Terahertz radiation has a new mechanism by which to cause harm, namely, it can alter and trigger chemical reactions between molecules. That is why the chemistr

Terahertz radiation has a new mechanism by which to cause harm, namely, it can alter and trigger chemical reactions between molecules. That is why the chemistry field is so interested in it, as per the article. So while it is not ionizing radiation, it is chemistry altering radiation. Maybe you could make a THz death ray that kills all bacteria (both good and bad) by messing with bacterial chemistry. Because it has been so difficult to produce, especially at higher power levels, we don't have much, if any, data on how safe it is for biological systems. I don't know if Terahertz radiation is known to exist in nature, maybe it does, maybe we just have not had good enough receivers that can see it. Given the output of our Sun is so broadband I suspect that it emits THz radiation also. Maybe someone with access can summarize the article behind this paywall?: "Effects of Terahertz Radiation on Biological Systems" https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643389.2011.574206?journalCode=best20 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10643389.2011.57... Abstract "Effects of electromagnetic fields on biological systems of all levels, ranging from isolated biomolecules to whole organisms, have been investigated comprehensively for a long time. Due to a lack of suitable sources and detectors, the terahertz frequency range has not been investigated to the same amount as other frequencies. Even though early reports date back to the 1960s, thorough research has only been conducted during the last decade. The aim of this review is to give a summary of all available publications on this topic. A comprehensive literature research was conducted resulting in 37 identified publications. An overview of publication analysis is presented, followed by a detailed description of theoretical investigations. Subsequently all experimental investigations are described, including details on frequency, exposure time, power density, biological system, and outcome of the studies." Or these: "Effects of Terahertz Radiation on Living Cells: a Review" https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0030400X20060041 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0030400X20060041 "Terahertz Radiation Effects and Biological Applications" https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10762-009-9561-z https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10762-009-9561-z