BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH RELEVANT TO MOBILE TELEPHONY

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• BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH RELEVANT TO MOBILE TELEPHONY
• Joe A. Elder and Mays L. Swicord
• Motorola Florida Research Laboratory
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
• II FORO AHCIET MOVIL
• October 5-6, 2004
  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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OUTLINE

• INTRODUCTION
• Statements about RF exposure True or False?
• Terms and definitions
• Electromagnetic spectrum
• STATUS OF BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
• ICNIRP RADIOFREQUENCY EXPOSURE
• GUIDELINES
• ASSESSMENTS BY HEALTH AUTHORITIES
• AND EXPERT PANELS
• CONCLUSIONS

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TRUE OR FALSE?

• Human exposure to RF energy is a new
  environmental exposure. (True or False?)
• The study of biological effects of RF energy is a
  new science. (True or False?)
• All biological effects are health effects. (True
  or False?)
• Studies reporting nonthermal effects are not used
  in standard setting. (True or False?)
• Results of one scientific study establish a
  health effect. (True or False?)
• RF energy and ionizing radiation (e.g., x-rays)
  cause similar effects. (True or False?)
• Expert scientific groups are consistent in their
  conclusion that use of mobile phones does not
  cause adverse health effects. (True or False?)

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TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

• Electromagnetic (EM) energy Energy characterized
  by having both electric and magnetic fields
  (e.g., radiofrequency energy, visible light,
  x-rays, etc.).
• Radiofrequency (RF) energy EM energy at
  frequencies at which radio signals may be
  transmitted. RF energy makes radio, television,
  radar and mobile telephony possible.
• RF Energy Flux Density (Power density)
• Rate of energy transported per cross-sectional
  area units are Watts(W)/m2 or mW/cm2.
• Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) The rate of
  absorption of RF energy in tissue unit is
  Watts/kilogram of tissue W/kg.

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RF RESEARCH

• Research on possible RF health effects dates back
  more than 50 years.
• This body of research continues to serve as the
  basis for exposure standards and public health
  assessments around the world.

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EXTENSIVE SCIENTIFIC DATABASE

• 1) WHO Project Database has more than 900
  completed or ongoing studies about half used
  mobile telephony signals.
• 2) Citation Database contains about 2000
  publications
• More than 1300 of these publications report
  biological studies epidemiology, human, animal,
  and in vitro studies.
• The remaining reports are reviews and engineering
  studies.
• WHO Project Database and Citation Database are
  available to public
• http//www.who.int/peh-emf/research/database/en/

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TYPES OF RESEARCH STUDIES

• Epidemiology
• studies of human populations
• Human
• laboratory studies of human volunteers
• Animal
• In Vitro Cells in culture, tissues, solutions
  (DNA, RNA, enzymes, etc.)

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Biological Research in RF Database (Peer-reviewed
publications since 1950)
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Long-term Animal Cancer Studies

• All 19 studies published since 1998 have shown no
  increase in cancer incidence in animals exposed
  to RF energy.
• Therefore, earlier studies reporting effects have
  not been confirmed by more recent and
  well-designed studies with good exposure
  assessment.
• RF exposure had no effect on lifespan or body
  mass (evidence of no sickness and no
  life-shortening diseases).

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WHO RF RESEARCH AGENDA

• In 2003, the WHO Research Agenda was revised to
  address the few remaining RF exposure issues.
• Research needs being addressed by ongoing and
  planned studies.
• Research Agenda on WHO website
• http//www.who.int/peh-emf/research/database/en/

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SUMMARY OF SAFETY LEVEL SETTING PROCESS FOR
CHEMICALS AND PHYSICAL AGENTS

• Hazard identification
• For RF energy, thermal effects and
• RF shocks and burns
• Risk analysis
• Determination of hazard threshold, if any
• Determination of uncertainties
• Establishment of limits for adequate protection

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ICNIRP (1998) GUIDELINES

• LIMITS FOR BOTH OCCUPATIONAL AND GENERAL PUBLIC
  EXPOSURE
• WHOLE-BODY EXPOSURE LIMITS
• (e.g., base station exposure)
• PARTIAL-BODY EXPOSURE LIMITS
• (e.g., exposure from mobile telephones and other
  handsets)
• ICNIRP International Commission on
• Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection

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10X reduction
50X reduction
10X Safety Margin
50X Safety Margin
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EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT WHOLE-BODY

• To assess human exposure from RF transmitters
  such as base stations,
• ? the SAR limits are converted to
  derived limits e.g., power density (mW/cm2)
• ? that can be measured in the vicinity of RF
  transmitters.
• 
  
  

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ICNIRP PARTIAL BODY LIMITS

• OCCUPATIONAL GENERAL PUBLIC
• 10 W/kg 2 W/kg
• Occupational limit prevents a 1 oC rise in
  tissue temperature.
• General public limit allows an additional
  safety factor.

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• WHAT DO GOVERNMENTS AND EXPERT PANELS SAY ABOUT
  RF RESEARCH AND THE ICNIRP RF EXPOSURE STANDARD?

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GOVERNMENTAL STATEMENTS ON RF SAFETY

• Americas
• Health Canada
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Federal Communications Commission
• Asia-Pacific Region
• Australian Committee on EM Energy Public Health
  Issues
• Japanese Ministry of Public Management, Home
  Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications
• New Zealand Ministry of Health and Ministry of
  Environment
• Singapore Telecommunications Authority
• Europe, Middle East and Africa
• European Commission
• France Commission for Consumer Safety
• Health Council of The Netherlands
• Swedish State Radiation Protection Authority
• United Kingdom National Radiological Protection
  Board
• Nordic Authorities (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
  Norway, Sweden)

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INTERNATIONAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL EXPERT
SCIENTIFIC REVIEWS

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• International Commission on Non-Ionizing
  Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
• U.K. Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones
  (Stewart Report)
• Royal Society of Canada Expert Panel

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GENERAL CONCLUSION FROM GOVERNMENTAL AND
NONGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW GROUPS

• No credible evidence that RF
• exposures below internationally
• accepted limits cause any adverse
• health effects.

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International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)

• There is no substantive evidence
• that adverse health effects, including
• cancer, can occur in people exposed
• to levels at or below the limits...

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U.K. Independent Expert Group(Stewart Commission)

• The balance of evidence to date
• suggests that exposures to RF
• radiation below the NRPB and ICNIRP
• Guidelines do not cause adverse
• health effects to the general
• population

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World Health Organization

• A scientific review by WHO ...
• concluded that, from the current
• scientific literature, there is no
• convincing evidence that exposure to
• RF shortens the life span of humans,
• induces or promotes cancer.

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U.S. Federal Communications Commission
(FCC)

• There is no scientific evidence that
• proves that wireless phone usage can
• lead to cancer or a variety of other
• problems, including headaches,
• dizziness or memory loss.

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• The scientific evidence does not
• show a danger to users of wireless
• phones, including children and
• teenagers.

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Health Council of The Netherlands

• sees no reason for recommending
• limiting the use of mobile phones
• by children.

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Nordic Authorities(Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden)

• The Nordic authorities agree that there is no
  scientific evidence for any adverse health
  effects from mobile telecommunication systems,
  neither from the base stations nor from the
  handsets, below the basic restrictions and
  reference values recommended by the International
  Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
  (ICNIRP).

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KEY POINTS

• No single research paper can definitely answer
  any scientific question.
• Reports of effects must be subjected to
  appropriate scientific scrutiny.
• Conclusions must be based on scientific consensus
  drawn from cumulative evidence.
• The ICNIRP Standard is science-based and provides
  substantial margins of safety.

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CONCLUSIONS

• Substantial database on RF studies exists and
  continues to grow.
• The database has proven sufficient for risk
  analysis leading to development of human exposure
  limits.
• Expert review groups are consistent in their
  conclusion that use of mobile telephones does not
  cause adverse effects.
• Based on the substantial database, it is unlikely
  that conclusions by expert groups on the health
  effects of RF exposure will change significantly.
  

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TRUE OR FALSE?

• Human exposure to RF energy is a new
  environmental exposure. (True or False?)
• The study of biological effects of RF energy is a
  new science. (True or False?)
• All biological effects are health effects. (True
  or False?)
• Studies reporting nonthermal effects are not used
  in standard setting. (True or False?)
• Results of one scientific study establish a
  health effect. (True or False?)
• RF energy and ionizing radiation (e.g., x-rays)
  cause similar effects. (True or False?)
• Expert scientific groups are consistent in their
  conclusion that use of mobile phones does not
  cause adverse health effects. (True or False?)

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MUITO OBRIGADO MUCHAS GRACIAS