ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND PUBLIC HEALTH: The International EMF Project

Fact Sheet N181
Reviewed May 1998

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
The International EMF Project
Recent years have seen an unprecedented increase in the number and diversity of sources ofelectric and magnetic fields (EMF) used for individual, industrial and commercial purposes.
Such sources include television, radio, computers, mobile cellular phones, microwave ovens,radars and equipment used in industry, medicine and commerce.
All these technologies have made our life richer and easier. Modern society is inconceivable
without computers, television and radio. Mobile phones have greatly enhanced the ability ofindividuals to communicate with each other and have facilitated the dispatch of emergency
medical and police aid to persons in both urban and rural environments. Radars make air
travelling much safer.
At the same time, these technologies have brought with them concerns about possible healthrisks associated with their use. Such concerns have been raised about the safety of cellular
mobile telephones, electric power lines and police speed-control "radar guns". Scientificreports have suggested that exposure to electromagnetic fields emitted from these devices
could have adverse health effects, such as cancer, reduced fertility, memory loss, andadverse changes in the behaviour and development of children. However, the actual level ofhealth risk is not known, although for certain types of EMF, at levels found in thecommunity, it may be very low or non-existent.
There is also confusion about the biological effects of non-ionizing radiations (e.g radio
waves, microwaves, etc.) versus ionizing radiations such as X-rays and gamma rays.
The conflict between concerns about possible health effects from exposure to EMF and thedevelopment of electricity supply and telecommunications facilities have led to considerable
economic consequences. For example, electrical utilities in many countries have had todivert high voltage transmission lines around populated areas and even halt theirconstruction. The installation of base stations for mobile telephone systems has been
delayed or has met opposition from the public because of concerns that the RF emissions
from these base stations might cause cancer in children. In the United States, for example,
85% of the total number of base stations needed have yet to be constructed.
Measures to significantly reduce electric and magnetic fields in the environment, below
what is now commonly accepted, are costly. It has been estimated that concerns about EMF
and health are now costing the United States economy alone some US$1 billion annually.
However, if unacceptable health risks do occur, costly prevention measures will be required.
In May 1996, in response to growing public health concerns in many Member States overpossible health effects from exposure to an ever-increasing number and diversity of EMF
sources, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an international project to assess
health and environmental effects of exposure to electric and magnetic fields, which became
known as the International EMF Project.

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ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND PUBLIC HEALTH: The International EMF Project

The International EMF Project brings together current knowledge and available resources of
key international and national agencies and scientific institutions in order to arrive atscientifically-sound recommendations for health risk assessments of exposure to static andtime varying electric and magnetic fields in the frequency range 0-300 GHz. This range
includes static (O Hz), extremely low frequency (ELF, >0 - 300 Hz), intermediate
frequencies (IF, 300 Hz - 10 MHz) and radio-frequency fields (RF, 10 MHz - 300
GHz).
This Project has been devised to provide authoritative and independent peer-review of thescientific literature, and identify and fill gaps in scientific knowledge by establishingprotocols for the conduct of research using compatible and comparable methodologies, andby encouraging more focused research that should lead to better health risk assessments inthe EMF domain. The International EMF Project:reviews the scientific literature on biological effects of EMF exposure;identifies gaps in knowledge requiring research that will improve health risk
assessments;
encourages a focused agenda of high quality EMF research;formally assesses health risks of EMF exposure after the required research iscompleted;encourages internationally acceptable uniform standards;
provides information on risk perception, risk communication, risk management; and,advises national programmes and non-governmental institutions.
An International Advisory Committee (IAC), consisting of representatives ofinternational organizations, independent scientific institutions and national governments
supporting the Project, provides oversight. All activities are coordinated and facilitated by
the WHO Secretariat.
International organizations supporting and participating in the Project include (inalphabetical order): European Commission (EC); International Agency for Research onCancer (IARC); International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection(ICNIRP); International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC); International Labour Office(ILO); International Telecommunication Union (ITU); North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The scientific work is conducted by ICNIRP and independent WHO scientificcollaborating institutions, including National Radiological Protection Board (UK),
Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Germany), Karolinska Institute (Sweden), Food and Drug
Administration (USA), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (USA),
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (USA), National Institute forEnvironment Studies (Japan).
Over 40 national governments have contributed to or are interested in the activities of theProject.
Scientific activities of the International EMF Project include review meetings to arrive at
health risk assessments for various types of electromagnetic fields and their specificapplication. Independent expert groups, using accepted assessment criteria, review theliterature on biological effects of EMF. These reviews are timed to allow needed research to
be completed so that the results can be included in the publications on health risk
assessments.
The International EMF Project will publish documents on risk perception, risk
communication and risk management in order to improve communications among thoseconcerned, including an increasingly sceptical public and workforce, about possible healthrisks of EMF exposure. For more information, see the Internet site of the International EMF
Project at http://www.who.int/emf

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND PUBLIC HEALTH: The International EMF ProjectAs a result of the International EMF Project, a number of monographs are expected to be
published by WHO in the Environmental Health Criteria series. They will address the healtheffects of exposure to RF, ELF and static fields, as well as risk perception, communicationand management, and public and occupational health policy.
It is expected that the Project will facilitate the development of universally acceptable
standards on limits of human exposure to EMF, standards on the measurement andcompliance of EMF emissions for various devices, and a better understanding on how best
to communicate information to the public and workers on possible risks from EMF
exposure.
___________________________________________________________________________For further information, please contact the Office of Press and Public Relations, WHO,Geneva. Telephone (41 22) 791 2599, Fax (41 22) 791 4858, Email: info@who.int
All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features, as well as specific information on thissubject can be obtained on Internet on the WHO home page http://www.who.int© WHO/OMS, 1998 |Concept

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