Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Scientists and Doctors Demand Moratorium on 5G

Sep 22, 2022


Nyberg N.R., , McCredden J.E., Weller S.G., Hardell L. The European Union prioritises economics over health in the rollout of radiofrequency technologies. Reviews on Environmental Health, 2022. doi:10.1515/reveh-2022-0106. Published online September 22, 2022.

Abstract

The fifth generation of radiofrequency communication, 5G, is currently being rolled out worldwide. Since September 2017, the EU 5G Appeal has been sent six times to the EU, requesting a moratorium on the rollout of 5G. This article reviews the 5G Appeal and the EU’s subsequent replies, including the extensive cover letter sent to the EU in September 2021, requesting stricter guidelines for exposures to radiofrequency radiation (RFR). The Appeal notes the EU’s internal conflict between its approach to a wireless technology-led future, and the need to protect the health and safety of its citizens. It critiques the reliance of the EU on the current guidelines given by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), that consider only heating and no other health relevant biological effects from RFR. To counteract the ICNIRP position, the 2021 cover letter briefly presented recent research from the EU’s own expert groups, from a large collection of European and other international studies, and from previous reviews of the effects of RFR on humans and the environment. The 5G Appeal asserts that the majority of scientific evidence points to biological effects, many with the potential for harm, occurring below the ICNIRP public limits. Evidence to establish this position is drawn from studies showing changes to neurotransmitters and receptors, damage to cells, proteins, DNA, sperm, the immune system, and human health, including cancer. The 2021 Appeal goes on to warn that 5G signals are likely to additionally alter the behaviour of oxygen and water molecules at the quantum level, unfold proteins, damage skin, and cause harm to insects, birds, frogs, plants and animals. Altogether, this evidence establishes a high priority for the European Union towards (i) replacing the current flawed guidelines with protective thresholds, and (ii) placing a moratorium on 5G deployment so as to (iii) allow industry-independent scientists the time needed to propose new health-protective guidelines. This 2021 Appeal’s relevance becomes even more pressing in the context of the EU plans to roll out the sixth generation of wireless technologies, 6G, further adding to the known risks of RFR technology for humans and the environment. This all leads to an important question: Do EU decision makers have the right to ignore EU´s own directives by prioritising economic gain over human and environmental health?

Excerpts

Exposure of captured agencies

The deficits of industry-biased bodies are now beginning to be exposed. In 2021, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was deemed by a US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruling as having been negligent for two decades in its role as protector of public health, in that when it decided that its 1996 emission guidelines protected public health, it neglected to consider (a) impacts of long term wireless exposure, (b) unique impacts to children, (c) testimony of people injured by wireless radiation, (d) impacts to wildlife and the environment and (e) impacts to the developing brain and reproduction [96]. The book Captured Agency describes the compromised position of the FCC in its role as public protector [97]. The compromised actions of ICNIRP since their inception, including inviting industry representatives to the table, are described by Maisch [98, Chapter 4]. As noted by the Turin Court of Appeal [43], opinions from such conflicted advisory bodies as ICNIRP are not reliable.

Safety-first

Alternative guidelines to protect citizens have been created by four groups of industry-independent scientists, based on best available scientific evidence; i.e., setting exposure levels lower than where biological effects with health implications have been found. As described in [101] these four groups recommend the following limits for human exposures to RF-EMR:
  1. Building biologists [102] suggest a very low radiation level of no more than 0.1 µW/m2 (in sleeping areas);
  2. EuropaEM-EMF Environmental Medicine researchers [103] suggest 1 µW/m2 during the night and 10 µW/m2 during the day time;
  3. The BioInitiative-group conclusions (2012 update) [20], made by 29 prominent researchers, and based on 2,200+ scientific reports, suggest 3–6 µW/m2 as the upper limit for exposures;
  4. The Council of Europe (CoE) Resolution 1815 [104] Section 8.2.1 says set preventative thresholds for levels of long-term exposure to microwaves in all indoor areas, in accordance with the precautionary principle, not exceeding 0.6 V per metre [1,000 µW/m2], and in the medium term to reduce it to 0.2 V per metre [100 µW/m2].
While there is some variation in the above recommendations, they are all far lower than the ICNIRP 2020 guidelines [14] which, for all frequencies from 2–300 GHz, allow a 30 min average whole body exposure of 10,000,000 µW/m2 (10 W/m2; Table 5, p. 495). For the more recent, higher 5G frequencies of 6–300 GHz, the ICNIRP guidelines allow an average 6 min local exposure over a 4-cm2 region of 200,000,000 µW/m2 (200 W/m2; p. 490). Furthermore, An additional specification of 400 W m −2 has been set for spatial averages of square 1-cm2 regions, for frequencies >30 GHz ([14], p. 490). These ICNIRP specifications mean that future 5G cell phones may send narrow directional beams that impact small regions of body tissue with intensities of 200,000,000–400,000,000 µW/m2. However, the maximum intensity should be no higher than 1–10 μW/m2, according to recommendations 1), 2), 3) above that are aimed at protecting human health.

The above comparisons reveal that ICNIRP and most European states allow incident power densities at least a million times higher than the first three independent advisory bodies mentioned above. This is because the ICNIRP guidelines consider only temperature rises in “tissue simulants” in plastic “heads” but no other risks, like biological effects on living glial cells, blood or DNA, which have been well documented in EU’s sponsored research and reviews [1, 3, 4, 6, 7].

Concluding remarks

At the current juncture, millions of EU citizens are relying on the EU to address the issues raised in the EU 5G Appeal. The EU decision makers need to put aside their industry-fuelled fantasies of a digital saviour for mankind and instead, ensure that industry acts according to EU laws, made to prioritise humans and planetary health above industry profit or science fiction futures. Any economic benefits from 5G are likely to be outweighed by the risk of harm to the health of billions of people around the world [33].

If the EU continues to fail to act on these warnings, Europe may end up being faced with a non-reversible burgeoning health impact on humans, especially children and the environment.

To allow the levels and frequencies of exposures to continue unfettered is to put the world population and the environment at great risk, especially young people [28].


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Sep 5, 2019 (updated Sep 9, 2022)

 As of today, 424 scientists and doctors from 47 nations have signed The 5G Appeal which calls for a moratorium on the deployment of 5G, the fifth generation of cellular technology.

 The Appeal asserts that, "5G will substantially increase exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on top of the 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, etc. for telecommunications already in place. RF-EMF has been proven to be harmful for humans and the environment."

For a list of signatories see http://www.5gappeal.eu/signatories-to-scientists-5g-appeal/.
Apr 26, 2018

International Society of Doctors for the Environment Support 5G Moratorium


In April, 2018, the International Society of Doctors for the Environment (ISDE) and its member organizations in 27 countries, adopted a declaration calling for a moratorium on the deployment of 5G (fifth generation cellular technology) in the European Union. 

"We believe it should be unethical to ignore the available evidence waiting a possible “a posteriori” demonstration of health damages in the presence of a present and potentially manageable risk for public health. 
Thus, in the respect of the precautionary principle and of the WHO principle “health in all policies”, we believe suitable the request of a standstill for the “5G experimentations” throughout Europe until an adequate and active involvement of public institutions operating in the field of environmental health (health ministry, environmental ministry, national environmental and health agencies) will be effectively planned."
In the United States, the ISDE member organization is Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). 




Apr 16, 2018
Official 5G Appeal Website Launched

The official website, www.5gappeal.eu, for the 5G Appeal has been launched. The website contains the text of the Appeal, the current list of signatories, an explanation of 5G, and related news stories.
The Appeal asserts that, "5G will substantially increase exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on top of the 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, etc. for telecommunications already in place. RF-EMF has been proven to be harmful for humans and the environment."

More than 200 scientists and doctors from 38 nations have signed the declaration calling for a moratorium on the deployment of 5G (fifth generation) cellular technology.


Oct 25, 2017

European Commission Responds with Denial
and Empty Promises to Call for 5G Moratorium

On October 12, the European Commission (EC) issued its response to a September 13 declaration that demands a moratorium on planned 5G expansion, the fifth generation of mobile communication technology. To date, the declaration has been signed by over 180 scientists and doctors from 35 nations.

The Commission's response contradicts the basic assertion of the declaration. The EC claims that current limits on electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) are adequate to protect the population, and that these limits apply to the frequencies to be deployed for 5G.

Signers of the declaration argue that these limits were designed to protect the population from the effects of heating attributable to brief EMF exposures but were not intended to protect people from chronic exposure to low intensity EMF.

The declaration cites language from the 2015 International EMF Scientist Appeal which has now been signed by more than 230 scientists who have published peer-reviewed research on EMF and biology or health. Prior to the current controversy about 5G, these experts reported “serious concerns” regarding the ubiquitous and increasing exposure to EMF. Their appeal refers to numerous scientific publications which have shown that EMF “affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines.” These effects include increased cancer risk, neurological disorders, and reproductive harm. The Appeal calls for the strengthening of EMF guidelines and regulatory standards.

In addition, the September declaration cites the International Agency for Research on Cancer's classification of radio frequency radiation as “possibly carcinogenic” in 2011; recommendations of the 2015 Brussels Congress on multiple chemical sensitivity and electromagnetic hypersensitivity; results from the U.S. National Toxicology Program study in 2016 finding cell phone radiation causes DNA damage and cancer in rats; and the Europa EM-EMF 2016 Guideline that long-term EMF exposure is a risk factor for chronic disease and infertility.

The declaration for a 5G moratorium argues that …

“current ICNIRP ‘safety guidelines’ are obsolete. All proofs of harm mentioned above arise although the radiation is below the ICNIRP safety guidelines. Therefore new safety standards are necessary. The reason for the misleading guidelines is that conflict of interest of ICNIRP members due to their relationships with telecommunications or electric companies undermine the impartiality that should govern the regulation of Public Exposure Standards for non-ionizing radiation….”

The EC claims that it “is not aware of any conflicts of interests of members of international bodies such as ICNIRP….”

The EC maintains that “Digital technologies and mobile communication technologies, including high speed internet, will be the backbone of Europe's future economy.” 

The EC letter acknowledges that citizens deserve appropriate protection against EMF from wireless devices, and concludes with the following empty promise,

"Please be assured that the Commission will pursue scrutiny of the independent scientific evidence available to ensure the highest health protection of our citizens."

The EC response letter was sent electronically to the authors of the declaration, Professors Rainer Nyberg and Lennart Hardell. The letter was signed by John F. Ryan, the director of public health, country knowledge, crisis management in the EC Directorate—General Health and Food Safety.


September 13, 2017

Scientists and Doctors Say Increased Radiation 
from Cell Towers Poses Potential Risks 

(Örebro, Sweden)  Over 180 scientists and doctors from 35 countries sent a declaration to officials of the European Commission today demanding a moratorium on the increase of cell antennas for planned 5G expansion. Concerns over health effects from higher radiation exposure include potential neurological impacts, infertility, and cancer.

 “The wireless industry is trying to deploy technology that may have some very real unintended harmful consequences,” explains one of the organizers of the letter, Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden. “Scientific studies from years ago along with many new studies are consistently identifying harmful human health impacts when wireless products are tested properly using conditions that reflect actual exposures. With hazards at those exposures, we are very concerned that the added exposure to 5G radiation could result in tragic, irreversible harm.”

 5G expansion, which is designed to carry higher loads of data more rapidly through wireless transmission, will require the construction of cell towers every 10-20 houses in urban areas.

In their letter to the European Commission, the scientists write:
“We, the undersigned, more than 180 scientists and doctors from 35 nations, recommend a moratorium on the roll-out of the fifth generation, 5G, for telecommunication until potential hazards for human health and the environment have been fully investigated by scientists independent from industry.”
University of California, Berkeley public health researcher Joel Moskowitz, PhD, explains:
“Peer-reviewed research has documented industry influence on studies of the health impacts of wireless radiation. We are insisting on a moratorium on 5G until non-industry research can be conducted to ensure the safety of the public.”
Moskowitz is one of the advisors to an earlier effort, the International EMF Scientist Appeal, a petition submitted to the United Nations and World Health Organization in 2015.  The Appeal has now been signed by more than 240 scientists from 42 nations—all have published peer-reviewed research on the biologic or health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF).

Since the Appeal was published, the world’s largest $25 million study, conducted by the National Toxicology Program in the US, shows statistically significant increases in the incidence of brain and heart cancer in animals exposed to cellphone radiation at levels below international guidelines. This supports human studies on cellphone radiation and brain tumour risk, as demonstrated in many peer-reviewed scientific studies.

The Appeal and this week’s declaration identify health concerns from exposure to radiofrequency radiation including ...

“ … increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans. Damage goes well beyond the human race, as there is growing evidence of harmful effects to both plant and animal life.”

Roll-out of 5G in the US

In the US, the wireless industry is promoting legislation in at least 20 states to facilitate the roll-out of 5G in addition to sponsoring legislation at the federal level.

In California, city and county governments are opposing SB 649,an industry-sponsored bill which overrides local control over the wireless industry’s access to utility poles and public buildings for 5G deployment. Environmental health advocates fear that exposure to the added radiation from 5G infrastructure will contribute to increased health problems.

“If this bill passes, many people will suffer greatly, and needlessly, as a direct result. This sounds like hyperbole. It is not.” according to Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine in the medical school at the University of California, San Diego. In her open letter which summarizes the research on the effects of radio frequency radiation, she concludes, ”Let our focus be on safer, wired and well shielded technology – not more wireless.”
The declaration and list of signatories can be found here:
http://bit.ly/5Gappeal170913a

Media Inquiries:

 Finland:  Rainer Nyberg, EdD
Sweden: Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD
UK:         Alasdair Philips, BSc, DAgE, MIEEE
USA:      Joel Moskowitz, PhD
USA:      Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD
Related Posts:

International EMF Scientist Appeal -  also see https://emfscientist.org/
 5G Wireless Technology: Is 5G Harmful to Our Health?