Professor Michael Repacholi, University of Rome

Dr MH Repacholi Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy Former Co-ordinator, Radiation and Environmental Health World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland Health Risks from Radiofrequency Fields

We all use EMF technologies, but are there health consequences? Industrial Sources Residential Sources Medical Sources

When land-line telephones were first introduced into New York people worried about the “fields” from the wires

Public concern about base stations, has continued for years in many countries. Possible health consequences being the main reason Base stations

Wireless Local Area Networks (LANs) are now common in schools, airports, business centres and residential buildings Cafeteria at WHO HQ, Geneva

WHO's main focus is developing counties Need to ensure new technologies are introduced safely

Its important to realise that people's perceptions may not be based on facts. This is why we need good science to confirm the facts …about EMF

WHO established the EMF Project in 1996
Primarily to assesses the health and environmental effects of EMF exposure (0 to 300 GHz)
A multinational, multidisciplinary effort to create and disseminate information appropriate to EMF health risks
Co-ordinated by WHO, but decisions on health risk are made by international expert committees

Objectives
Evaluate scientific evidence
Report on current status of knowledge
Identify gaps in knowledge needing focused research to make better health risk assessments
Promote and facilitate research programs
Conduct health risk assessments and risk estimation, and develop policy options
Provide information on standards, management programs and advice to national authorities
Further information on WHO EMF Project: www.who.int/emf

WHO Environmental Health Criteria on EMF
EHC 16 Radiofrequency and microwaves (1981)
EHC 35 Extremely low frequency (ELF) fields (1984)/2007
EHC 69 Magnetic fields (1987)/2004
EHC 137 Electromagnetic fields (300 Hz-300 GHz) (1993 ) /2009?
Major objective of EMF Project is to update EMF monographs

Structure Research Coordinating Committee International Advisory Committee EMF Project Secretariat Standards Harmonization Committee 6 International Organizations Collaborating Institutions >60 National Authorities

Biological and Health Effects Working definitions for health risk assessments
A biological effect is a measurable physiological response to EMF exposure ….not necessarily hazardous…this must be evaluated
An adverse health effect is a biological effect
outside the body's normal range of physiological compensation that is detrimental to health or well-being

Exposures to people are low ~1mW/cm 2 Exposures lower than from other RF sources such as radio and TV ...depends where measurements made Difficult to distinguish base station exposures from other RF sources Few studies on health effects from base stations alone…but can extrapolate from higher exposure studies Base stations

RF exposures from base stations 0.002% to 2% of ICNIRP …lower or comparable to radio or TV
Only established health effect from RF fields.. increase in body temperature (>1°C). Need high field intensities to increase temperature. Basis for ICNIRP guidelines
No significant temperature rise from weak wireless network RF signals
RF signals from wireless technologies in public areas (e.g. schools and hospitals) normally 1000s times below ICNIRP
WHO Fact Sheet #304 May 2006 Base stations and wireless technologies (1)

Body absorbs up to 5x more RF from FM radio and TV than base stations .. Because radio and TV use lower frequencies that the body absorbs more than at mobile phone frequencies
Radio and TV have operated for over 50 years without any known health consequence..
Digital versus analogue signals? There are no unique health effects due to different RF modulation because base station and wireless technology signals are too weak
WHO Fact Sheet #304 May 2006 Base stations and wireless technologies (2)

Research has provided no convincing evidence that RF exposure increases the risk of cancer, even at levels much higher than from base stations and wireless technologies
Cancers is unevenly distributed among populations so it is expected cancer clusters will occur near base stations merely by chance… because base stations are everywhere
Reported cancers in clusters are often a collection of different types of cancer with no common cause
WHO Fact Sheet #304 May 2006 Base stations and wireless technologies Health effects: Cancer

Human and animal studies examining brain wave patterns, cognition and behaviour after RF exposure have not established any adverse effects… even at exposures 1000x higher than base stations or wireless networks
No consistent evidence of altered sleep patterns or changes in cardiovascular function
EMF from wireless technologies is not the cause of symptoms in electromagnetic hypersensitivity individuals
WHO Fact Sheet #304 May 2006 Base stations and wireless technologies General health effects

No adverse short- or long-term health effects from weak RF signals produced by base stations or wireless technologies WHO Fact Sheet N° 304, Base Stations and Wireless Technologies, May 2006 See: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html WHO Fact Sheet #304 May 2006 Base stations and wireless technologies Health effects: Conclusion The same conclusion has been reached by EVERY major international and national review. For a listing of these reviews see: http://www.elettra2000.it/scienza/docs2.htm#inglese

Sample of national RF Reviews The following indicate no RF-induced health effects below the levels of ICNIRP Australia ARPANSA Fact Sheet No. 10 (2003) See www.arpansa.gov.au Canada Royal Society Expert Panel Report (2004) EC (2001) France French Senate, (2001), Zmirou Report, (2001), AFSSE (2005) Ireland Dept of Communications (2007) See: http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/9E29937F-1A27-4A16-A8C3-F403A623300C/0/ElectromagneticReport.pdf Italy National Agency for the Protection of the Environment (2003) Netherlands, Health Council of The Netherlands (2007) http://www.gr.nl/pdf/Press%20release%20200706%20site.pdf New Zealand Ministry of Health (2001) Spain Ministero della Salute e del Consumo (2001) Sweden SSI, (2007) See: http://www.ssi.se/ssi_rapporter/pdf/ssi_rapp_2007_4.pdf USA IEEE COMAR (2000)

No RF induced health effects below ICNIRP British Medical Association (2001) Dept of Health (2000) Institution of Electrical Engineers (2004) NRPB (2003, 2004, 2005) Stewart Report (2000) .. recommended UK adopt ICNIRP as a precautionary measure UK reviews

NRPB became part of the HPA April 2005 UK HPA (2007) web site: http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/understand/radiation_topics/emf/wifi.htm … On the basis of the studies so far carried out in house, the Agency sees no reason why WiFi should not continue to be used in schools. However with any new technology it is a sensible precautionary approach, as happened with mobile phones, to keep the situation under ongoing review so that parents and others can have as much reassurance as possible. That is why our Chairman, Sir William Stewart, has stated it would be timely to carry out further studies as this new technology is rolled out. The Health Protection Agency is discussing this with relevant parties’ But radio, TV and other devices (mobile phones) expose people (children) to much higher levels! All devices expose people to levels below ICNIRP!

Implementing precautionary measures MUST be done with caution

Wiedemann et al. 2006 Precautionary measures should be introduced only when there is the possibility of a real health concern justified by the science

Mobile phones
Many coordinated research programs in UK, EC, Germany, Netherlands, Australia etc
No adverse health effects have been established
If worried you can reduce exposure using hands free kits or limiting call times
Pregnant women are not at risk.. very low RF absorption to the foetus
Children are high users and increasing …more research recommended

Childrens’ Sensitivity to EMF
Stewart Report (UK: IEGMP 2000)
Health Council of the Netherlands (2002)
EC: COST 281 (2002)
WHO EMF Project workshop (Istanbul, 2004)
Key issues Workshop concluded: Added safety factor for the public in ICNIRP seems to adequately protect children, but few studies exist and so more research is recommended…see WHO research agenda

Hypersensitivity to EMF Many symptoms; headaches, fatigue, stress, sleep disturbances etc, not consistent among affected individuals WHO workshop (Prague, 2004) Recent reviews, UK Fox (Essex U) study Key topics Conclusion: Hypersensitivity symptoms is NOT directly caused by exposure to EMF (WHO Fact sheet N°296 Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity , December 2005 ) See: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/index.html

Continue research: see WHO’s RF research agenda (http://www.who.int/peh-emf/research/rf_research_agenda_2006.pdf)
Conduct risk assessments with a transparent process
Advise national authorities on facts and policies
Disseminate results in an easily understood language
RF fields What is the way forward? Over the past 12 years >$250 million has been spent by researchers to complete WHO’s EMF research agendas

Health hazard of mobile phones: Driving while using a mobile phone is dangerous. WHO strongly recommends against this!!

Thank you for your attention Prof. Mike Repacholi Department of Electronic Engineering University of Rome “La Sapienza” Tel: +39 0644585849, Fax: +39 06 4742647 E-mail: repacholi@die.uniroma1.it

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Professor Michael Repacholi, University of Rome

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