radiation

The application of terahertz (THz) technology has expanded gradually in this century. Studies on the usages of THz imaging and sensing in medical, military, and security areas are going deeper and deeper. In order to use THz technology safely and effectively, especially in the fields of diagnosis, live imaging, therapy, and security screening, it is of great urgency to identify its bioeffects and dose-effect relationship, and then injury threshold so as to study and evaluate the safety and bioeffects of THz radiation. Therefore, the research on THz bioeffects becomes a hotspot in our field, and is the precondition and prerequisite for the studies on the THz application and the knowledge of interaction between THz wave and bio-systems, as well as on founding a basis for its future application and development. Moreover, the researches on THz bioeffects are essential for evaluating health hazards, establishing safety standards, and using THz technology safely. This article reviews the progress and development of THz bioeffects in thermal effects and non-thermal effects, and then, summarizes and analyzes the enlightenment of the researches, and look forward to the future development.