myths about cell tower radiations unleashed

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Mobile Phones, Towers and your Health 1 Presentation by TV Ramachandran 10 April 2012 @ Mumbai

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A presentation which counters all myths and false rumours about cell phone and tower radiations based on findings only by WHO reports

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Page 1: Myths about Cell Tower Radiations unleashed

Mobile Phones, Towers and your Health

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Presentation by TV Ramachandran10 April 2012 @ Mumbai

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AGENDA

1. Introduction

2. What is EMF?

3. International guidelines on EMF & standards setting process

4. India follows international norms for EMF safety

5. Myths & Facts

6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

7. In Conclusion

8. Useful links

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Introduction

• Growth of telecom has been one of India’s greatest success stories

• Mobile communications are now fundamental to business operations, individual lifestyles and the welfare of the Indian economy.

• As of date there are 900 million mobile subscribers in India and is expected to reach 1.159 billion by 2013.

• In recent years, concerns have been raised about alleged adverse health effects from the operation of mobile communications technology.

• This is despite independent research programs, expert reports, major scientific reviews and advisory bodies around the world continuing to conclude that, based on the current weight of scientific evidence, there are no known adverse health effects from exposures below international guidelines.

• Concerns are also being triggered by providing misinformation through public meetings, workshops, misleading press articles, etc. by interested parties.

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What is EMF?

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EMF. i.e. Electromagnetic fields are part of everyday life, emitted both by natural sources like the sun, the earth and the ionosphere, and by artificial sources such as • mobile phone base stations • broadcast towers • radar facilities • remote controls • electrical and electronic equipment

In contrast, ionizing radiation, such as x-rays can strip electrons

from atoms and molecules, producing changes that can lead

to tissue damage and possibly cancer

Radio frequency waves lie in the non-ionizing part of the spectrum which means that they cannot directly impart enough energy to a molecule to break or change chemical bonds

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Radio waves are non ionizing

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Mobile phones communicate by transmitting radio waves through a network of fixed antennas called base stations.

Radiofrequency waves are electromagnetic fields, and unlike ionizing radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays, can neither break chemical bonds nor cause ionization in the human body.

WHO Fact sheet N°193 dated June 2011

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

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World Health Organization recognizes exposure limit guidelines recommended by ICNIRP & IEEE

Protection standards

International exposure guidelines have been developed to provide protection against established effects from RF fields by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP, 1998) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE, 2005).

National authorities should adopt international standards to protect their citizens against adverse levels of RF fields. They should restrict access to areas where exposure limits may be exceeded.

WHO Fact sheet N°304 dated May 2006 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html

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Exposure limit guidelines Radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile phone users are given in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) – the rate of radiofrequency energy absorption per unit mass of the body. Currently, two international bodies 1, 2 have developed exposure guidelines for workers and for the general public, except patients undergoing medical diagnosis or treatment. These guidelines are based on a detailed assessment of the available scientific evidence.

WHO Fact sheet N°193 dated June 2011 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html

1 International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Statement on the "Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagetic fields (up to 300 GHz)", 2009. 2 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE standard for safety levels with respect to human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz, IEEE Std C95.1, 2005.

World Health Organization recognizes exposure limit guidelines recommended by ICNIRP & IEEE

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Scientific research

Peer-reviewed publication

Consensus standards

Regulations

How Standards are set

“As the progress in technology continues and human beings are enjoying an increased quality of life, it is essential for scientists to ensure that safety isnot compromised. Scientists must be very careful in reporting their findings. Mistakes must be minimized and stopped at the first level of scientific research. As in an Iraqi saying ‘‘it takes one person to throw a rock into to the well, and it will take 10 people to get it out.’’

Let us make sure that what we do is right the first time. If there is a mistake, one should be courageous to admit it promptly. Scientists should aspire to explore the unknowns through sound and well-planned research and not to make the situation worse through reporting what might be erroneous conclusions that take a long time to clear up. As stated by the Biological Effects Policy Advisory Group of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in Europe: ‘‘...scientists have an overriding responsibility to ensure that their findings are robust before publication, notwithstanding the various pressures to publish their work.’’ [IET, 2006].

Dr. C-K ChouThirty-five Years in Bioelectromagnetics Research, 2007

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Weight of Evidence Approach

• In the huge body of literature available on RF electromagnetic fields (and on mobile telephony in particular) several papers can be found suggesting a variety of biological effects at exposure levels below limits recommended internationally.

• A rigorous and honest scientific analysis requires however the consideration of all the literature, and a weight of evidence, i.e. that of individual studies be considered based on their scientific quality, replicability, and consistency.

• Any numerical limit based on hypothesis and without any exposure-effect relationship is necessarily arbitrary.

Dr. Paolo Vecchia, Chairman ICNIRPMinister’s Round Table on EMF, 27 March 2012 @ New Delhi

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About ICNIRP

• ICNIRP - the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection

• ICNIRP is a non-governmental organization formally recognized by WHO

• ICNIRP also endorsed by International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

• ICNIRP evaluates scientific results from all over the world and produces guidelines recommending limits on exposure

• Its guidelines not only based in science but also include a significant safety margin - a 50 times reduction factor, sufficient to protect all people, children, adults with low BMI, obese individuals & even people who, through frailty or illness, have bodies are less able to control core temperature.

• No adverse health effects confirmed below current international guidelines

• Typical public exposures from wireless networks & devices often many times below the threshold for established health hazards.

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Most countries in the world have not adopted any standards for EMF. However, of the countries that do have standards, 90% have standards

based on ICNIRPIn 2008, India adopted EMF limits recommended by ICNIRP

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EMF in our Daily lives

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Emissions from various EMF sources are very much a part of our normal daily lives. The RF emissions from these sources are several multifold times lower than the safety limits set by international EMF standards bodies

Emissions from a mobile tower are lower than the emissions from a microwave and even from our normal radio tuner!

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MYTH - International limits do not take into account non thermal or biological effects

FACT - World Health Organization has said:– “The exposure limits for EMF fields developed by the International

Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) - a non-governmental organization formally recognised by WHO, were developed following reviews of all the peer- reviewed scientific literature, including thermal and non-thermal effects. The standards are based on evaluations of biological effects that have been established to have health consequences.” http://www.who.int/peh-emf/standards/en/

– “With more and more research data available, it has become increasingly unlikely that exposure to electromagnetic fields constitutes a serious health hazard, nevertheless, some uncertainty remains.” http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index5.html

– “Strict adherence to existing national or international safety standards: such standards, based on current knowledge, are developed to protect everyone in the population with a large safety factor.” http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/index5.html

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MYTH - International limits do not take into account non thermal or biological effects

FACT - Both ICNIRP & IEEE consider non thermal and long term effects

•“Induction of cancer from long-term EMF exposure was not considered to be established, and so these guidelines are based on short-term, immediate health effects ….. In the case of potential long-term effects of exposure, such as an increased risk of cancer, ICNIRP concluded that available data are insufficient to provide a basis for setting exposure restrictions, although epidemiological research has provided suggestive, but unconvincing, evidence of an association between possible carcinogenic effects and exposure at levels of 50/60 Hz magnetic flux densities substantially lower than those recommended in these guidelines…ICNIRP

•“Despite more than 50 years of RF research, low-level biological effects* have not been established. No theoretical mechanism has been established that supports the existence of any effect characterized by trivial heating other than microwave hearing. Moreover, the relevance of reported low-level effects to health remains speculative and such effects are not useful for standard setting.” …IEEE13

* IEEE uses the term low-level biological effects instead of non-thermal effects

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MYTH – WHO says cellphone use can increase cancer risk…International Agency for Research on Cancer has found evidence of increase in glioma and acoustic neuroma brain cancer for mobile

FACT

The largest retrospective case-control study to date on adults, Interphone, coordinated by the …(IARC), was designed to determine whether there are links between use of mobile phones and head and neck cancers in adults. The international pooled analysis of data gathered from 13 participating countries found no increased risk of glioma or meningioma with mobile phone use of more than 10 years. There are some indications of an increased risk of glioma for those who reported the highest 10% of cumulative hours of cell phone use, although there was no consistent trend of increasing risk with greater duration of use. The researchers concluded that biases and errors limit the strength of these conclusions and prevent a causal interpretation. Based largely on these data, IARC has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) …

WHO Fact sheet N°193, June 2011 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html

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MYTH – Using a cellphone will cause Ear Tumor

Using a cellphone increases the temperature of the earlobe; warm sensation/pain > Tinnitus > irreversible hearing loss >

all these effects lead to ear tumor!

FACT

Tinnitus is the medical term for "hearing" noises in your ears when there is no outside source of the sounds…

…Tinnitus can be a symptom of almost any ear problem, including •Ear infections •Foreign objects or wax in the ear •Injury from loud noises •Meniere's disease…Alcohol, caffeine, antibiotics, aspirin, or other drugs can also cause ear noises.

Tinnitus may occur with hearing loss. Occasionally, it is a sign of high blood pressure, an allergy, or anemia.

Rarely, tinnitus is a sign of a serious problem like a tumor or aneurysm

U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health

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MYTH – It is not safe to live near a mobile tower

FACT

•The IARC Monograph Working Group discussed and evaluated the available literature on the following exposure categories involving radiofrequency electromagnetic fields:

– occupational exposures to radar and to microwaves;

– environmental exposures associated with transmission of signals for radio, television and wireless telecommunication; and

– personal exposures associated with the use of wireless telephones.

Results

•The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited among users of wireless telephones for glioma and acoustic neuroma, and inadequate to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. The evidence from the occupational and environmental exposures mentioned above was similarly judged inadequate.

IARC Press Release, 31 May 2011http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf16

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MYTH – Increased cancer cases with proximity to towers 10 housewives in Sher-e-Punjab colony, Andheri (E) have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer – 6 breast cancer cases, 1 ovarian cancer, 1 blood cancer, 1 inguinal lymph node cancer, 1 unknown relapsed after chemotherapy

FACT

•Cancer: Media or anecdotal reports of cancer clusters around mobile phone base stations have heightened public concern. It should be noted that geographically, cancers are unevenly distributed among any population. Given the widespread presence of base stations in the environment, it is expected that possible cancer clusters will occur near base stations merely by chance. Moreover, the reported cancers in these clusters are often a collection of different types of cancer with no common characteristics and hence unlikely to have a common cause.

WHO Fact sheet N°304 dated May 2006http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html

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MYTH - People living within 50 to 100 meter radius of a tower are in the high radiation zoneAre more prone to ill effects of electromagnetic radiation

FACT

•. …. The levels of RF exposure from base stations and wireless networks are so low that the temperature increases are insignificant and do not affect human health.

•The strength of RF fields is greatest at its source, and diminishes quickly with distance. Access near base station antennas is restricted where RF signals may exceed international exposure limits. Recent surveys have indicated that RF exposures from base stations and wireless technologies in publicly accessible areas (including schools and hospitals) are normally thousands of times below international standards.

•In fact, due to their lower frequency, at similar RF exposure levels, the body absorbs up to five times more of the signal from FM radio and television than from base stations. … Further, radio and television broadcast stations have been in operation for the past 50 or more years without any adverse health consequence being established.

WHO Fact sheet N°304 dated May 2006 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html

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MYTH- A person should not use cellphone for more than 18-24 minutes a day

In USA, maximum SAR limit is 1.6w/kg which is for 6 minutes, it has a safety margin of 3-4

FACT

•The averaging time for General Population/Uncontrolled exposure to fixed transmitters is not applicable for mobile and portable transmitters. See 47 CFR §§2.1091 and 2.1093 on source-based time-averaging requirements for mobile and portable transmitters.”

http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Documents/bulletins/oet65/oet65a.pdf

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FACT

…individuals have reported a variety of health problems that they relate to exposure to EMF…This reputed sensitivity to EMF has been generally termed “electromagnetic hypersensitivity” or EHS.

EHS is characterized by a variety of non-specific symptoms, which afflicted individuals attribute to exposure to EMF. The symptoms most commonly experienced include dermatological symptoms (redness, tingling, and burning sensations) as well as neurasthenic and vegetative symptoms (fatigue, tiredness, concentration difficulties, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitation, and digestive disturbances).

The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. Whatever its cause, …. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure. Further, EHS is not a medical diagnosis, nor is it clear that it represents a single medical problem.

WHO Fact sheet N°296, December 2005http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/index.html

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MYTH – Biological effects of EMFPeople living in the main beam are exposed to higher radiation levels complain of headaches, sleep disturbance, memory related disorders, fatigue, buzzing in the head, joint pain, miscarriage, cancer, etc.

Dizziness!

Fatigue!Headaches!!

Buzzing in the head!

Joint pains!

Sleep disturbance!

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MYTH- Biological effects of EMF Effects such as sleep disruption, headache, concentration, forgetful memory, fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, visual disorders, cardio vascular problems, buzzing in the head, altered reflexes – many of these are related to changes in the electrical activity of the brain

FACT

…. At the frequencies used by mobile phones, most of the energy is absorbed by the skin and other superficial tissues, resulting in negligible temperature rise in the brain or any other organs of the body

A number of studies have investigated the effects of radiofrequency fields on brain electrical activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure in volunteers. To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating. Further, research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic hypersensitivity”.

WHO Fact sheet N°193 dated June 2011 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html

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MYTH- children are more vulnerable to EMF

FACT“…the scientific evidence does not show a danger to users of wireless communication devices including children”.

Food and Drug Administration, USA, 2005

“In conclusion, there is no convincing scientific data to assume a difference in the absorption of electromagnetic energy in heads of children and adults, nor is it likely that the electromagnetic sensitivity of children’s head changes significantly after the second year of life. Because of this, the Health Council of Netherlands sees no reason for recommending limiting the use of mobile phones by children”.

The Health Council of the Netherlands, 2004

“… with the recent popularity of mobile phone use among younger people, and therefore a potentially longer lifetime of exposure, WHO has promoted further research on this group. Several studies investigating potential health effects in children and adolescents are underway.”

WHO Fact sheet N°193 dated June 2011http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html

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MYTH – EMF radiation is tantamount to being in a microwave!

Do you think if a person held a cup of water long enough then it would start to boil ?

FACTAll radiated energy from a phone/tower cannot be directed into a single point

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MYTH – EMF limits needs to be reduced to 1/100 of existing levels to be safe

FACT - For threshold effects, when a large margin of safety is assured, anything below is safe

Whether it is a 50 foot tall or a 5 foot tall boat, they are all safe to go under the Golden Gate Bridge

Dr. C-K. Chou, Chairman, Technical Committee 95, ICES, IEEE

International Health Conference, 8 February 2012 @ New Delhi

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MYTH – EMF limits needs to be reduced to 1/100 of existing levels to be safe

Power emitted by mobile phones is limited by the adaptive power control (APC)

An increased distance from the base station results in little or no reduction of the environmental level of electromagnetic fields and in a significant increase of power emitted by the phones

Dr. Paolo Vecchia, Chairman, ICNIRPInternational Health Conference, 8 February 2012 @ New Delhi

FACT

Lower BTS emissions lead to Higher Emissions from handsets: as per physics and telecom engineering, the strength of the signal from the mobile handsets varies based on its proximity to the BTS and the strength of the signal from the BTS. If the emission levels for BTS are lowered, it will result in a corresponding increase the signal strength from the mobile handset, resulting in greater personal exposure of subscribers to EMF

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MYTH – A radiation shield will protect you from EMF exposure

FACT

•The use of commercial devices for reducing radiofrequency field exposure has not been shown to be effective.

WHO Fact sheet N°193 dated June 2011http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs193/en/index.html

•Various products are being marketed that claim to increase the safety of mobile phone use. These products generally take the form of shielded cases, earpiece pads/shields, antenna clips/caps, special batteries and absorbing buttons.

•A mobile phone automatically operates on the lowest power necessary to maintain call quality. If an add-on device adversely affects the phone's antenna, the phone will attempt to transmit more power up to its specified maximum.

•Scientific evidence does not indicate any need for shields on mobile phones. They cannot be justified on health grounds and the effectiveness of many such devices in reducing exposure is unproven.

GSMA Association Health Booklet26

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FAQ - Should I be concerned about the wireless network in my office or at my child's school?

The UK Health Protection Agency advises that on the basis of current scientific information Wi-Fi equipment satisfies international guidelines and, therefore, there is no reason why schools and others should not use Wi-Fi equipment. In addition, the WHO concluded in May 2006 that '...there is no convincing scientific evidence that the weak RF signals from base stations and wireless networks cause adverse health effects.'

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FAQ - Are the stories that mobile phones can cook eggs or make popcorn pop really myths?

They are both myths. There is simply not enough power from a mobile phone to produce either effect. A mobile phone has a maximum average power of about 0.25 watts, compared to 900 watts or more from a microwave oven.

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FAQ - Does a lower SAR mean that a phone is safer?

No. Variations in SAR do not mean that there are variations in safety. While there may be differences in SAR levels among phone models, all mobile phones must meet RF exposure guidelines. 

FAQ - Why are there so many restrictions on using mobile phones in hospitals?

At short range, the radio signal from a mobile phone may cause interference with electronic medical devices. At distances greater than 1-2m, the possibility is substantially reduced. It is possible for mobile phones to be used in designated areas of hospitals.

FAQ - Why can't I use my mobile phone when I fly?

It is standard practice on aircraft to turn off all types of radio transmitters and certain other electrical devices unless they have been demonstrated not to cause interference to aircraft systems.

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INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CONFERENCE Ensuring Public Health and Safety in the Mobile Industry

8 February 2012 at New Delhi,Organized by Assocham with the support of

Ministry of Science & Technology & Ministry of Environment and Forests

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Panel of speakers comprised of eminent international experts from globally recognized and reputed non-commercial organizations who have impeccable credentials and knowledge on this subject as well as concern for health aspects. These included

1.Dr. Emilie van Deventer, Team Leader, Radiation Programme, World Health Organization (WHO) & Head, International EMF Project2.Prof. Paolo Vecchia, Chairman, International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), 3.Dr. CK Chou, Chairman, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety TC95, 4.Dr. Vijayalaxmi, Professor at Department of Radiation Oncology University of Texas Health Science Center, 5.Prof Kenneth Foster, University of Pennsylvania, 6.Prof Niels Kuster, Director, Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT’IS), 7.Dr. Jack Rowley, Director Research & Sustainability, GSM Association and8.Mr. Michael Milligan, Secretary General of the Mobile Manufacturers Forum

http://www.assocham.org/events/recent/showevent.php?id=667

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Key Messages from WHO

•  [WHO] Objective: attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health

•  Present Scientific Knowledge: Health effects not established below international guidelines

•  WHO does NOT develop EMF standards but facilitates international consensus on standards …International bodies, ICNIRP and IEEE/ICES, develop international guidelines for human protection from EMF exposure

•  WHO Model Legislation : To assist countries without appropriate legislation to protect their population from EMF ...provide a legal framework to provide protection from EMF …EMF limits - adoption of international standards to limit EMF exposure of people (ICNIRP guidelines); emissions of EMF from devices (IEC and IEEE device emission standards)…uniform application of the Act across the national jurisdiction

Dr. T. Emilie Van Deventer Team Leader, Radiation Programme, World Health Organization (WHO)

& Head, International EMF ProjectInternational Health Conference, 8 February 2012 @ New Delhi

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Key Messages from ICNIRP

• …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

• [...] studies have yielded no convincing evidence that typical exposure levels lead to adverse reproductive outcomes or an increased cancer risk in exposed individuals (ICNIRP Guidelines, 1998)

• We found [in 2009] the existing evidence did not support an increased risk of brain tumours in mobile phone users within the duration of use yet investigated. ICNIRP believes on preliminary review of the [Interphone] results, that they do not change the overall conclusions. ICNIRP therefore considers that the results of the Interphone study give no reason for alteration of the current guidelines (ICNIRP Note on the Interphone Study, 2010)

• An increased distance from the base station results in little or no reduction of the environmental level of electromagnetic fields and in a significant increase of power emitted by the phones

Prof. Paolo Vecchia, Chairman, ICNIRPInternational Health Conference, 8 February 2012 @ New Delhi31

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Key Messages from IEEE

• Science-based recommendations are made to protect against all established adverse effects in human beings associated with RF exposure

• The biological effects of RF exposure have been studied for more than 60 years… No adverse health effects have been confirmed below the current international RF safety guidelines or exposure standards (ICNIRP, IEEE).

• An effect is considered established when consistent findings of that effect have been published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, with evidence of the effect being demonstrated by independent laboratories, and where there is consensus in the scientific community that the effect occurs for the specified exposure conditions.

• [ICNIRP and IEEE have RF exposure standards, with large safety margins to protect all population …for threshold effects, when a large margin of safety is assured, anything below is safe… [for example] whether it is a 50 foot tall or a 5 foot tall boat, they are all safe to go under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Dr. C-K. Chou, Chairman, Technical Committee 95, ICES, IEEEInternational Health Conference, 8 February 2012 @ New Delhi

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In Conclusion

• Use of cell phones is a part of our daily life and provides numerous benefits.

• However some people are confused and concerned about the rumored health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by mobile communication systems.

• (ICNIRP) guidelines for RF exposure [which have been adopted by India in 2008] are recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and provide science-based exposure limits that are applicable to both public and occupational exposure from RF and ELF fields

• ICNIRP forms the basis for national regulations in 90% of the countries around the World that have adopted standards for EMF exposure.

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is another international standard which is followed primarily in the Americas.

• These international guidelines are based on a weight of evidence review from all peer-reviewed scientific literature and not on the conclusions of any single scientific paper.

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In Conclusion

• The guidelines provide protection against established effects of exposure to EMF and includes significant safety margin to protect all people including children.

• No adverse health effects have been confirmed below the current international RF safety guidelines or exposure standards (ICNIRP, IEEE). The typical public exposures from wireless networks and devices are often many times below the threshold for established health hazards.

• WHO notes that significant differences between national regulations and international recommendations can foster confusion for regulators and policy makers, increase public anxiety and provide a challenge to manufacturers and mobile operators who need to tailor their products to each market.

• WHO recommends that National authorities should adopt international standards to protect their citizens against adverse levels of RF fields.

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Useful Links

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http://www.who.int/peh-emf/project/en/ World Health Organisation project on EMF

http://www.icnirp.de/ International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection

http://www.ieee.org/index.html Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

http://www.dot.gov.in/ Department of Telecommunications

http://www.coai.com/ Cellular Operators Association of India

http://www.gsmworld.com/health/ GSM Association pages on health and environment

www.emfexplained.info EMF communications initiative from industry associations

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/pri/en/oj/dat/1999/l_199/l_19919990730en00590070.pdf

European Union Directive for ensuring safety in member states (1999)