Showing posts with label EHS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EHS. Show all posts

Monday, October 20, 2025

The "Havana syndrome": A special case of electrohypersensitivity?

On March 28, 2023, the U.S. intelligence community released a declassified, but heavily redacted, extensive report on the potential causes of the "Havana Syndrome," entitled "Anomalous Health Incidents: Analysis of Potential Causal Mechanisms." Consistent with the National Academy of Sciences investigation, the report reaffirms the plausibility that the syndrome is caused by pulsed, radiofrequency radiation. 

The report was originally issued by the Intelligence Community Experts Panel in September, 2022. The panel consisted of experts in science, medicine and engineering. The panel reviewed more than a thousand classified documents and interviewed people who experienced anomalous health incidents (AHIs).

The panel reached six major conclusions:
  • The signs and symptoms of AHIs are genuine and compelling.
  • A subset of AHIs have a unique combination of core characteristics that cannot be explained by known environmental or medical conditions and could be due to external stimuli.
  • Electromagnetic energy, particularly pulsed signals in the radiofrequency range, plausibly explains the core characteristics, although information gaps exist.
  • Ultrasound also plausibly explains the core characteristics, but only in close-access scenarios and with information gaps.
  • Psychosocial factors alone cannot account for the core characteristics, although they may explain some other reported incidents or contribute to long-term signs and symptoms.
  • Ionizing radiation, chemical and biological agents, infrasound, audible sound, ultrasound propagated over large distances, and bulk heating from electromagnetic energy are all implausible explanations for the core characteristics in the absence of other synergistic stimuli.
The panel made recommendations regarding detection, diagnosis, and treatment of AHIs and development of biomarkers.

An excerpt from this report:

"Little research in the West has systematically explored configurations of electromagnetic energy that could cause nonthermal clinical effects. Although there is a large amount of research on such effects—an estimated 25,000 publications as of 2018 89—the vast majority has understandably focused on configurations related to the safety of commercial appliances and communication systems.

Interestingly, safety standards in Russia 90 and many other former Soviet states 91 place much stricter limits on human exposure to electromagnetic fields than current Western standards.

Western scientists have attempted to replicate Russian claims of biological effects at nonthermal power levels despite the absence of details about the waveforms and energy levels of greatest concern, but their efforts have failed to show similar results. Thus, the primary organizations responsible for setting Western exposure standards do not include most of the Russian studies in their considerations. 92 93

The data from these incidents are generally consistent with academic research [redacted text] but are too limited to draw firm conclusions. 94 95 They seem to suggest, however, that different individuals can experience the same type of stimulus in different ways, which may help account for some of the observed heterogeneity in cases exhibiting the core characteristics. In addition, higher power exposures appear to generate symptoms that are distinct from those with less intense exposures, suggesting that more than one variable or biological mechanism may be at play. Lastly, the effects of electromagnetic exposure may be cumulative over time (e.g., over hours) and may be capable of triggering acute symptoms without warning. The Panel emphasizes, however, that confirming or disconfirming any of these preliminary observations will require systematic research."

Salon and Microwave News have reported this story.

My note: To date the evidence for many of the anomalous health incidents is consistent with electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Furthermore, my hypothesis that the source of the electromagnetic fields could be a microwave surveillance activity, as opposed to a microwave weapon attack, still seems plausible (see my posts below from 2017 on).

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Scott E Keric, DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL-TR-9415), March 2022

​This report reviews the literature on biological effects of engineered and natural electromagnetic (EM) energy systems across spatiotemporal scales spanning orders of magnitude from a complex systems perspective. It firsts reviews the EM frequency spectrum and define complex systems and complexity. It then reviews multiple parameters giving rise to the complexity of EM energy systems and how these parameters dynamically interact to produce complex human bioeffects across molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and system levels over time scales from milliseconds to years. Finally, it discusses outstanding issues and questions and suggests conceptual and analytical approaches for advancing future research from a more integrative and holistic perspective
​Microsoft Copilot (GPT-5) Summary

πŸ“˜ Report Overview

Title: Literature Review on Human Bioeffects of Electromagnetic Energy: A Complex Systems Perspective
Author: Scott E. Kerick, DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory
Date: March 2022 (ARL-TR-9415)
Length: 51 pages
Purpose: To synthesize research on biological effects of electromagnetic (EM) energy—both engineered (e.g., directed energy weapons, communications systems) and natural (geomagnetic, atmospheric)—using a complex systems perspective.


πŸ”‘ Key Findings

1. Complex Systems Approach

  • Biological responses to EM energy are nonlinear and multi-scale, spanning molecular to societal levels.
  • Traditional reductionist models (single exposure → single effect) are insufficient; emergent effects arise from interactions across systems (molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, organism, environment).
  • Complexity arises from:
    • Frequency, intensity, pulse width, repetition rate, polarity, incident angle, exposure duration.
    • Environmental conditions (atmosphere, geomagnetic fields).
    • Human variability (genetics, age, sex, health status).

2. Neurological and Cognitive Effects

  • Case context: Havana Syndrome incidents (2016–2018) are cited as examples of suspected directed energy exposures with neurological consequences.
  • Neuroimaging of affected individuals showed:
    • Reduced white matter volumes in several brain regions.
    • Altered connectivity in auditory and visual networks.
    • Symptoms: cognitive deficits, vestibular dysfunction, headaches, dizziness, sleep disruption.
  • Direct brain stimulation: EM fields can interact with neuronal activity, potentially altering excitability and connectivity.
  • Indirect stimulation: Atmospheric/geomagnetic fields may modulate brain and cardiovascular rhythms.

3. Reproductive and Other Systemic Effects

  • Literature indicates possible non-thermal bioeffects (e.g., altered membrane permeability, oxidative stress) in addition to well-established thermal effects (tissue heating).
  • Reproductive endpoints (sperm quality, fertility outcomes) are highlighted as areas where evidence is mixed and mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Chronic, low-level exposures may have different risk profiles than acute, high-intensity exposures.

4. Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs)

  • DEWs include high-power microwaves, millimeter waves, lasers, and acoustics.
  • The Active Denial System (ADS) (95 GHz millimeter wave) is discussed as a non-lethal weapon producing rapid, reversible heating of skin.
  • Ethical concerns: DEWs can be used covertly, leave little physical evidence, and may be abused by state or non-state actors.

5. Outstanding Research Questions

  • How do pulsed vs. continuous exposures differ in biological impact?
  • What are the long-term effects of repeated low-level exposures?
  • How do EM exposures interact with pre-existing medical conditions?
  • What biomarkers can reliably indicate exposure and effect?

6. Proposed Research Directions

  • Adopt network theory and complex systems modeling to capture nonlinear, emergent effects.
  • Integrate multi-scale models (molecular → organ → organism → environment).
  • Use holistic approaches rather than isolated endpoint studies.
  • Develop better dosimetry that accounts for all exposure parameters, not just SAR (specific absorption rate).

πŸ“Œ Conclusion

  • EM bioeffects research is fragmented and often contradictory due to methodological differences and system complexity.
  • A complex systems framework is essential to advance understanding, especially for defense contexts involving directed energy.
  • The report calls for integrative, multi-disciplinary research to anticipate, detect, and mitigate potential health effects of EM exposures.

🧠 Neurological / Vestibular Endpoints

Key gaps identified in the report:

  • Pulsed vs. continuous exposures not systematically compared.
  • White matter/connectivity changes observed in case studies (e.g., Havana Syndrome) but not replicated in controlled models.
  • Vestibular dysfunction reported clinically, but animal correlates are sparse.
  • Lack of biomarkers for acute vs. chronic neuro exposure.

Priority study designs:

  • Animal models (ferret, rodent, nonhuman primate):
    • Controlled pulsed vs. CW exposures at sub‑6 GHz and mmWave.
    • Endpoints: vestibular reflexes, auditory brainstem responses, cognitive tasks.
    • Imaging: DTI/MRI for white matter integrity.
  • Human experimental studies:
    • Short‑term exposure trials with EEG/MEG, vestibular testing, and cognitive batteries.
    • Biomarker collection: neuroinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers.
  • Epidemiology:
    • Cohort studies of personnel with occupational RF exposure (radar, comms, directed energy testing).
    • Vestibular and cognitive symptom surveillance with exposure dosimetry logs.

🧬 Reproductive / Fertility Endpoints

Key gaps identified in the report:

  • Mixed evidence on sperm quality, motility, and fertility outcomes.
  • Mechanistic uncertainty: oxidative stress, membrane permeability, hormonal disruption.
  • Few longitudinal or multi‑generation studies.

Priority study designs:

  • Animal models:
    • Chronic low‑level exposures across spermatogenesis cycles.
    • Endpoints: sperm count, motility, morphology, DNA fragmentation, hormone panels.
    • Multi‑generation fertility outcomes.
  • In vitro studies:
    • Germ cell cultures exposed to pulsed vs. CW RF.
    • Oxidative stress assays, mitochondrial function, apoptosis markers.
  • Human epidemiology:
    • Cross‑sectional studies of military personnel with high RF occupational exposure.
    • Semen analysis, reproductive hormone panels, fertility outcomes.
    • Confounder control: heat, chemical exposures, lifestyle.

πŸ“Š Cross‑cutting Methodological Priorities

  • Dosimetry rigor: Move beyond SAR averages; capture duty cycle, modulation, pulse width, and incident angle.
  • Systems modeling: Apply network theory to link molecular → organ → organism → operational outcomes.
  • Biomarker development: Identify reproducible indicators of RF exposure (oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, reproductive hormones).
  • Replication and transparency: Multi‑site replication, preregistration, and open data to resolve contradictory findings.

✅ Actionable Checklist

  1. Neuro/vestibular animal model with pulsed vs. CW exposures, MRI/DTI endpoints.
  2. Human short‑term exposure trial with EEG/vestibular testing and biomarker collection.
  3. Occupational cohort study of RF‑exposed personnel (neuro + fertility endpoints).
  4. Chronic reproductive animal study spanning multiple spermatogenesis cycles.
  5. In vitro germ cell assays for oxidative stress and DNA damage.
  6. Cross‑disciplinary modeling (complex systems, network theory) to integrate findings.

Future Research

Despite decades of investigation, the biological effects of radiofrequency (RF) and electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures remain incompletely understood, particularly for neurological/vestibular and reproductive endpoints. The current evidence base is fragmented, with methodological heterogeneity and limited reproducibility. To advance the field, future research should adopt a systems‑level perspective that integrates molecular, cellular, organ, and organismal responses within realistic exposure contexts.

Neurological and Vestibular Endpoints

  • Controlled animal studies are needed to directly compare pulsed versus continuous wave exposures across relevant frequency bands, with endpoints including vestibular reflexes, auditory brainstem responses, and cognitive performance.
  • Advanced neuroimaging (e.g., diffusion tensor imaging, functional MRI) should be incorporated to detect subtle white matter and connectivity changes.
  • Human experimental studies should combine short‑term exposure paradigms with electrophysiological monitoring (EEG/MEG), vestibular testing, and biomarker collection (e.g., neuroinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress markers).
  • Longitudinal epidemiological studies of occupationally exposed populations (e.g., radar operators, directed‑energy personnel) are essential to assess cumulative risk and symptom trajectories.

Reproductive and Fertility Endpoints

  • Multi‑generation animal studies should evaluate chronic, low‑level exposures across complete spermatogenic cycles, with outcomes including sperm quality, DNA integrity, hormonal profiles, and fertility rates.
  • In vitro germ cell models can help clarify mechanisms such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and membrane permeability changes.
  • Human cohort studies of military and civilian personnel with high RF exposure should incorporate semen analysis, reproductive hormone panels, and fertility outcomes, while carefully controlling for confounders such as heat, chemical exposures, and lifestyle factors.

Cross‑Cutting Priorities

  • Dosimetry must move beyond average specific absorption rate (SAR) to capture duty cycle, modulation, pulse width, and incident angle.
  • Network theory and complex systems modeling should be applied to integrate findings across biological scales and to identify emergent effects.
  • Development of reproducible biomarkers of exposure and effect will be critical for both experimental and epidemiological studies.
  • Replication across multiple laboratories, preregistration of protocols, and open data practices will enhance transparency and resolve contradictory findings.

By addressing these gaps with rigorous, multi‑disciplinary approaches, future research can clarify the mechanisms and health implications of RF/EMF exposure, inform protective standards, and guide operational risk management in both civilian and defense contexts.

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Mar 3, 2023

Updated Assessment of Anomalous Health Incidents

National Intelligence Council. Updated Assessment of Anomalous Health Incidents.  CA 2023-02286-B. March 1, 2023.

The report "addresses the question of whether one or more foreign actors bears responsibility, either deliberately or unintentionally, for causing anomalous health incidents (AHIs) reported by US Government officials across multiple agencies since 2016...."

"The IC pursued three separate lines of inquiry: the first encompassed work determining whether available data points to the involvement of a foreign adversary in the incidents; the second focused on the feasibility and existence of deliberate mechanisms that an adversary might use against US personnel to cause AHIs; and the third evaluated whether medical analysis can help determine if an outside actor is involved in the broad range of phenomena and symptoms associated with AHIs. Based on the results of these three lines of inquiry, most IC agencies have concluded that it is “very unlikely” a foreign adversary is responsible for the reported AHIs. IC agencies have varying confidence levels, with two agencies at moderate-to-high confidence while three are at moderate confidence. Two agencies judge it is “unlikely” an adversary was responsible for AHIs and they do so with low confidence based on collection gaps and their review of the same evidence...."

"A review of intelligence reporting, open-source information, and scientific and medical literature about foreign weapons and research programs, as well as engagement with researchers inside and outside the US Government have led IC agencies to judge that there is no credible evidence that a foreign adversary has a weapon or collection device that is causing AHIs. As a result, most agencies assess that deliberate causal mechanisms are very unlikely to have caused the sensory phenomena and adverse symptoms associated with AHIs but with varying confidence levels. Two agencies have high confidence in this judgment while three agencies have moderate confidence. Two agencies judge that deliberate causal mechanisms are unlikely to have caused AHIs and have low confidence because they judge that radiofrequency (RF) energy is a plausible cause for AHIs, based in part on the findings of the IC Expert Panel and the results of research by some US laboratories. All agencies acknowledge the value of additional research on potential adversary capabilities in the RF field, in part because there continues to be a scientific debate on whether this could result in a weapon that could produce the symptoms seen in some of the reported AHI cases."



NOTE: No agency has publicly ruled out the possibility that the exposures causing the "anomalous health incidents" were due to surveillance by a foreign actor. This could be accomplished with a moderate-intensity microwave device, rather than a high-intensity microwave weapon (e.g., "Moscow Signals"), and could cause the symptoms experienced by many of the people who were exposed due to electromagnetic hypersensitivity.


Sep 15, 2022

The Moscow Signals Declassified: Microwave Diplomacy, 1967-1977

William Burr & Peter Kornbluh, National Security Archive (Briefing Book #805), Sep 15, 2022

    "The history of the Moscow Signal has received renewed media attention in recent months as a potential historical precedent for the 'Havana Syndrome'—a mysterious constellation of cognitive and neurological symptoms suffered by CIA and State Department personnel in Havana and elsewhere that led to the shuttering of the CIA Station in Cuba and drastic staff reductions at the U.S. Embassy in Havana five years ago this month. Significant differences between the two phenomena notwithstanding, in interviews and articles a number of former diplomats who were exposed to the Moscow Signal have compared the two episodes. “Today’s Havana Syndrome is ‘like dΓ©jΓ  vu all over again,’” wrote retired diplomat James Schumaker, who developed leukemia after serving in Russia in the 1970s, in an article for The Foreign Service Journal titled 'Before Havana Syndrome there was Moscow Signal.' 

     The Archive’s 'Microwave Diplomacy, 1967-1977' posting is the second of a two-part series on the Moscow Signal. Part I, 'PANDORA/BIZARRE,' was published on September 13. A related posting concerning the Soviet beaming of ionizing radiation, 'Irradiating Richard Nixon,' will be published the week of September 19...."

     "High-level U.S. efforts to press Soviet leaders to halt the radiation activity began in 1967 and continued under four administrations into the Carter era. The microwave transmissions, believed to be related to bugging devices hidden in the Embassy walls, continued for decades after they were first detected when the U.S. Chancery opened in the early 1950s...."

For more information on the Moscow Signal, see summaries of 32 recently declassified documents in addition to the original documents:



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Intelligence Community Expert Panel: Executive Summary

On February 1, 2022, the executive summary from a report prepared by the IC (U.S. Intelligence Community) Expert Panel on Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) was declassified by Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence. 

The report makes the following conclusions:

"Four 'core characteristics' were prominent among these AHIs: the acute onset of audio-vestibular sensory phenomena, sometimes including sound or pressure in only one ear or on one side of the head; other nearly simultaneous signs and symptoms such as vertigo, loss of balance, and ear pain; a strong sense of locality or directionality; and the absence of known environmental or medical conditions that could have caused the reported signs and symptoms."

"The signs and symptoms of AHIs are genuine and compelling. The panel bases this assessment on incident reports, medical data from affected individuals and interviews with their physicians, and interviews with affected individuals themselves. Some incidents have affected multiple persons in the same space, and clinical samples from a few affected individuals have shown early, transient elevations in biomarkers suggestive of cellular injury to the nervous system. The reported signs and symptoms of AHIs are diverse and may be caused by multiple mechanisms, but no case should be discounted."

"... the combination of the four core characteristics is distinctly unusual and unreported elsewhere in the medical literature, and so far have not been associated with a specific neurological abnormality. Several aspects of this unique neurosensory syndrome make it unlikely to be caused by a functional neurological disorder. The location dependence and sudden onset and offset, for example, argue for a stimulus that is spatially and temporally discrete. The perception of sound and pain within only one ear suggests the stimulation of its mechanoreceptors, a specific cranial nerve, or nuclei in the brainstem, all of which mediate hearing and balance. The lack of other symptoms also helped rule-out known medical conditions."

"Pulsed electromagnetic energy, particularly in the radiofrequency range, plausibly explains the core characteristics, although information gaps exist. There are several plausible pathways involving various forms of pulsed electromagnetic energy, each with its own requirements, limitations, and unknowns. For all the pathways, sources exist that could generate the required stimulus, are concealable, and have moderate power requirements. Using nonstandard {redacted words} antennas and techniques, the signals could be propagated with low loss through air for tens to hundreds of meters, and with some loss, through most building materials. {redacted sentence}."

"Ultrasound also plausibly explains the core characteristics, but only in close-access scenarios and with information gaps...."

"Psychosocial factors alone cannot account for the core characteristics, although they may cause some other incidents or contribute to long-term symptoms...." 

"Ionizing radiation, chemical and biological agents, infrasound, audible sound, ultrasound propagated over large distances, and bulk heating from electromagnetic energy are all implausible explanations for the core characteristics in the absence of other synergistic stimuli. These mechanisms are unlikely, on their own, to account for the required effects or are technically or practically infeasible...."

Three of the seven recommendations are completely redacted: Detectors, Biological Effects, and Devices to Aid Research. 

The executive summary can be downloaded: 

https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/2022_02_01_AHI_Executive_Summary_FINAL_Redacted.pdf

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Nov 9, 2021 (Updated Nov 26, 2021)

"Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday detailed new efforts to investigate "Havana syndrome," the mysterious health affliction affecting dozens of U.S. personnel first identified in Cuba and now including several countries."

"Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, cognitive difficulties, tinnitus, vertigo and trouble with seeing, hearing or balancing. Many officials have suffered symptoms years after reporting an incident, while some have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries."

"In an effort to learn more, Blinken confirmed Friday that the State Department has deployed new technology to U.S. missions around the world to help understand the cause.

'The details I can provide on this are limited as well, but I can say that new technology is helping us more quickly and thoroughly evaluate a variety of potential causes of these incidents, and we've distributed across posts so that we can respond rapidly to new reports,' he said."  

(Conor Finnegan and Matt Seyler, "Blinken details new efforts to investigate 'Havana syndrome," ABC News, Nov 5, 2021)

In my opinion, the "Havana syndrome" is likely caused by exposure to microwave or radio frequency radiation (RFR) resulting in the onset of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) in exposed individuals who have greater sensitivity to RFR. Moreover, as I explained to the Daily Mail in December 2017 the symptoms may be caused by exposure to low-moderate intensity microwave radiation used for surveillance:

"The finding that the attacks led to perceptible changes in their brains is also one of several factors fueling growing skepticism that some kind of sonic weapon was involved. 

'This makes me think the victims may have developed electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) from exposure to electromagnetic fields in the embassy,' Joel Moskowitz, a community health professor at the University of California, Berkeley, told Daily Mail Online. 

'This happened during the Cold War to personnel stationed in the US embassy in Moscow when the Soviets were bombarding the embassy with microwaves to monitor oral communications in the ambassador's office.'"


If my hypothesis is correct that a surveillance device is the source of exposure for the "Havana syndrome" rather than a weapon, and if only a minority of exposed individuals are susceptible to developing serious symptoms associated with EHS, then the extent of surveillance could be widespread, placing our nation's secrets at risk.

William Broad of the New York Times interviewed me for a story on the "Havana syndrome" in September 2018. He dismissed my hypothesis that the effects observed in Havana were due to EHS and that the source of the exposure may have been microwave-based surveillance technology rather than weaponry.  In his article, he did not cite me or Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a colleague from UC San Diego whom he also interviewed who had published a paper on the Havana syndrome in which she hypothesized that it was caused by pulsed microwave radiation (see abstract below).

In October 2019, following up on a referral from Allan Frey (who pioneered the research on microwave hearing and blood-brain-barrier penetration), Dr. Thaddeus Thomas from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) contacted me to learn about the science regarding health effects from RFR exposure. He informed me that the ARL was heading a joint military task force to determine whether an adversary had developed new weapon technology based on RFR. I shared with him the research on EHS. I cautioned him not to assume that the "attack" was a weapon as it could have been from microwave-based surveillance technology because health effects have been observed in many individuals who experienced relatively low levels of RFR exposure. Moreover, Russian surveillance was a prime explanation for similar incidents that occurred at the U.S. embassy in Moscow during the Cold War (aka "Moscow signal").

BTW, the smallest microwave weapon I am aware of, the Silent Guardian active denial system, requires a 10,000 pound containerized system to generate a 30-kilowatt beam. The primary symptom is a burning sensation in the skin, not strange sounds.

In October 2021, pursuing the military weapon angle, Dr. Thomas and his colleagues published the following paper in the AAAS journal Science Advances. This joint U.S. Army/Air Force study found pulsed microwaves compliant with current safety standards could potentially cause traumatic brain injury.

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Computational modeling investigation of pulsed high peak power microwaves and the potential for traumatic brain injury

Amy M Dagro, Justin W Wilkerson, Thaddeus P Thomas, Benjamin T Kalinosky, Jason A Payne. Computational modeling investigation of pulsed high peak power microwaves and the potential for traumatic brain injury. Sci Adv. 2021 Oct 29;7(44):eabd8405. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abd8405.

Amy Dagro and Thaddeus Thomas are with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Benjamin Kalinosky is with General Dynamics Information Technology, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX; and Jason Payne is with U.S, Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate, Bioeffects Division, Radio Frequency Bioeffects Branch, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX; Justin Wilkerson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.

Abstract

When considering safety standards for human exposure to radiofrequency (RF) and microwave energy, the dominant concerns pertain to a thermal effect. However, in the case of high-power pulsed RF/microwave energy, a rapid thermal expansion can lead to stress waves within the body. In this study, a computational model is used to estimate the temperature profile in the human brain resulting from exposure to various RF/microwave incident field parameters. The temperatures are subsequently used to simulate the resulting mechanical response of the brain. Our simulations show that, for certain extremely high-power microwave exposures (permissible by current safety standards), very high stresses may occur within the brain that may have implications for neuropathological effects. Although the required power densities are orders of magnitude larger than most real-world exposure conditions, they can be achieved with devices meant to emit high-power electromagnetic pulses in military and research applications.

Excerpts

"The bulk of scientific literature uses continuous waves and moderate field strengths (typical of real-life scenarios), with less emphasis on pulsed fields of very high peak strength that may occur with ultrawideband pulse generators or EM pulse simulators (4). It is worth investigating whether extremely high peak power sources applied with a slow repetition frequency, or low duty cycle, can induce injurious effects without thermal buildup greater than a few degrees Celsius."

"With the exception of low intracranial absorption at 1400 MHz, the highest ratio of peak average intracranial SAR* to peak average skin SAR* occurs between 1 to 1.8 GHz."

"The MAE, also referred to as “microwave hearing” or the “Frey effect” due to its discovery by Allan Frey in 1961 (7, 8), was initially observed when subjects standing up to hundreds of feet away from a radar transponder could hear an audible tonal noise (e.g., chirping, buzzing, or clicking). The scientific underpinnings of the MAE were controversial for the first several years (9–11). After more than a decade of investigations, it became generally accepted that the perceived sound is due to the cochlea detecting stress waves that result from a rapid temperature rise in tissues within the head due to pulsed RF/microwave exposure (11, 12)."

"Typically, relatively low-average powers and small temperature changes (10−6°C) are required to elicit the MAE (12). Although adverse health effects from the MAE have not been previously established, one study on rodents suggests that very high–peak power pulsed microwaves can result in cognitive deficits (13)."

"This study uses a two-simulation approach to investigate whether an HPM source could theoretically induce adverse mechanical responses within the brain."

"This study has shown that, by applying a small temperature increase (<0.0005°C) in a very short amount of time (less than several microseconds), potentially injurious stress waves are created."

"For frequencies between 400 MHz to 2 GHz, the IEEE C95.1 RF exposure guidelines limit the exposure reference limit (ERL) to fmhz/200 (W/m2) over an averaging time of 30 min. For 1-GHz exposures, the IEEE C95.1 ERL of 5 W/m2 over 30 min would equate to an average energy density of 9000 J/m2. Our computational model shows that, for sufficiently high incident power densities, a single pulse could potentially result in biologically meaningful pressures. For example, large pressures may occur following 1-GHz frequency, a pulse duration of 5 ΞΌs, and incident power densities of at least 1.5 × 107 W/m2. The energy density associated with such a pulse would be equal to PIN×Ο„d or 75 J/m2 (significantly less than the ERL standard)."

"Note that the proposed HPM power densities in this study are extremely large and several orders of magnitude larger than power densities typically experienced by the public. As an illustrative example, at around 200 feet from a cell phone base station, a person will be exposed to a power density of only 0.001 mW/cm2 or less (36). This study establishes a testable hypothesis between potential neurocognitive effects and the thermoelastic mechanism from HPM systems. To date, however, adverse effects from HPM systems have not been established in the scientific literature."


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New Report Assesses Illnesses Among U.S. Government Personnel and Their Families at Overseas Embassies

News Release, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, December 5, 2020

WASHINGTON — Government personnel and their families at the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba, in late 2016, and later at the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou, China, began suffering from a range of unusual — and in some cases suddenly occurring — symptoms such as a perceived loud noise, ear pain, intense head pressure or vibration, dizziness, visual problems, and cognitive difficulties, and many still continue to experience these or other health problems.  As part of its effort to ascertain potential causes of the illnesses, inform government employees more effectively about health risks at posts abroad, and determine best medical practices for screening, prevention, and treatment for both short- and long-term health problems, the U.S. Department of State asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide advice.  After undergoing a security review, the National Academies’ report is now available.

In examining plausible causes of these illnesses, the committee that conducted the study and wrote the report considered the possibilities of directed, pulsed radio frequency energy, chemical exposures, infectious diseases such as Zika, and psychological issues.  An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies says that among the mechanisms the committee considered, directed, pulsed radio frequency energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases, especially in individuals with the distinct early symptoms.  Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) — a functional (not psychiatric) vestibular disorder that may be triggered by vestibular, neurologic, or other medical and psychological conditions — is a secondary reinforcing mechanism, as well as the possible additive effects of psychological conditions.

The committee could not rule out other possible mechanisms and found it is likely that a multiplicity of factors explains some cases and the differences between others.  In particular, it could not be certain that the individuals with only the chronic set of signs and symptoms suffered from the same causes and mechanisms as those who reported the initial, sudden onset set of signs and symptoms.  The committee noted that it faced several challenges in its assessment, related to the extreme variability in the clinical cases as well as lack of access to specific health or personal information on the affected individuals.

“The committee found these cases quite concerning, in part because of the plausible role of directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy as a mechanism, but also because of the significant suffering and debility that has occurred in some of these individuals,” said committee chair David Relman, Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor in Medicine, professor of microbiology and immunology, and senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University.  “We as a nation need to address these specific cases as well as the possibility of future cases with a concerted, coordinated, and comprehensive approach.”

The report includes a number of recommendations for rehabilitation and actions the State Department should take to enhance responses to future threats to the well-being of its personnel and their families.

The study — undertaken by the Standing Committee to Advise the U.S. Department of State on Unexplained Health Effects on U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies — was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.  The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Consensus Study Report: An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies


In late 2016, U.S. Embassy personnel in Havana, Cuba, began to report the development of an unusual set of symptoms and clinical signs. For some of these patients, their case began with the sudden onset of a loud noise, perceived to have directional features, and accompanied by pain in one or both ears or across a broad region of the head, and in some cases, a sensation of head pressure or vibration, dizziness, followed in some cases by tinnitus, visual problems, vertigo, and cognitive difficulties. Other personnel attached to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China, reported similar symptoms and signs to varying degrees, beginning in the following year. As of June 2020, many of these personnel continue to suffer from these and/or other health problems. Multiple hypotheses and mechanisms have been proposed to explain these clinical cases, but evidence has been lacking, no hypothesis has been proven, and the circumstances remain unclear.


The Department of State asked the National Academies to review the cases, their clinical features and management, epidemiologic investigations, and scientific evidence in support of possible causes, and advise on approaches for the investigation of potential future cases. In An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies, the committee identifies distinctive clinical features, considers possible causes, evaluates plausible mechanisms and rehabilitation efforts, and offers recommendations for future planning and responses.


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Diplomats' Mystery Illness and Pulsed Radiofrequency/ Microwave Radiation

Beatrice Alexandra Golomb. Diplomats' Mystery Illness and Pulsed Radiofrequency/ Microwave Radiation. Neural Computation. November 2018. 30(11):2882-2985. doi: 10.1162/neco_a_01133.

UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA.

Abstract

Importance: 

A mystery illness striking U.S. and Canadian diplomats to Cuba (and now China) “has confounded the FBI, the State Department and US intelligence agencies” (Lederman, Weissenstein, & Lee, 2017). Sonic explanations for the so-called health attacks have long dominated media reports, propelled by peculiar sounds heard and auditory symptoms experienced. Sonic mediation was justly rejected by experts. We assessed whether pulsed radiofrequency/microwave radiation (RF/MW) exposure can accommodate reported facts in diplomats, including unusual ones.

Observations: 

(1) Noises: Many diplomats heard chirping, ringing or grinding noises at night during episodes reportedly triggering health problems. Some reported that noises were localized with laser-like precision or said the sounds seemed to follow them (within the territory in which they were perceived). Pulsed RF/MW engenders just these apparent “sounds” via the Frey effect. Perceived “sounds” differ by head dimensions and pulse characteristics and can be perceived as located behind in or above the head. Ability to hear the “sounds” depends on high-frequency hearing and low ambient noise. 

(2) Signs/symptoms: Hearing loss and tinnitus are prominent in affected diplomats and in RF/MW-affected individuals. Each of the protean symptoms that diplomats report also affect persons reporting symptoms from RF/MW: sleep problems, headaches, and cognitive problems dominate in both groups. Sensations of pressure or vibration figure in each. Both encompass vision, balance, and speech problems and nosebleeds. Brain injury and brain swelling are reported in both. 

(3) Mechanisms: Oxidative stress provides a documented mechanism of RF/MW injury compatible with reported signs and symptoms; sequelae of endothelial dysfunction (yielding blood flow compromise), membrane damage, blood-brain barrier disruption, mitochondrial injury, apoptosis, and autoimmune triggering afford downstream mechanisms, of varying persistence, that merit investigation. 

(4) Of note, microwaving of the U.S. embassy in Moscow is historically documented.

Conclusions and relevance:  

Reported facts appear consistent with pulsed RF/MW as the source of injury in affected diplomats. Nondiplomats citing symptoms from RF/MW, often with an inciting pulsed-RF/MW exposure, report compatible health conditions. Under the RF/MW hypothesis, lessons learned for diplomats and for RF/MW-affected civilians may each aid the other.


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The "Moscow signal" epidemiological study, 40 years on

MartΓ­nez JA. The "Moscow signal" epidemiological study, 40 years on. Rev Environ Health. 2019 Mar 26;34(1):13-24. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2018-0061.

Abstract

Between 1953 and 1979, the USSR irradiated the United States embassy in Moscow with microwaves. This episode, a classic Cold War affair, has acquired enormous importance in the discussions on the effect of non-ionizing radiation on people's health. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as being a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B), but the results of recent laboratory and epidemiological studies have led some researchers to conclude that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields should be reclassified as a human carcinogen instead of merely a possible human carcinogen. In 1978, the "Moscow signal" case was officially closed after the publication of the epidemiological study of (Lilienfeld AM, Tonascia J, Tonascia S, Libauer CA, Cauthen GM. Foreign Service health status study. Evaluation of health status of foreign service and other employees from selected Eastern European posts. Report on Foreign Service Health Status Study, U.S. Department of State 6025-619073, 1978.), showing no apparent evidence of increased mortality rates and limited evidence regarding general health status. However, several loose ends still remain with respect to this epidemiological study, as well as the affair as a whole. In this paper, we summarize the available evidence concerning this case, paying special attention to the epidemiological study of Lilienfeld et al. After reviewing the available literature (including declassified documents), and after some additional statistical analyses, we provide new insights which do not complete the puzzle, but which may help to better understand it.


Excerpts

The Soviet objective

To activate listening devices on the walls? This may well have been, as we have just indicated, one of the explanations given by the Americans, but serious doubts had, by this time, been cast on American institutional credibility. After all, the State Department had, for more than 15 years, hidden from its own employees the fact that that they were being irradiated, had lied to them about the purpose of the blood tests, and had categorically denied that some of the results were of concern to their health. For example, the State Department had reported that Ambassador Walter Stoessel was in good health and that blood tests showing high levels of white blood cells were unrelated to leukemia (13). Nevertheless, Stoessel died of leukemia on December 9, 1986, aged 66 (27).

The mind control hypothesis was also considered by the American government (28). The Americans themselves had been experimenting on mind control as part of the MK ULTRA project, and suspected that the Soviets might be doing the same.

The former CIA agent Victor Marchetti claimed that the microwave bombardment had nothing to do with a threat to health, but with a strategy of confusion in order to waste the time of the American government while it studied and analyzed what it believed might be taking place (13). Whether this is true or not, the reality is that the American government had indeed devoted huge resources and efforts to analyzing what had happened, especially with the epidemiological study of Lilienfeld et al. (1).

The Soviets, on the other hand, finally admitted at the beginning of 1976 to the use of microwaves, after denying it for 15 years. The official version until then had been that the radiation detected by the Americans at the embassy was caused by the industrial activity of a large city such as Moscow. When they finally came clean, they indicated that the purpose of the bombardment had not been to damage the health of the American personnel, but to interfere in the communications of the embassy (11).

In the end, both official versions concurred, which, given the history of lies and deceit by the two sides involved, may be equally suspect....


Four decades on, the “Moscow signal” case has transmuted into “the Thing” or “the Havana syndrome” (45). From December, 2016, to August, 2017, some State Department personnel and other CIA employees began to suffer a series of neurological symptoms, including headaches, dizziness and sleep abnormalities, while working at the Cuban embassy, or staying at other places in Havana, such as the Capri and Nacional hotels.

Because of the political nature of this affair, many details remain undisclosed, such as the names of the CIA employees affected, who exactly was responsible for the attack (the Cuban government continues to deny all knowledge), or the specific “weapon” employed (some scientists suspect a microwave attack). However, the preliminary results of the study of Swanson et al. (7) on 21 individuals identified by the US Department of State as having possibly been exposed, showed persistent cognitive, vestibular, and oculomotor dysfunction, as well as sleep impairment and headaches, along with reports of directional audible and/or sensory phenomena of unclear origin. As Swanson et al. (7) concluded, these individuals appeared to have sustained injury to widespread brain networks without an associated history of head trauma.

Therefore, there exist clear similitudes with the Moscow embassy case; a (hypothesized) directional weapon that produces several identifiable neurocognitive symptoms and that leaves no detectable traces, contextualized in a framework of secrecy and political tension. The main difference is that, in the Cuban case, there is still no confirmation of the use of microwaves....

Power densities measured at the Moscow embassy were higher than the average levels typically found nowadays in homes, schools and urban areas, and were of the same order of magnitude as the more extreme case of living just a few meters from a base station (see (19)) This means that exposure at the embassy could have been high in terms of today’s typical levels of exposure. Nevertheless, the exposure was several orders of magnitude lower than those suggested by the ICNRIP guidelines, adopted by many countries as legal limits. As Hardell et al. (19) indicated, the BioInitiative Report (49) with updated references defined the scientific benchmark for possible health risks as 0.000003–0.000006 mW/cm2. Consequently, the exposure at the Moscow embassy was from 3 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than this safety benchmark, but 3 orders of magnitude lower than the legal limits of many countries.

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Research on high power microwave weapons

Guoqi Ni, Benqing Gao, Junwei Lu. Research on high power microwave weapons. 2005 Asia-Pacific Microwave Conference Proceedings, 2005, doi: 10.1109/APMC.2005.1606492.

Abstract

This article describes for high power microwave (abbreviation HPM) weapons research from its procedures and developing trends. In the process of researching, developing and using weapons, we have been seeking a real "multi-purpose" weapon which is able to attack the overall target, suitable in all climates and on multi-platform carrier, both for battle field and peace keeping operations. As a result of over twenty years of research, HPM weapons are found to be the optimum answer for all the questions.

Conclusions

Due to classification restrictions, details of this work are relatively unknown outside the military community. The author in this article analyses the current available information and discusses it from several periods, the purpose is to encourage others coming up with valuable opinions.




Monday, July 21, 2025

International Perspective on Health Effects of Low Intensity Non-Ionizing Radiation

Health and safety practices and policies
concerning human exposure to RF/microwave radiation

In a newly-published paper, one of the world's most renowned scientists who has studied the effects of radio frequency (RF) radiation, Dr. James C. Lin, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a former President of the Bioelectromagnetics Society and ICNIRP Commissioner, criticizes current RF radiation safety standards and the World Health Organization's systematic reviews of the research on RF radiation that dismiss the substantial evidence for adverse biological and health effects. He concludes this commentary with a discussion of an apparent paradigm shift in military research, namely recognition of nonthermal genotoxic effects from low-intensity RF radiation.



Professor Lin received the 2025 IEEE Microwave Career Award from the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society. The award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding achievements and contributions to microwave theory and technology.

Lin’s prolific career includes work in biomedical instrumentation, electromagnetics in biology and medicine, imaging and sensing, bioelectromagnetics, mobile telecommunication safety, and biological interactions of electromagnetic radiation, including RF, microwaves, and lasers.

Lin is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale. He is a founding member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and was a member of the U.S. President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science.



James C. Lin. Health and safety practices and policies concerning human exposure to RF/microwave radiation. Front. Public Health, 20 July 2025. Volume 13 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1619781.

Abstract

Concerns about the impacts on the public health and safety of radiofrequency (RF) exposure are increasing with the rapid proliferation of cellular mobile telecommunication systems and devices. There is also lack of confidence surrounding the applicability of stated health safety rules, limits and guidelines for RF exposure including their use for 5G and the expected 6G. This paper: (1) considers the currently promulgated standards for safe human exposure to RF radiation, (2) examines assumptions underlying the standards, (3) describes the roles of the military industrial complex in influencing research on the health effects and standards setting for safety levels, (4) discusses the engagement of an industry-regulatory complex, (5) explains the interaction between ICNIRP and the WHO-EMF, (6) scrutinizes recent publications of WHO-EMF commissioned systematic reviews, and (7) concludes with some observations on an apparent paradigm shift.

Discussion and conclusion

Public health concerns for the biological effects and safety of wireless RF radiation exposure are increasing with the rapid proliferation of cellular mobile telecommunication systems and devices. There is also lack of confidence about the efficacy of promulgated health safety limits, rules, and recommendations for wireless RF radiation including 5G used by these devices and systems. The currently promulgated RF exposure guidelines and standards apply predominantly to restrict short-term heating of RF radiation due to elevated tissue temperatures.

There are substantial incongruities and inconsistencies in the ICNIRP guidelines and IEEE/ICES standards. Furthermore, apart from the guideline’s irregularities, the biased assessments of the scientific database and less trustworthy appraisals such as many of the recent WHO sponsored systematic reviews make it difficult to reach a judgment with confidence. Some of the safety guidelines are irrelevant, debatable, and absent of scientific justification from the standpoint of safety and public health protection.

Full recognition of a public health risk takes time, and it is taking even longer these days given the fast pace of technological developments and rapidity at which they are launched into the commercial realm. The postulate of “An ounce of prevention is far better than a pound of cure” appears to have banished with little trace (39). Its mere mention under the current environment easily stirs robust rejoinders, with momentous opposition from those who may have profited from the massive marketing efforts. But given the growing ubiquity, is the premise of an “ounce of prevention” for RF radiation from cellphones and related wireless communication tools so far out of the question?

The question of how there can be such dissimilar assessments and inferences of the same scientific studies has persisted for some time. Less than strict enforcement of policies and procedures in research conduct or full disclosure of conflicts of financial and other interests can lead to failures in guiding and informing the development of transparent and consistent evaluations of scientific evidence for safety protection. Humans are not necessarily consistent or as reasonable as presumed. It is well known that politicians frequently make choices to promote self-interest or gain political advantage. To be fair, scientists can be driven by egocentric motives and are not immune to conflicts of interest. Indeed, science has never been devoid of politics—like it or not. Humans regularly make choices and judgments that challenge clear logic. Biases can impair rational thinking and lead to flawed decisions. “Groupthink can keep humans from being sensible and prevent the reaching of evidence-based conclusions” (30). Regrettably, groupthink or the herd mindset is as rife today as ever. “Has science become partisan? And the corollary, if science becomes partisan, is it science or politics, or would it be political science? Perhaps, science got wrapped up in politics and politics is intervening with science—a matter of guilelessly being politically correct of the willing” (82). When decisions are made through compromised judgment or not reached by cautiously weighing the scientific information they could lead to poor conclusions through biases.

Cellphones and wireless mobile communication technologies have enriched human lives. It is difficult to imagine contemporary lives without them. The deployment of 5G mobile technology is well underway with it heralded mm-wave performances. It is not evident whether the health effects of 5G mm-wave radiations would be analogous or not to previous generations of cellphone and wireless communication technologies, given the paucity of research on health effects of 5G mm-wave radiations. Without dispute, cellphones have provided direct benefits to multiple arenas of human endeavor that includes helping to safeguard our personal safety and security. Nonetheless, for the judgment on the health and safety of billions of users who are subjected to repeated, unnecessary levels of RF radiation over a protract length of time or even over their lifetimes, the verdict is still out. It is significant to note that cellphones have SAR ranging from 0.2 and 0.5 W/kg (83). Clearly, cellphones operate at a fraction of the SAR acceptable to IEEE-ICES and ICNIRP. It is conceivable that forthcoming developments would enable cellphone functions including data transmission at much lower exposure levels. Therefore, the ALARA—as low as reasonably achievable principle and practice —should be followed for RF health and safety when confronted with such divergent assessments of wireless RF radiation.

As noted, the recent announcement of termination of NIH-NTP’s RF effects research program on how RF microwave radiation causes cancer practically halted most, if not all, biological research of RF radiation supported by the civilian U.S. government. On the other hand, the RadioBio initiative seems to suggest a paradigm shift in the U.S. military’s standard of operation procedures, away from a 
 conviction of nothing but thermal effect could be associated with RF and microwaves. The new initiatives appear to allow exploration (and perhaps exploitation) of low-level, nonthermal biological response to RF radiation. In this regard, the recent publications from some of the military research laboratories may serve as telltales of more to come. These results are putting a spotlight on an atypical event, a paradigm shift in which a scientific investigation from an U.S. military research laboratory reporting a cytogenetic response or more specifically, an epigenetic role in the cellular response to low-level RF exposure, potentially, with major influences on gene activities.


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July 23, 2018


Thermal and non-thermal health effects of low intensity non-ionizing radiation: 
An international perspective

  
Belpomme D, Hardell, L, Belyaev I, Burgio E, Carpenter DO. Thermal and non-thermal health effects of low intensity non-ionizing radiation: An international perspective. Environ Pollut. 2018 Jul 6; 242(Pt A):643-658. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.07.019.

Highlights

• Exposure to electromagnetic fields has increased dramatically.
• Electromagnetic fields at low and non-thermal intensities increase risk of cancer in animals and humans.
• Some individuals are particularly sensitive and develop a syndrome of electrohypersensitivity.
• There is an urgent need to recognize hazards associated with excessive exposure to non-thermal levels of electromagnetic fields.

Abstract

Exposure to low frequency and radiofrequency electromagnetic fields at low intensities poses a significant health hazard that has not been adequately addressed by national and international organizations such as the World Health Organization. There is strong evidence that excessive exposure to mobile phone-frequencies over long periods of time increases the risk of brain cancer both in humans and animals. The mechanism(s) responsible include induction of reactive oxygen species, gene expression alteration and DNA damage through both epigenetic and genetic processes. In vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate adverse effects on male and female reproduction, almost certainly due to generation of reactive oxygen species. There is increasing evidence the exposures can result in neurobehavioral decrements and that some individuals develop a syndrome of "electro-hypersensitivity" or "microwave illness", which is one of several syndromes commonly categorized as "idiopathic environmental intolerance". While the symptoms are non-specific, new biochemical indicators and imaging techniques allow diagnosis that excludes the symptoms as being only psychosomatic. Unfortunately standards set by most national and international bodies are not protective of human health. This is a particular concern in children, given the rapid expansion of use of wireless technologies, the greater susceptibility of the developing nervous system, the hyperconductivity of their brain tissue, the greater penetration of radiofrequency radiation relative to head size and their potential for a longer lifetime exposure.



Excerpts

"In spite of a large body of evidence for human health hazards from non-ionizing EMFs at intensities that do not cause measureable tissue heating, summarized in an encyclopedic fashion in the Bioinitiative Report (www.bioinitiative.org), the World Health Organization (WHO) and governmental agencies in many countries have not taken steps to warn of the health hazards resulting from exposures to EMFs at low, non-thermal intensities, nor have they set exposure standards that are adequately health protective. In 2001 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 2002), part of the WHO, declared ELF-EMFs to be “possibly carcinogenic to humans”, and in 2011 they made a similar declaration for RF-EMFs (Baan et al., 2011; IARC, 2013). The classification of RF-EMFs as a “possible” human carcinogen was based primarily on evidence that long-term users of mobile phones held to the head resulted in an elevated risk of developing brain cancer. One major reason that the rating was not at “probable” or “known” was the lack of clear evidence from animal studies for exposure leading to cancer. The US National Toxicology Program has released preliminary results of a study of long term exposure of rats to cell phone radiation which resulted in a statistically significant increase in brain gliomas, the same cancer found in people after long-term cell phone use, and schwannomas, a tumor similar to the acoustic neuroma also seen after intensive mobile phone use (Wyde et al., 2016). Similar results in rats have been reported in an independent study at the Ramazzini Institute with exposures similar to those from a mobile phone base station (Falcioni et al., 2018). This evidence, in conjunction with the human studies, demonstrates conclusively that excessive exposure to RF-EMF results in an increased risk of cancer. In light of this new evidence for cancer in rodents in response to prolonged exposure to mobile phone frequencies, the IARC rating should be raised at least to “probable” (Group 2A) if not “known” (Group 1).

Unfortunately the International EMF Project of the WHO, which is part of the Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Health in Geneva, has consistently minimized health concerns from non-ionizing EMFs at intensities that do not cause tissue heating (WHO, 2014). In this regard WHO has failed to provide an accurate and human health-protective analysis of the dangers posed to health, especially to the health of children, resulting from exposure to non-thermal levels of electromagnetic fields. The Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of Disease takes its advice on the issues related to human health effects of non-ionizing EMFs from the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Almost all members of the core group preparing the new Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) document for the WHO are members of ICNIRP (Starkey, 2016; Hardell, 2017), a non-government organization (NGO) whose members are appointed by other members. In spite of recent efforts to control for conflicts of interest, ICNIRP has a long record of close associations with industry (Maisch, 2006). When queried as to why the WHO would take recommendations from such a group, WHO staff replied that ICNIRP is an official NGO which works closely with the WHO. Why this should exclude other scientific research groups and public health professionals is unclear, particularly since most members of ICNIRP are not active researchers in this field. We are particularly concerned that a new WHO EHC document on RF-EMFs is scheduled to be released soon, and that the members of the EHC Core Group and the individuals whose assistance has been acknowledged are known to be in denial of serious non-thermal effects of RF-EMFs in spite of overwhelming scientific evidence to the contrary (Starkey, 2016; Hardell, 2017).

Others have dismissed the strong evidence for harm from ELF- and RF-EMFs by arguing that we do not know the mechanism whereby such low energetic EMFs might cause cancer and other diseases. We have definitive evidence that use of a mobile phone results in changes in brain metabolism (Volkow et al., 2011). We know that low-intensity ELF- and RF-EMFs generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), alter calcium metabolism and change gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, any of which may result in development of cancer and/or other diseases or physiological changes (see www.bioinitiative.org for many references). We do not know the mechanisms behind many known human carcinogens, dioxins and arsenic being two examples. Given the strength of the evidence for harm to humans it is imperative to reduce human exposure to EMFs. This is the essence of the “precautionary principle”."


"Based on case-control studies there was a consistent finding of increased risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma associated with use of mobile phones. Similar results were found for cordless phones in the Hardell group studies, although such use was not reported by the other study groups. The findings are less consistent for meningioma although somewhat increased risk was seen in the meta-analysis of ipsilateral mobile phone use. A longer follow-up time is necessary for this type of slow growing tumor."

"There are other significant human health hazards of concern. There is strong animal and human evidence that exposure to RF-EMFs as well as ELF-EMFs reduces fertility in both males (reviewed by McGill and Agarwal, 2014) and females (Roshangar et al., 2014) … There is evidence that isolated human sperm exposed to RF-EMFs are damaged by generation of reactive oxygen species (Agarwal et al., 2009)."

"Exposure to RF-EMFs has been reported to increase neuropsychiatric and behavioural disorders (Johansson et al., 2010; Divan et al., 2012), trigger cardiac rhythm alteration and peripheral arterial pressure instability (Havas, 2013; Saili et al., 2015), induce changes in immune system function (Lyle et al., 1983; Grigoriev et al., 2010; Sannino et al., 2011, 2014) and alter salivary (Augner et al., 2010) and thyroid (Koyu et al., 2005; Mortavazi et al., 2009; Pawlak et al., 2014) function."

"Children, and especially fetuses, are more vulnerable than adults for most environmental exposures (Sly and Carpenter, 2012) ….

Divan et al. (2008) reported that prenatal and to a lesser degree postnatal exposure to cell phones is associated with emotional and hyperactivity problems in 7-year old children. This finding was confirmed in a second replicative study involving different participants (Divan et al., 2012). Birks et al. (2017) used data from studies in five cohorts from five different countries (83,884 children) and concluded that maternal mobile phone use during pregnancy increased the risk that the child will show hyperactivity and inattention problems. A meta-analysis involving 125,198 children (mean age 14.5 years) reported statistically significant associations between access to and use of portable screen-based media devices (e.g. mobile phones and tablets) and inadequate sleep quality and quantity and excessive daytime sleepiness (Carter et al., 2016)…."

"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…."

"There is a segment of the human population that is unusually intolerant to EMFs. The term “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” or “electrohypersensitivity (EHS)” to describe the clinical conditions in these patients was first used in a report prepared by a European group of experts for the European Commission (Bergqvist et al., 1997). Santini et al. (2001, 2003) reported similar symptoms occurring in users of digital cellular phones and among people living near mobile phone base stations ….

In summary it is the strong opinion of the authors that there is presently sufficient clinical, biological and radiological data emanating from different independent international scientific research groups for EHS, whatever its causal origin, to be acknowledged as a well-defined, objectively characterized pathological disorder."

"Arguments used in the past to attempt to discount the evidence showing deleterious health effects of ELF-EMFs and RF-EMF exposure at non-thermal SAR levels were based on the difficulties encountered in understanding the underlying biological effects and the lack of recognized basic molecular mechanisms accounting for these effects. This is no longer the case. There are a number of well-documented effects of low intensity EMFs that are the mechanistic basis behind the biological effects documented above (www.bioinitiative.org). These include induction of oxidative stress, DNA damage, epigenetic changes, altered gene expression and induction including inhibition of DNA repair and changes in intracelluar calcium metabolism …."




"EMFs at non-thermal intensities may interfere with other environmental stressors, showing an interplay of molecular pathways and resulting in either beneficial or detrimental health effects, depending on the nature and conditions of co-exposures (Novoselova et al., 2017; Ji et al., 2016). One example is the demonstration that RF-EMF exposure modulates the DNA damage and repair induced by ionizing radiation (Belyaev et al., 1993). Another example is the synergistic of exposure to lead and EMFs on cognitive function in children described above (Choi et al., 2017; Byun et al., 2017). These co-exposure factors should be considered when assessment of detrimental effects, including carcinogenicity, is performed."


"Public Health Implications of Human Exposure to EMFs

The incidence of brain cancer in children and adolescents has increased between 2000 and 2010 (Ostrom et al., 2015). Gliomas are increasing in the Netherlands (Ho et al., 2014), glioblastomas are increasing in Australia (Dobes et al., 2011) and England (Philips et al., 2018) and all brain cancers are increasing in Spain (Etxeberrua et al., 2015) and Sweden (Hardell and Carlberg, 2017). The latency period between initial exposure and clinical occurrence of brain cancer is not known but is estimated to be long. While not all reports of brain cancer rates show an increase, some do. The continually increasing exposure to EMFs from all sources may contribute to these increases. The prevalence of EHS is unknown, but various reports suggest that it is between 1 and 10% of the population (Hallberg and Oberfeld, 2006; Huang et al., 2018). Male fertility has been declining (Geoffroy-Siraudin et al., 2012; Levine et al., 2017). EMFs increase the risk of each of these diseases and others. Alzheimer's disease is increasing in many countries worldwide and its association with ELF-EMF occupational exposure has been clearly demonstrated through several independent epidemiological studies (Davanipour and Sobel, 2009; Sobel et al., 1996; Qiu et al., 2004) and a meta-analysis of these studies (GarcΓ­a et al., 2008). A recent meta-analysis (Huss et al., 2018) has reported an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in workers occupationally exposure to ELF-EMFs.

Safety limits for RF exposure have been based (until today) on the thermal effects of EMFs. But these standards do not protect people, particularly children, from the deleterious health effects of non-thermal EMFs (Nazıroğlu et al., 2013; Mahmoudabadi et al., 2015). Each of these diseases is associated with decrements in health and quality of life. Brain cancer patients often die is spite of some improvement in treatment, while EHS patients present with increased levels of distress, inability to work, and progressive social withdrawal. The ability for humans to reproduce is fundamental for the maintenance of our species.

The scientific evidence for harm from EMFs is increasingly strong. We do not advocate going back to the age before electricity or wireless communication, but we deplore the present failure of public health international bodies to recognize the scientific data showing the adverse effects of EMFs on human health. It is encouraging that some governments are taking action. France has removed WiFi from pre-schools and ordered Wi-Fi to be shut off in elementary schools when not in use (
http://www.telegraph.co.uk.news/2017/12/11/france-ipose-total-ban-mobile-phones-schools/). The State of California Department of Public Health has issued a warning on use of mobile phones and offered advice on how to reduce exposure (State of California, 2017). There are many steps that are neither difficult nor expensive that can be taken to use modern technology but in a manner that significantly reduces threats to human health.

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."