The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has recently announced that it wants
public input regarding a new draft of its guidelines on limiting radio
frequency (RF) fields (i.e., electromagnetic fields [EMF] from 100 kilohertz to
300 Gigahertz).
“The main objective of this publication is to
establish guidelines for limiting exposure to EMFs that will provide a high
level of protection for all people against known adverse health effects from
direct, non-medical exposures to both short- and long-term, continuous and
discontinuous radiofrequency EMFs.”
The new publication replaces the
1998 RF exposure guidelines which have influenced RF exposure standards in many
nations including the guidelines adopted by the U.S. Federal Communications
Commission.
ICNIRP is an
association with a scientific mission that is registered in Germany as a
nonprofit organization. It is “formally recognized as an official collaborating
non-governmental organization (NGO) by the World Health Organization (WHO) and
the International Labour Organization (ILO). ICNIRP is linked to many
organizations engaged in non-ionizing radiation protection worldwide and
consults with the European Commission.”
ICNIRP’s new draft safety guidelines dismiss the
research on the effects of chronic exposure to non-thermal levels of RF
radiation. In its latest health risk assessment, ICNIRP concludes that there
are no “substantiated”
adverse effects of RF radiation on human health. See Appendix B: Health Risk Assessment Literature and a summary
of the findings which appears below.
Following is ICNIRP’s justification for
ignoring most of the EMF research in its health risk assessment:
"ICNIRP
bases its guidelines on substantiated adverse health effects. This makes the
difference between a biological and an adverse health effect an important
distinction, where only adverse health effects require limits for the
protection of humans." (ICNIRP
Guidelines: Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time-Varying Electric, Magnetic
and Electromagnetic Fields [100 kHz TO 300 GHz]. July 11, 2018 draft. p. 2)
“These guidelines specify quantitative EMF
levels for safe personal exposure. Adherence to these levels is intended to
protect people from all known harmful effects of radiofrequency EMF exposure.
To determine these levels, ICNIRP first identified published scientific
literature concerning effects of radiofrequency EMF exposure on biological
systems, and established
which of these were both harmful to human health, and scientifically
substantiated. This latter point is important because ICNIRP considers that, in
general, reported effects need to be independently replicated, be of sufficient
scientific quality and explicable more generally within the context of the
scientific literature, in order to be taken as ‘evidence’ and used for setting
exposure restrictions. Within the guidelines, ‘evidence’ will be used within
this context, and ‘substantiated effect’ used to describe reported effects that
satisfy this definition of evidence. (ICNIRP Guidelines: Guidelines for Limiting
Exposure to Time-Varying Electric, Magnetic and Electromagnetic Fields [100 kHz
TO 300 GHz].” July 11, 2018 draft.
p. 2)
Public consultation on ICNIRP RF exposure guidelines
If you choose to provide public input to ICNIRP, the draft documents
consist of RFexposure guidelines and two appendices. AppendixA reviews dosimetry, and AppendixB summarizes the health risk assessment.
The consultation process which began on July 11 ends on
October 9, 2018. ICNIRP members will review public comments prior to finalizing
the RF exposure guidelines. ICNIRP will
not reply to comments.
To provide comments on the draft
documents, complete the form on the ICNIRP website or the template available at
https://www.icnirp.org/en/activities/public-consultation/consultation-1.html
Files for download
My editorial comments
To date, 242 scientists who have published peer-reviewed research on EMF
and biology or health have signed the EMF Scientist Appeal. Collectively, these
scientists from 41 nations have published more than 2,000
papers on EMF. The Appeal
calls on the WHO and the United Nations including its member states to
adopt more protective exposure guidelines for EMF including RF radiation in the
face of increasing evidence of health risks since these exposures are a rapidly
growing form of worldwide environmental pollution.
In a recently published, peer-reviewed paper, “Thermal and non-thermal health effects of low intensity non-ionizing radiation: An international perspective,” Belpomme and his colleagues (2018) criticize
the WHO due to its reliance upon ICNIRP and its members for expert advice. The
paper claims that ICNIRP and its advisors have “close associations with
industry,” and “conflicts of interest.” According to the authors, ICNIRP and its
advisors have been engaged in decades of “denial
of serious non-thermal effects of RF-EMFs in spite of overwhelming scientific
evidence to the contrary.”
Moreover,
Belpomme and his colleagues criticize ICNIRP’s safety limits:
“The
specific absorption rate (SAR)-based ICNIRP safety limits were established on
the basis of simulation of EMF energy absorption using standardized adult male
phantoms, and designed to protect people only from the thermal effects of EMFs.
These assumptions are not valid for two reasons. Not only do they fail to
consider the specific morphological and bioclinical vulnerabilities of
children, but also they ignore the effects known to occur at non-thermal
intensities….”
Finally, Belpomme and his colleagues (2018) provide a summary of the peer-reviewed scientific literature that arrives at very different conclusions than ICNIRP's health risk assessment:
"It is urgent that national and international bodies, particularly the WHO, take this significant public health hazard seriously and make appropriate recommendations for protective measures to reduce exposures. This is especially urgently needed for children and adolescents. It is also important that all parts of society, especially the medical community, educators, and the general public, become informed about the hazards associated with exposure to EMFs and of the steps that can be easily taken to reduce exposure and risk of associated disease."
The rules that ICNIRP applies for a study to be included in
its health risk assessment seem overly stringent. If other official bodies
(e.g., the International Agency for Research on Cancer or the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency) were to adopt such rules, I suspect that very few
chemicals would be classified as toxins or carcinogens. By its own admission, ICNIRP
is not concerned about protecting animal or plant life from the adverse effects
of EMF exposure, and it is arguable that they are truly concerned about protecting
humans.
If the claims of some EMF scientists and scientific
organizations (e.g., the European Cancer and Environment Research Institute and
the Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) are true
that ICNIRP’s members and scientific advisors are selected because they are biased toward industry,
then it is fruitless to engage in ICNIRP’s public consultation process
(see my posts from May 1 through June 27, 2017.)
Since the credibility of ICNIRP depends heavily
upon its association with the WHO, a more fruitful activity for the EMF scientific community might be to convince the WHO and governments not to rely on
ICNIRP for EMF guidelines and no longer consult ICNIRP’s advisors.
--
Summaries
from ICNIRP’s Draft Appendix B: Health Risk Assessment Literature
“ICNIRP bases its guidelines on substantiated adverse health
effects. This makes the difference between a biological and an adverse health
effect an important distinction, where only adverse health effects require
limits for the protection of humans.” (p. 2)
Brain electrical activity and
cognitive function
“In summary, there is no
substantiated experimental or epidemiological evidence that exposure to
radiofrequency EMF affects higher cognitive functions relevant to health.” (p.
3)
Symptoms and wellbeing
“In summary, no reports of adverse effects on symptoms and
wellbeing have been substantiated, except for pain, which is related to
elevated temperature at high exposure levels. Thresholds for these have not
been clearly identified, but the best estimate is within the vicinity of 10 and
20 mA for indirect contact currents, for children and adults respectively, and
12.5 kW m-2 for direct
millimeter-wave exposure.” (pp. 3-4)
Other brain
physiology and related functions
“In summary, there is no
evidence of effects of radiofrequency EMF on physiological processes or eye
pathology that impair health in humans. Some evidence of superficial eye damage
has been shown in rabbits at exposures of at least 1.4 kW m-2,
although the relevance of this to humans has not been demonstrated.“ (p. 4)
Auditory,
vestibular and ocular function
“In summary, no effects
on auditory, vestibular, or ocular function relevant to human health have been
substantiated.” (p. 5)
Neuroendocrine
system
“In summary, the lowest
level at which an effect of radiofrequency EMF on the neuroendocrine system has
been observed is 4 W kg-1 (in rodents and primates), but there is no
evidence that this translates to humans or is relevant to human health. No
other effects have been substantiated.” (p. 6)
Neurodegenerative
diseases
“In summary, no adverse effects on
neurodegenerative diseases have been substantiated.” (p. 6)
Cardiovascular
system, autonomic nervous system and thermoregulation
“In summary, no effects
on the cardiovascular system, autonomic nervous system, or thermoregulation
that compromise health have been substantiated for exposures with whole body
average SARs below approximately 1 W kg-1, and there is some
evidence that 4 W kg-1 is not sufficient to alter body core temperature
in hamsters. However, there is strong evidence that whole body exposures in
rats that are sufficient to increase body core temperature by several degrees
centigrade can cause serious adverse health effects in rats.” (p. 7)
Immune system and
haematology
“The few human studies
have not indicated any evidence that radiofrequency EMF affects health in
humans via the immune system or haematology.” (p. 7)
Fertility,
reproduction and childhood development
“In summary, no adverse
effects of radiofrequency EMF exposure on fertility, reproduction or
development relevant to human health have been substantiated.” (p. 8)
Cancer
“In summary, no effects
of radiofrequency EMF on cancer have been substantiated.” (pp. 8-9)
