Scientists call for better protection from wireless radiation exposure

EMFCALL.ORG: Scientists and NGO:s call for better protection from Exposure to radiation from Wireless Technology. 157 scientists and medical doctors together with 86 non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) from all over the world are calling for more protective limits for exposure to radiofrequency radiation from wireless technologies. In a joint statement, THE EMF CALL, they conclude that the ICNIRP guidelines are unscientific and do not protect against harmful health effects including cancer.

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) issued draft Guidelines on 11:th July 2018 for limiting exposure to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (EMF) (100 kHz to 300 GHz). The guidelines are inadequate to protect humans and the environment, as they only protect against acute thermal effects from very short and intense exposure. They do not protect against cancer, reproductive harm, or effects on the nervous system, although the preponderance of the peer-reviewed research has found adverse effects from chronic exposure at intensities below the ICNIRP limits.

In May, 2011, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), concluded that radiofrequency radiation in the frequency range 30 kHz–300 GHz is a “possible” human carcinogen (Group 2B). However, the ICNIRP ignores this as well as the increasing evidence in recent years for carcinogenicity.

The scientists and the NGO’s demand the development and adoption of new medical guidelines that represent the state of medical science and that are truly protective of human health and the environment.  The scientists and medical doctors, selected to review the scientific literature and propose new radiofrequency radiation safety guidelines, must be free of conflicts of interest including direct and indirect ties to industry.

Professor David Carpenter, Director at the Institute for Health and the Environment, University of Albany, USA notes that:

”The evidence for harm from both 50/60 Hz EMFs and radiofrequency exposures is strong in both human and animal studies.  There are associations between increasing exposure not only with cancer, but also with adverse reproductive outcomes in both males and females, adverse effects on cognitive function and behavior and increased risk of development of the syndrome of electro-hypersensitivity. We must find ways of reducing human exposure in order to reduce the incidence of human disease.”

Lennart Hardell, Swedish oncologist with long-term research in this area says:

”The roll-out of 5G, the fifth generation of telecommunication technology will substantially increase exposure to radiofrequency radiation. Thus, in addition to the urgent need for new guidelines on current exposure a moratorium on the roll-out of 5G should be implemented.”

Dr Joel Moskowitz, from the School of Public Health, University of California, USA points out that the EMF CALL re-iterates the concerns raised by the scientific community in the International EMF Scientist Appeal about the harm caused by chronic exposure to low-intensity EMF:

”The Appeal, which has been signed by more than 240 scientists who have published over 2,000 peer-reviewed papers on EMF and biology or health, calls for strengthening of EMF guidelines, especially to protect children and pregnant women.”

For more information about the Appeal: Emfscientist.org

According to Dr Gerd Oberfeld, from the Salzburg Public Health Department, Austria, the world has too long relied on incomplete EMF exposure guidelines:

”The body of scientific evidence for detrimental health effects from EMF exposure is overwhelming. There is now even no need to call the precautionary principle into play to take action. It is the duty of scientists to inform the public and the duty of the public to force governments to apply new truly protective EMF exposure guidelines as well as to educate the society how to reduce EMF exposures.”

Press release: www.emfcall.org