Electromagnetic Fields and Health Current Research Dr Mike Repacholi Co-ordinator, Radiation and Environmental Health World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
The Present Global Context Ever more sophisticated technologies Increasing number of mobile phone users Increasing number of base stations Increasing concern from the public
Challenges dealing with EMF Limited exposure assessment Identifying effects limited by latency Few outcomes studied. Extrapolate from high to environmental doses Extrapolate to different frequencies Extrapolate from animal to human effects
Established in 1996; complete main objectives 2007 Assesses health and environmental effects of exposure to EMF in range 0-300 GHz Multinational, multidisciplinary effort to create and disseminate information on health risk from EMF exposure Co-ordinated by WHO
Structure EMF Project Secretariat International Advisory Committee Research Coordinating Committee Standards Harmonization Committee International Organizations Collaborating Institutions >50 National Authorities
International Scientific Reviews 0-300 Hz Static and ELF 300 Hz - 10 MHz IF 10 MHz - 300 GHz RF Static and ELF fields, Bologna, 1997 Intermediate frequency fields, Maastricht, 1999 RF fields, Munich, 1996 RF pulse-modulated fields, Erice, 1999 Psychosocial impacts of EMF exposure, Graz, 1998 Environmental impacts of EMF, Ismaning, 1999 Adverse temperature levels in the human body, Geneva, 2002 Precautionary Principle and EMF, Luxembourg, Feb. 2003 Child sensitivity to EMF, Istanbul, June 2004 Hypersensitivity to EMF, Prague, 25-27 October 2004 Proteomics workshop, Finland, Feb 2005?
EMF and Public Health The Present Status Large and increasingly sophisticated database Known and hypothesized mechanisms Health effects not established below ICNIRP Scientific uncertainty
Biological and Health Effects A biological effect is a measurable physiological response to EMF exposure.not necessarily hazardous An adverse health effect is a biological effect outside the body's normal range of physiological compensation that is detrimental to health or well-being
Interaction Mechanisms 100 khz 300 MHz 10 GHz Induced currents Induced currents and heating Frequency Surface heating
WHO Research Activities http://www.who.int/emf What has been done? What is being done? What needs to been done? time WHO Research Reviews WHO Research Database WHO Research Agenda
Print screen of research emf website
Examples of research Example: Epidemiological study INTERPHONE Coordinated by WHO (IARC) Involves 13 countries Determining if there is an association between phone use and head and neck cancers Example: Lymphoma in transgenic mice (GSM 900, 18 months) Repacholi et al., 1997 (+) Utteridge et al., 2002 (-) Other replications Italy (2005?) Example: Effect of UMTS and GSM signals on people Zwamborn, 2003 (TNO study) Replication in Switzerland and UK
WHO RF Research Agenda Russian immune system study Follow-up studies on immune system that suggest an effect of RF exposure on brain cells (previous Russian publications) Studies to be conducted in Russia and France under the same protocol Dr B Veyret and Prof. Y Grigoriev are the principle advisers for WHO Want to start in early 2005
Define hypothesis Research Quality What will be the outcome of your research? Design study 1- design criteria (study-dependent) Conduct study Report study 2- quality criteria (e.g. GLP, GCP,..) "a sad story" Publish study in peer-reviewed journal Incorporate study in health risk assessment 3- review criteria (journal-dependent) 4- inclusion criteria in risk assessments "a useful outcome"
Define hypothesis Design study Conduct study Report study Science Publish study in peer-reviewed journal Incorporate study in health risk assessment Concern Policies
WHO risk assessment criteria CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION In-depth, weight-of-evidence, critical review and evaluation of EMF research world wide Study reports must have detailed description of methods used, all data, and analyses of results and conclusions All studies must be replicated or be in agreement with similar studies All studies, with either positive or negative effects, must be assessed equally
WHO Health Risk Assessment Risk assessment of all health outcomes nvironmental Health Criteria) Hazard identification and classification of possible carcinogens (Monographs)
Schedule for Assessments Static fields IARC Pub 2002 EHC TG Dec 2004 ELF IARC Pub 2002 EHC TG April 2005 RF IARC 2005-6 EHC 2006-7
Base stations Exposures to people are low 1µW/cm 2 Generally much lower than RF from radio and TV...depends where fields measured Difficult to distinguish base station exposures from other RF sources No studies established any low-level long-term effects to RF exposure
Emissions from base stations are self limiting
Base stations on WHO Building
Mobile phones Presents a new exposure situation Many studies have been conducted No established adverse health effects Gaps in knowledge for research To reduce exposure, use hands free kits or limit call times Pregnant women are not at risk.. low RF absorption Children are high users and increasing more research
RF Fields F field exposure is known to cause health effects above 4 W/kg using behavioural changes, reduced endurance due to heating asis for International standards o health effects below ICNIRP limits (NRPB, 2004) esearch being promoted by WHO Memory loss, reaction times Immune responses (Russian studies) Cancer Sensitivity of children Blood pressure changes Blood brain barrier Subjective effects (Hypersensitivity)
WHO and STANDARDS WHO does NOT develop EMF standards - only health risk assessments ICNIRP -full partner in the EMF Project - develops international standard The EMF Project facilitates international consensus on standards (WHO Standards framework) All major standards setting countries are involved in the EMF Project
Standards Technical standards (emission) have specifications that that limit limit the the EMF emissions from from devices Exposure standards limit limit EMF exposure to to people and and are are scientificallybased
Types of standards Exposure standards Limits to protect against exposure from any EMF source Based on sound science established health effects Examples: ICNIRP, IEEE, some national standards Emission standards Limit emissions from devices eg microwave ovens, mobile phones, base stations, VDTs Based on needs of the device Limits should be lower than exposure standard limits if many such devices to expose people Should be international agreement on emissions eg MW ovens, base stations(?), mobile phones (?)
Exposure guidelines WHO recommends all countries adopt ICNIRP Guidelines
ICNIRP Guidelines NIRP Is a formally recognised NGO of WHO Uses WHO methods and health risk assessments to produce limits NIRP limits Incorporate large safety factors Safety factor for public adequate for children Adopted as EMF standard in >30 countries world wide, including uropean Union countries
PRECAUTIONARY APPROACHES WHO is developing a precautionary framework for identifying measures to protect public health in areas of scientific uncertainty
Sensitivity of children Some key scientific issues. IARC classification Hypersensitivity
Key issues Effects of EMF on Children Stewart Report (UK: IEGMP 2000) Health Council of the Netherlands (2002) EC: COST 281 (2002) WHO EMF Project workshop (Istanbul, June 2004)..no obvious sensitivity.. research Research agenda to be posted on WHO web site soon
Key issues Hypersensitivity to EMF Mostly Europeans and especially Scandinavians report these effects Many symptoms WHO EMF Project workshop (25-27 October Prague, 2004) Research agenda to be posted after Workshop
RF fields What is the way forward? Focused research: see WHO s new RF research agenda (www.who.int/emf) WHO promotes research ONLY where health risks could reasonable be expected not "scattergun" approach rationale for research Properly assess risks using established WHO criteria Obtain information in transparent way and disseminate as user-friendly documents
Health hazard of mobile phones: Driving while using a mobile phone is dangerous. WHO strongly recommends against this!!
WHO recommendations Strict adherence to international and national health-based guidelines Simple protective measures Consultations with the community in siting new facilities Information and communication
MODEL LEGISLATION Model Act Model Regulation In response to requests from several Member States, the EMF Project is drafting a document on model legislation for protecting human health Model Act Model Regulation + Explanatory Memorandum
www.who.int/emf
The International EMF Projec Radiation and Environmental Healt Protection of the Human Environmen World Health Organizatio 21 Avenue Appi CH-1211 Geneva 2 Switzerlan email: emfproject@who.in website: www.who.int/em