icnirp criteria

BASIC APPROACH OF ICNIRP TO PROTECTION BASIC APPROACH OF ICNIRP TO PROTECTION

AGAINST EMF EXPOSUREAGAINST EMF EXPOSURE

Paolo Vecchia

Past Chairman of ICNIRP

TELECOMMUNICATIONS ANTENNAS, DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSION AND HUMAN HEALTH Lima, Peru, 10-11 July 2014

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ONTHE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ONNON-IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTIONNON-IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTION

ICNIRP is an independent scientific organization that:

• provides guidance and advice on the health hazards of non-

ionizing radiation

• develops international guidelines on limiting exposure to non-

ionizing radiation that are independent and science based

• provides science based guidance and recommendations on

protection from non-ionizing radiation exposure


Scientific Research

Health Protection

Risk assessment

Protection standards

RESEARCH AND PROTECTIONRESEARCH AND PROTECTION


STRUCTURE OF ICNIRPSTRUCTURE OF ICNIRP

ICNIRP operates through:

• Main Commission (14 Members, including a

Chairperson and a Vice-chairperson)

• Scientific Expert Group (25 Members at the moment)

• Project Groups (8 at the moment)


MAIN COMMISSION 2008 - 2012MAIN COMMISSION 2008 - 2012

• R. Croft Australia

• A. Green Australia

• M. Feychting Sweden

• K. Jokela Finland

• J. Lin USA

• C. Marino Italy

• A. Peralta Philippines

• Z. Sienkiewicz UK

• P. Soederberg Sweden

• B. Stuck USA

• E. van Rongen The Netherlands

• S. Watanabe Japan

R. Matthes Germany ChairmanM. Feychting Sweden Vice Chairman

G. Ziegelberger Germany Scientific SecretaryM.H. Repacholi Australia Chairman Emeritus


PROJECT GROUPSPROJECT GROUPS

• Protection Principles

• Radiofrequency (RF)

• Ultrasound

• RF Dosimetry

• Data Gaps

• NIR Exposure for Diagnostic Purposes

• NIR Exposure for Cosmetic and Non-Medical Purposes


ICNIRP Statement

GENERAL APROACH TO PROTECTIONAGAINST NON-IONIZING RADIATION

Health Physics 82:540-548 (2002)www.icnirp.org


A PROTECTION STANDARD SHOULD BE…A PROTECTION STANDARD SHOULD BE…

• Based on solid science

• Based on consensus

• Updated to present knowledge

• Stable over time

• Transparent in its development

• Clear and concise

• Adequately conservative

• Practically implementable


FUNDAMENTALS OF ICNIRP GUIDELINESFUNDAMENTALS OF ICNIRP GUIDELINES

• Procedures and criteria are defined in advance

• Restrictions are based on science.

• No consideration for economic or social issues

• Only established effects are considered


REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREREVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

All published studies are taken into consideration

The evidence is weighed based upon:

• Scientific quality

• Replicability

• Consistency


ESTABLISHED EFFECTS OF RF FIELDSESTABLISHED EFFECTS OF RF FIELDS

Absorption of electromagnetic energy

Increase of body temperature (general or local)

Thermal effects (with threshold)


The threshold for minor effects (behavioural changes in animals)is around 1 °C

THRESHOLD-BASED APPROACHTHRESHOLD-BASED APPROACH

Exp

osu

re le

vel

Established health effects

Reduction factor

“Safe” exposure

Threshold of effects

Exposure limit


BIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE QUANTITYBIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE QUANTITY

Thermal effects are related to SAR, i.e. to to the energy

absorbed per unit time and per unit body mass (W/kg)

SAR is the biologically effective quantity for RF fields



THE TWO-LEVEL SYSTEMTHE TWO-LEVEL SYSTEM

• Basic restrictions

in terms of biologically effective quantities

• Reference levels

in terms of an external exposure metric

Exposure below reference levels ensures compliance with basic

restrictions, since the relations between them have been developed under

worst-case conditions.

If the reference level is exceeded, the basic restriction is not necessarily

exceeded.


BASIC RESTRICTIONSBASIC RESTRICTIONSAND REFERENCE LEVELSAND REFERENCE LEVELS

• Basic restrictions (limits of exposure) are set in terms of the

biologically effective quantity, below the threshold for effects

• Reference levels in terms of measurable quantities are derived by

the basic restrictions assuming conditions of maximum coupling

ICNIRP Guideline

GUIDELINES FOR LIMITING EXPOSURE TOTIME-VARYING ELECTRIC, MAGNETIC,

AND ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS(UP TO 300 GHZ)

Health Physics 74:494-522 (1998)www.icnirp.org


LONG-TERM EFFECTS?LONG-TERM EFFECTS?

Although there are deficiencies in the epidemiological work,

such as poor exposure assessment, the studies have yielded no

convincing evidence that typical exposure levels lead to adverse

reproductive outcomes or an increased cancer risk in exposed

individuals.

This is consistent with the results of laboratory research on

cellular and animal models, which have demonstrated neither

teratogenic nor carcinogenic effects of exposure to athermal

levels of high-frequency EMF.

ICNIRP Guidelines 1998


CONFIRMATION OF ESTABLISHED EFFECTSCONFIRMATION OF ESTABLISHED EFFECTS

It is the opinion of ICNIRP, that the scientific literature published

since the 1998 guidelines has provided no evidence of any

adverse effects below the basic restrictions and does not

necessitate an immediate revision of its guidance on limiting

exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields.

ICNIRP 2010


THE “BLUE BOOK”: PURPOSETHE “BLUE BOOK”: PURPOSE

The review addresses the current scientific evidence concerning

exposure to high frequency (100 kHz – 300 GHz) EMF and the

resulting consequences for health.

It aims at providing input to the health risk assessment

undertaken by WHO

It also forms a basis for a thorough reevaluation of ICNIRP’s

science based guidance on limiting exposure to EMF.

Available at www.icnirp.org (378 pp.)


THE “BLUE BOOK”: MAIN CONTENTTHE “BLUE BOOK”: MAIN CONTENT

Dosimetry of high-frequency EMFPhysical characteristics; Sources and exposures; RF measurement; Mechanisms of interaction; Dosimetry

Experimental studies of biological effectsBiological evidence for interaction mechanisms; Cellular studies; Animal studies; Human studies

Epidemiology of health effects of RF exposureStudies on occupational exposure; Studies on environmental exposure; Studies on mobile phones and tumor risk


SUMMARYSUMMARY

• ICNIRP guidelines are based on effects established through a global analysis of the scientific literature

• Exposure limits are well below the thresholds for established health effects

• There is no convincing and consistent evidence of long term effects or any other adverse effects below the recommended limits


THANK YOUTHANK YOU

FOR YOUR ATTENTIONFOR YOUR ATTENTION


icnirp criteria

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