RF and Health: A WHO Perspective

RF and Health:
A WHO Perspective
Dr E. van Deventer
Team Leader
Radiation Programme
Department of Public Health and Environment
RF and Health:
A WHO Perspective
Dr E. van Deventer
Team Leader
Radiation Programme
Department of Public Health and Environment

ITU Workshop on EMF | Turin| 9 May 20132 |
OUTLINEOUTLINE
 Introduction
 Assessing the health risk
 Managing the potential risk
 Conclusions

The Present EMF ContextThe Present EMF Context
 Increasing EMF human exposure
due to electricity demand, medical
technologies and wireless devices
 Increasing concern from the public

Radio Frequency Fields
(100 kHz – 300 GHz)
Radio Frequency Fields
(100 kHz – 300 GHz)
Security
scanners
Navigation/Radar
Broadcasting
Wi-Fi
Telecommunications
Commercial
Residential sources
Emerging
technologies

 Large and increasingly sophisticated database
 Known mechanisms
 Health effects not established below
international guidelines
 Scientific uncertainty
The Present
Scientific Knowledge
The Present
Scientific Knowledge

WHO International EMF ProjectWHO International EMF Project
 Established in 1996
 Coordinated by WHO HQ
 A multinational, multidisciplinary effort
to create and disseminate information
on human health risk from EMF

WHO Partners in RadiationWHO Partners in Radiation
International
Organizations
International
Organizations
NGOsNGOs
National
Authorities
National
Authorities
Collaborating
Centres
Collaborating
Centres

mHealth
an ITU/WHO initiative
mHealth
an ITU/WHO initiative

Do EMFs pose a heath risk?Do EMFs pose a heath risk?
Risk Assessment
The Evidence
Risk Management
The Policies
Risk Perception
The Public Concern

OUTLINEOUTLINE
 Introduction

What do we know?What do we know?
Frequency100 kHz 300 MHz 10 GHz


What do we know?
Mechanisms of interaction
What do we know?
Mechanisms of interaction
Frequency
100 kHz 300 MHz 10 GHz
Induced currents
Induced currents
and heating
Surface heating
Non-thermal effects??

What type of research is
needed?

RF Research AgendaRF Research Agenda
 To promote research areas that
have relevance to public health, and
can
– reduce scientific uncertainties:
health effects research
– respond to public concern through
better risk communication: social
science research
 Useful to researchers and funding
agencies
 Uptake of the latest agenda in
several countries

Research
Balance of studies needed
Research
Balance of studies needed
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/emfrapid/booklet/emf2002.pdf

Laboratory StudiesLaboratory Studies
 Cellular studies
– Genotoxicity
– Gene expression
 Animal studies
– Cancer
– Behaviour
– BBB
– Skin
 Human studies
– Sleep
– EEG
– Hormones
– EHS

Short-term effects
(WHO fact sheet 193, June 2011)
Short-term effects
 To date, research does not suggest any
consistent evidence of adverse health effects
from exposure to RF fields at levels below those
that cause tissue heating.
 Research has not been able to provide support for
a causal relationship between exposure to EMF
and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic
hypersensitivity”.

Epidemiological studies
Studies on mobile phones
Studies on mobile phones
 Tumours in head and neck
– Glioma, meningioma, acoustic neuroma, parotid gland
 Over 15 studies on the use of mobile phones
– Published: USA, Nordic countries, INTERPHONE,
CEFALO
– Ongoing: MOBI-Kids, COSMOS

INTERPHONE study
(published 18 May 2010)
INTERPHONE study
(published 18 May 2010)
 Cases:
– 2,765 gliomas
– 2,425 meningiomas
– 1,121 acoustic neuroma
– 109 malignant parotid gland
 Controls:
– 7,658
 Cases:
– 2,765 gliomas
– 2,425 meningiomas
– 1,121 acoustic neuroma
– 109 malignant parotid gland
 Controls:
– 7,658

Long-term effects
Long-term effects
 No increased risk of glioma, meningioma or acoustic
neuroma with mobile phone use of more than 10 years
 Indications of increased risk of glioma for heavy users
– Biases and errors prevent a causal interpretation
– Basis for classification of RF fields as "possible carcinogenic"
 No available data for long-term use (15-20 years)
 Studies on children ongoing
– No causal relationship seen in CEFALO study (July 2011)

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html

Base stations and wireless networks
Base stations and wireless networks
 Some studies have been performed
– Well-being and performance
– Cancer
 Difficulty of personal exposure assessment
Wi-Fi
GSM GSM 3G Wi-Fi
Kenneth R. Foster, Radiofrequency exposure from wireless LANs utilizing WI-FI technology.
Health Phys. 92(3):280 –289; 2007

OMSOMS
Conclusions:
“Considering the very low exposure levels and research
results collected to date, there is no convincing
scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from
base stations and wireless networks cause adverse
health effects”

How do we evaluate
the health risk from EMF?

Cancer
Problem Formulation
EMF Health Risk AssessmentEMF Health Risk Assessment
Exposure Assessment
Determine the amount,
duration and pattern of
exposure to the agent
Hazard Identification
Review key research to
identify any potential health
problems that an agent can
cause
Exposure-Response
Assessment
Estimate how much of the
agent it would take to cause
varying degrees of health
effects that could lead to
illnesses
Risk Characterization
Assess the risk for the
agent to cause cancer or
other illnesses in the
general population

From V. Cogliano, Workshop on "Characterizing evidence in EMF risk assessment",
Berlin, May 2006, http://evidence.pureres.net

IARC Monograph on RFIARC Monograph on RF
 Volume 102: Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part 2:
Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields, 2013
– Expert meeting, May 2011
– The Lancet Oncology, 22 June 2011
– Monograph publication, 24 April 2013

All studied
outcomes
Problem Formulation
Health Risk AssessmentHealth Risk Assessment
Exposure Assessment
Determine the amount,
duration and pattern of
exposure to the agent
Hazard Identification
Review key research to
identify any potential health
problems that an agent can
cause
Exposure-Response
Assessment
Estimate how much of the
agent it would take to cause
varying degrees of health
effects that could lead to
illnesses
Risk Characterization
Assess the risk for the
agent to cause cancer or
other illnesses in the
general population

Environmental Health Criteria
Electromagnetic Fields
Environmental Health Criteria
Electromagnetic Fields
2006
2007 RF fields
2014

ScopeScope
 Frequency range:
– 100 kHz - 300 GHz
– Include UWB, pulses, mm-waves
 Sources:
– RFID, EAS, mobile telephony, radar, smart meters, …
 Health benefits not included
– Hyperthermia, MRI, medical treatments, diathermy, RF ablation surgery
 Systematic review of scientific evidence of health risks
 Update on research recommendations
 Review of national RF policies

OUTLINEOUTLINE
 Introduction
 Managing the health risk
– Developing standards and regulations
– Communicating the scientific knowledge

Norms, Standards and GuidelinesNorms, Standards and Guidelines
 Emission standards
have specifications that
limit the EMF emissions
from devices
 Exposure standards
have specifications that
limit EMF exposure to
people

Relevant Authorities
Non-governmental and international organizations
Relevant Authorities
Non-governmental and international organizations
 Emission standards
 Measurements
standards
 Exposure standards

Policy documents ….Policy documents ….
http://www.who.int/peh-emf/standards/

Worldwide EMF standardsWorldwide EMF standards

Survey on EMF Standards
May 2013
Survey on EMF Standards
May 2013

Legislative status
Electromagnetic fields (EMF)
Location Year
Standards
applying to the
public: Static
fields
Standards
applying to the
public: Low
frequencies
Standards
applying to the
public: Radio
frequencies
Standards
applying to
workers: Static
fields
Standards
applying to
workers: Low
frequencies
Standards
applying to
workers: Radio
frequencies
Afghanistan 2013 No Yes Yes No No No
Albania 2013 No data Yes Yes No No No
Algeria 2013 No Yes Yes Yes Subnational Subnational
Andorra 2013 No data No data Subnational No No No
Angola No Yes Subnational No No No
Antigua and
Barbuda
No No No No data No data No
Argentina Yes Subnational Subnational Yes No No
Armenia No Yes Yes No No No
Australia No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Austria Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Azerbaijan No Yes Yes No No No
Exposure standards for electromagnetic fields (EMF)
i i i ii i
Exposure standards
Limits values

National management approachesNational management approaches
 Relevant authorities
– National level (different ministries)
– Provincial level
– Local level

Management OptionsManagement Options
Reduce concern
Reduce uncertainty
Reduce exposure
 No action
 Communication
 Research
 Planning measures
 Engineering measures
 Exposure limits
 ….

Risk Perception and Communication
WHO Risk Handbook
Risk Perception and Communication
WHO Risk Handbook
• For programme managers who
need basic information on EMF
risk perception, communication
and management
• Available in English
•Translated into Spanish, Italian,
German, French, Russian,
Bulgarian, Dutch, Polish,
Portuguese, Hungarian and
Japanese
•Available on the web
www.who.int/emf

by 30 June 2013
emfproject@who.int

OUTLINEOUTLINE
 Introduction
 Managing the potential risk
 Conclusions

Challenges to governments….Challenges to governments….
 Rapidly evolving RF technologies
 Launched on the market before health evaluation
 Disparities in risk management measures and
regulations around the world
 Concern from the public

ConclusionsConclusions
 Need for clear roles and responsibilities in government
on this topic
 Need for adoption and compliance of health-based
standards
 Need for a public information program and dialogue with
stakeholders
 Need for promoting research to reduce uncertainty
We are a "global village"

The International EMF Project
Radiation and Environmental Health
Public Health and Environment
World Health Organization
21 Avenue Appia
CH-1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
: emfproject@who.intemail
: www.who.int/emfwebsite

RF and Health: A WHO Perspective

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