Article publication date:
October 2022
Authored by:
International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields
Summary:
This is a commentary paper claiming the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has made a series of assumptions in the ICNIRP Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz). A total of 14 assumptions are listed by the authors including that the ICNIRP guidelines assume there are no mechanisms for radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) causing non-thermal DNA damage and that 5G is safe due to penetration being limited to the skin. Another claimed assumption is that ICNIRP does not consider certain studies in regard to brain cancer risk due to flaws in the methodology and biases, and because brain cancer rates have remained steady in the time that wireless communication devices have become widespread. The authors claim that these assumptions are erroneous which means they do not adequately protect the general population from RF EMF.
Link to:
Scientific evidence invalidates health assumptions underlying the FCC and ICNIRP exposure limit determinations for radiofrequency radiation: implications for 5G
Published in:
Environmental Health
Commentary by APRANSA:
ICNIRP is an independent body of scientific experts who provide advice on the potential health hazards from non-ionising radiation, including RF EMF. The guidelines provided by ICNIRP are based on scientifically substantiated effects; more information on the principles of protection used by ICNIRP and what is considered scientifically substantiated evidence is available here. The ICNIRP guidelines are widely regarded as international best practice and are endorsed by the World Health Organization. ICNIRP’s guidelines are based on an assessment of all the available scientific evidence, including studies reporting effects at non-thermal exposure levels. It is the assessment of ARPANSA and ICNIRP that there is no substantiated scientific evidence to support any adverse health effects at levels below the exposure limits set. However, in this commentary it appears the authors ignored the majority of the scientific evidence, which is contrary to their opinion, and “cherry picked” studies that suited their narrative. In order to make an informed conclusion, it is important to review the science in its totality. This is particularly evident in the “brain cancer assumption” which largely ignored major studies including the UK Million Women Study, the Mobi-kids study, a study in the Nordic countries as well as research conducted by APANSA (Karipidis et al.) which found no association between mobile phone use and the risk of brain cancer. More information on how ICNIRP assesses scientific evidence is available here. In regard to the 5G assumption, 5G uses RF EMF with higher frequencies, also called “millimetre waves”. Although millimetre waves do not penetrate the skin, the ICNIRP guidelines consider energy absorption within the skin and provide relevant exposure limits. It is important to note that higher frequencies do not mean higher or more intense exposure. Higher frequency RF EMF are already used in many applications, such as security screening units at airports, police radar equipment to check speed, remote sensors and in medicine. These uses have been thoroughly tested and found to have no negative impacts on human health. Recently, ARPANSA published world-first reviews into 5G which concluded that no substantiated evidence that low-level RF EMF, like those used by the 5G network, are hazardous to human health, and studies that did report biological effects were generally not independently replicated. For more information on 5G, please see our factsheets on 5G and health and misinformation about Australia’s 5G network. It is the assessment of ARPANSA that there is currently no substantiated scientific evidence that exposure to RF EMF at levels below the limits set in the ARPANSA Safety Standard (RPS S-1) cause any adverse health effects. These exposure limits are aligned with the ICNIRP guidelines.
