An Advisory Group has recommended that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) should reassess the cancer risks associated with non-ionizing radiofrequency radiation with high priority. According to the summary issued last week in The Lancet Oncology, the group suggests that the new evaluation should take place in latter half of 5-year period (2025–2029) due to new human cancer and animal cancer evidence to warrant re-evaluation of the classification. Besides radiofrequency fields, several other agents were recommended for revisit, e.g., hair coloring products, acrylamide or paracetamol.
A detailed report of the advisory committee will be published subsequently.
The Swiss Research Foundation for Electricity and Mobile Communication (FSM) is awarding CHF 150,000 in 2024 for a research project dealing with exposure to radiofrequency EMF or biological effects of mobile radio on humans, fauna and/or flora. Interested researchers are invited to submit a pre-proposal by June 30, 2024.
For more details, please see the FSM homepage.
The European SEAWAVE project aims to assess risks but also to characterize exposures and their evolutions with the deployment of new technologies as 5G.
The webinar on the SEAWAVE project held on the 15th of January 2024 will be an opportunity to learn about the recent results of the SEAWAVE project on exposure assessments and their analysis. The seminar will focus first on exposures induced by base station antennas. Various presentations will discuss and analyze frequency-selective measurements carried out in Europe, not only via spot measurement outside or inside buildings, but also while walking in commercial areas and in public places, during car journeys or on public transportation.
Participation in this webinar is free but requires prior registration. More information about the webinar and the way to participate, you can find here.
Every four years the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) elects its Commission members. Following a call for nominations extended to the IRPA national Societies, the IRPA Executive Council, and to national public radiation protection authorities and international radiation protection organizations (see news article from 7 August 2023), the election took place at the ICNIRP Annual General Meeting, 20-22 November 2023, Basel, Switzerland.
The ICNIRP Commission 2024-2028 as of July 2024 will be composed of the following scientists: Akimasa Hirata (Chair), Ken Karipidis (Vice-Chair), Young Hwan Ahn, Nigel Cridland, Frank de Vocht, Anke Huss, Ilko Ilev, Jens Kuhne, Ilkka Laakso, Isabelle Lagroye, Alberto Modenese and Gunnhild Oftedal.
For more information please see the ICNIRP homepage.
BioEM 2024, the international conference on bioelectromagnetics, will be held in Chania, Crete, Greece, June 16-21, 2024.
The call for abstracts for platform presentations and poster sessions has started now.
Please find more information on the BioEM 2024 homepage.
Following a request from the European Commission, the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) adopted the Preliminary Opinion on potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) - Update with regard to frequencies between 1Hz and 100 kHz.
This Opinion is now open for public consultation to get feedback from the scientific community and stakeholders. Interested stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the scientific evidence online until 2nd January 2024.
For more details, please see the SCHEER website.
The 10th Course of the International School of Bioelectromagnetism “A. Chiabrera” will be held from April 6 to 12, 2024 in Erice, Italy. The Course, entitled “Electromagnetic fields and health – epidemiological approaches”, has been organized in collaboration with the BioEM Society and initiated as part of the collaboration with the European Cluster on EMF and Health (CLUE-H). It is focused on key aspects on this topic, such as exposure assessment and potential health effects, including exposure misclassification, biological interaction and mechanisms, risk perception, planetary health, evidence synthesis and guideline development.
Please find more information on the school website.
The journal Scientific Reports has published an article by femu and co-authors entitled: "The role of the DC component in human perception of AC–DC hybrid electric fields and a comparison with the AC component". The study was motivated by the newly introduced construction of both high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) overhead power lines mounted on the same pylon. The study is based on the previous publications of the femu (Jankowiak et al. 2021 and Kursawe et al. 2021) and expands the previous publication of Jankowiak et al. 2022.
The aim was to examine the role of the DC component in human perception of AC–DC hybrid electric field. Therefore, 49 participants with high detection ability were investigated using a design that combines small variations of the DC component with different AC electric fields.
The article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in Pubmed and on the Homepage of Scientific Reports (open access).
On behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in Switzerland, the Institute of Family Medicine of the University of Fribourg has developed the Swiss medical counselling network for non-ionising radiation (MedNIS). The aim of the network is to provide better medical advice for people suffering from complaints that they attribute to non-ionizing radiation from electricity and radio applications in everyday life. In consultation with their family doctor, electrosensitive people can now take advantage of counselling by specially trained specialists.
Further information can be found on the MedNIS website (in German, French and Italian).
The call for nominations for the membership in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for the term of office 2024-2028 is now open until 25 September 2023.
Please find more information on the nomination procedure on the ICNIRP website.
WHO organized a joint meeting with ICNIRP, ICRP, ILO and IRPA in Munich, Germany, from 26 to 28 June 2023. The objectives were to increase mutual understanding of the approaches and systems of radiation protection, and to explore possibilities for continued collaboration.
For more details, please see the websites of WHO and ICNIRP.
The international Society on Bioelectromagnetics (BioEM) announces the open call for Short Term Mission of Students or Early Stage Researchers (STM) for low-middle income countries and high income countries. Application opens on 15th September 2023 and ends on 31st October 2023.
Please find more information on the application procedure on the BioEM website
The Swiss Research Foundation for Electricity and Mobile Communication (FSM) will award, in 2023, a total amount of CHF 100,000 for research projects related to questions of acceptance of infrastructures in the field of electricity and mobile communications. Interested researchers are invited to submit a pre-proposal by August 11, 2023.
For more details, please see the FSM-Homepage.
The names and brief biographies of individuals being considered for participation in a WHO-convened Guideline Development Group are disclosed for public notice and comment.
Please find further information on the WHO Homepage.
BioEM 2023, the international conference on bioelectromagnetics, will be held in Oxford, United Kingdom, June 18-23, 2023.
The call for abstracts for platform presentations and poster sessions has started now.
Find more information on the BioEM 2023 homepage.
The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) will be hosting a scientific conference on the theme of “Radiofrequencies and health: research in a fast-moving environment” on 23rd of November 2022 in Paris, France.
You can participate in this event in person or online.
For more details and registration (free of charge), please see the ANSES website.
Following a request from the European Commission, the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) provided the Preliminary Opinion on the need of a revision of the annexes in the Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC and Directive 2013/35/EU, in view of the latest scientific evidence available with regard to radiofrequency (100 kHz – 300 GHz).
The SCHEER advises positively on the need of a technical revision, because technological advancements and emerging wireless applications, especially in the highest end of the radiofrequency spectrum (millimeter waves), call for the introduction of limits on new dosimetric quantities.
In line with the Stakeholder Dialogue Procedures, the Scientific Committee is now seeking feedback from the scientific community and stakeholders on this Preliminary Opinion.
Interested parties can submit comments online before 25th of September 2022.
For more details, please see the SCHEER website.
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) organizes the 7th International Workshop on the Causes of Childhood Leukemia from 28th–30th November 2022 in Munich, Germany. It will also be possible to participate in the workshop online.
For more details, please see the website of the workshop.
The journal PLoS One has published a systematic review conducted by femu entitled: “Systematic review of the physiological and health-related effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic field exposure from wireless communication devices on children and adolescents in experimental and epidemiological human studies”.
The aim of this review was to systematically analyze and evaluate the physiological and health-related effects of the exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) from wireless communication devices (mobile phones, cordless phones, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Bluetooth, base stations, etc.) on children and adolescents. A total of 42 epidemiological and 11 experimental studies were eligible for this review. Overall, the body of evidence allows no final conclusion on the question whether exposure to RF EMF from mobile communication devices poses a particular risk to children and adolescents.
The article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in the PubMed and on the PLOS ONE homepage.
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is hosting a Mini-Symposium online and in Nagoya, Japan, 19 June 2022, ahead of the BioEM. This will be an opportunity to learn about ICNIRP and its current and planned activities, get an update on some key radiation safety issues and to address questions.
For more details, please see the website of ICNIRP.
The Swiss Research Foundation for Electricity and Mobile Communication (FSM) will award, in 2022, a total amount of CHF 325,000 for one or two innovative research projects referring to questions about the opportunities and risks of future communication technologies. Interested researchers are invited to submit a pre-proposal by July 08, 2022.
For more details, please see the website of FSM.
The journal Scientific Reports has published an article by femu and co-authors entitled: “The role of the AC component in human perception of AC–DC hybrid electric fields”. The study was motivated by the newly introduced construction of both high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) overhead power lines mounted on the same pylon. The study is based on the previous publications of the femu (Jankowiak et al. 2021 and Kursawe et al. 2021).
The aim of the study was to specify the role of the AC component in the human perception of weak hybrid electric fields (co-exposure to alternating (AC) and static (DC) electric fields). Fifty-one participants with a hybrid EF detection ability above average who participated in a previous study were exposed under highly controlled. A further objective was to evaluate the influence of vibrotactile perception and skin moisture on EF perception.
The article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in Pubmed and on the Homepage of Scientific Reports (open access).
The Journal Frontiers in Public Health, specialty of ‘Radiation and Health‘, has announced the Research Topic on wireless radiation, including 5G. Solely opinion or perspective articles will be included. Submissions are by invitation only, (hence, the submissions are marked as closed). If you are an established expert interested in submitting, please, contact Dariusz Leszczynski directly. You find more details on the webpage of the journal
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) organizes the International Workshop "Impact of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields on oxidative stress” from 16th–18th February 2022 in Cottbus, Germany. it will also be possible to participate in the workshop online.
For more details, please see the website of the Workshop.
The annual meeting of the BIOEM Society, BioEM 2022, will be held in Nagoya, Japan from June 19-24, 2022. BioEM 2022 will offer a hybrid format, allowing both on-site and online participation.
For more details, please see the BioEM 2022 homepage.
The joint annual meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA) will be held in Nagoya, Japan, from June 19th to 24th 2022. The call for abstracts for platform presentations and poster sessions has started now (see instructions for authors). The BioEM 2022 homepage provides further information and dates on the meeting.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Task Group on Radiofrequency Fields and Health Risks that will contribute to the development of a WHO monograph on Radiofrequency fields. The Call for experts provides information about the Task group in question, the expert profiles being sought, and the application and selection processes.
The deadline for application submission has been extended to 15 December 2021.
You can find further information on the WHO Homepage.
The journal Environmental Health has published an article by femu and co-authors entitled: "Human detection thresholds of DC, AC, and hybrid electric fields: a double-blind study". The study was motivated by the newly introduced construction of both high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) overhead power lines mounted on the same mast. The study is based on the previous publication of the femu (Jankowiak et al. 2021).
The aim of the study was to determine the human detection thresholds for static (DC), alternating (AC), and hybrid electric fields (co-exposure to AC and DC EF; various DC EF strengths, constant AC EF strength). A total of 203 participants were exposed to DC, AC, and hybrid EFs in a highly specialized whole-body exposure laboratory using a double-blind experimental setting. The results indicated that detection thresholds of hybrid EF were lower compared to those of single EF exposure to DC or AC. Additional ion current exposure enhanced EF perception. High relative humidity facilitated DC EF perception, whereas low relative humidity reinforced the perception of AC EFs. With this systematic investigation of human perception of DC, AC, and hybrid EFs, detection thresholds were provided, which can help to improve the construction processes of energy transmission systems and the prevention of unwanted sensory perception.
The article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in Pubmed and on the Environmental Health homepage.
femu is looking for a postdoc in the field of biology, epidemiology, or medicine with immediate effect. Please have a look at our job advertisement (German only). We are looking forward to your application.
femu is looking for a postdoc in the field of electrical engineering, physics, or similar with immediate effect. Please have a look at our job advertisement (German only). We are looking forward to your application.
The European Commission published a call for electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health research within the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON). Research actions should provide forward-looking information on potential hazards and risks of existing and emerging EMF exposures. By applying innovative monitoring techniques, experimental evidence and modelling, several activities should be included, for example: monitoring of exposures of the general population and specific groups at risk such as children and workers, establishment of potentially new exposure patterns (e.g., 5G), and investigating evidence of local and systemic biological effects and health impacts.
Deadline for submission is 21st September 2021.
You can find further information on the European Commission homepage.
The journal Bioelectromagnetics has published an article by femu and co-authors entitled: "Identification of Environmental and Experimental Factors Influencing Human Perception of DC and AC Electric Fields”. As part of the energy transition in Germany, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) lines producing DC electric fields (EF) are in planning. Since the human perception of DC EF was rarely investigated in the past, the aim of the study was to investigate human perception of direct current (DC) EF, alternating current (AC) EF, and the co-exposure of DC EF and AC EF (hybrid EF). A highly sophisticated exposure lab was built to expose participants to various EF strengths and to control environmental and experimental factors influencing the human perception. Perception thresholds were lower under hybrid EF exposure than under DC EF or AC EF exposure alone. Relative humidity could be identified as an environmental factor influencing the perception of AC EF and DC EF in different ways. Cutaneous sensations evoked under DC EF and AC EF exposure were individually different and attributed to various parts of the body. Several environmental and experimental factors influencing the human perception of EF could be identified and provide an essential basis for a large-scale study.
The article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in PubMed and on the Bioelectromagnetics homepage.
The Journal Bioelectromagnetics has published a feasibility study conducted by the Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI) of the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg‐University in Mainz, Germany and femu entitled: "Occupational Exposure to Extremely Low‐Frequency Magnetic Fields and Risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Results of a Feasibility Study for a Pooled Analysis of Original Data”. Previous meta‐analyses have suggested an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with occupational exposure to extremely low‐frequency magnetic fields (ELF‐MF). However, since studies were methodologically heterogeneous, the feasibility of a pooling study to harmonize and re‐analyze available original data was investigated in this study. A relative risk of ≥1.14 for ALS and occupational exposure to ELF‐MF could be detected with a power of more than 80% in a pooled study. The pooling of original data was therefore recommended and could contribute to a better understanding of ELF‐MF in the etiology of ALS.
The article can be found on the Bioelectromagnetics homepage.
The journal Expert Review of Medical Devices has published an article by femu entitled: "Interference of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices by Static Electric and Magnetic Fields”. The aim of this study was to determine thresholds for electromagnetic interference (EMI) of cardiac implants by static electric and magnetic fields. A literature search revealed four interference mechanisms caused by static magnetic fields and none for static electric fields. Due to the scarce information on motion-induced EMI by static magnetic fields, numerical simulations were performed to obtain a threshold. The results showed that motion-induced EMI should not occur below the activation of the magnetic safety switch (MSS) at 0.8 mT. The authors concluded that MSS activation is the most relevant mechanism for static magnetic fields.
The article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in PubMed and on the Expert Review of Medical Devices homepage.
For its term of office 2020-2024 and beyond, the ICNIRP Commission has defined the new Work Plan, which encompasses most frequencies of the non-ionizing frequency spectrum. Tasks ahead include, among others, revisiting the low frequencies and static magnetic fields guidelines and analyzing the environmental issues related to electromagnetic fields.
You can find the Work Plan on the ICNIRP homepage.
After rescheduling the 1st conference from 2020 to 2021, the new date for the second attempt of the 1st European EMF Forum Conference has now been set. The conference will take place from November 15 to 16, 2021 at the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) in Dortmund, Germany, with a pre-conference gathering for early arrivals on Sunday evening (November 14, 2021).
You can find further information on the official homepage.
The official BioEM2021 homepage has announced that this years meeting will take place in Ghent, Belgium from September 26 to October 1, 2021. Further information will be posted on this website soon.
The journal Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing has published an article by femu and co-authors entitled: "Computational models for contact current dosimetry at frequencies below 1 MHz”. The aim of this study was to develop an extendable and adaptable validated numerical body model for computational contact current dosimetry for frequencies of 0 Hz – 1 MHz. Contact currents were conducted through the numerical body model Duke by seven contact electrodes on longitudinal and transversal paths. The resulting induced electric field and current enable the evaluation of the body impedance and the heart current factors for each frequency and current path to assess individual accident scenarios.
The open access article can be found in the EMF-Portal, in PubMed and on the Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing homepage.
The 1st European EMF Forum Conference "7 years of experience with the EMF directive" hosted by the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), which should take place in Dortmund, Germany, from 23 to 24 November 2020, has been postponed to the end of October/beginning of November 2021 due to the current pandemic situation. Exact dates will be announced on the BAuA homepage as soon as available.
Due to the continuous pandemic situation, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has decided to cancel the 9th International NIR (non-ionizing radiation) Workshop.
For further information, visit the ICNIRP homepage.
The upcoming annual joint meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA), BioEM 2021 will not be held in Honolulu, Hawaii due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been announced by the organizing committee on the official homepage. The meeting will be held online instead starting on June 13, 2021. The deadline for submitting abstracts will still be February 12, 2021.
The website of the 2021 joint meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA) in Honolulu, Hawaii, from June 13 to 18, 2021 is live now.
Visit the official BioEM2021 website for first information on the meeting.
The Journal PLOS ONE has published a systematic review conducted by femu entitled: "Biological and health-related effects of weak static magnetic fields (≤ 1 mT) in humans and vertebrates: A systematic review”. The aim of this review was to systematically analyze and evaluate possible effects of weak static magnetic fields on biological functioning and to provide an update on the current state of research. Eleven studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. All included studies were animal studies as no human studies were among the eligible articles. Overall, the available evidence from the literature reviewed is not sufficient to draw a conclusion for biological and health-related effects of weak static magnetic fields. We encourage further and more systematic research in this area. Any new studies should particularly address effects on biological functioning in humans to evaluate whether static magnetic fields pose a risk to human health.
The article can be found via the EMF-Portal, via PubMed and on the PLOS ONE homepage.
The 9th International NIR (non-ionizing radiation) workshop organized by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) was originally scheduled to take place in Seoul, Korea, from May 6-8, 2020 (see EMF-Portal News from May 7, 2019). Due to the current Sars-CoV-2 virus epidemic it has been postponed to 14-15 January 2021.
Information about the new arrangements are announced on the ICNIRP homepage.
The German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) is going to host the 1st European EMF Forum Conference "7 years of experience with the EMF directive" in Dortmund, Germany, from 23 to 24 November 2020. The aim is to exchange information on the practical application of the EMF Directive (2013/35/EU) in EU member states and discuss challenges in workshops or poster sessions. EMF-experts from ministries of labour and social affairs, governmental institutions like labour inspectorates or research institutions are invited to participate at the conference.
You can find more information on the BAuA homepage.
In light of recent events, the World Health Organization, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the European Commission and the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (in German) reacted to circulating rumors about a connection between the new mobile phone generation 5G and COVID-19 and denied it.
The upcoming annual joint meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) and the European BioElectromagnetics Association (EBEA), BioEM 2020, in Oxford, United Kingdom, 21-26 June 2020 has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can find the official announcement on the BioEM 2020 homepage.
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has released the long-awaited guidelines on limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields for the protection of humans exposed to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields in the range 100 kHz to 300 GHz. The guidelines cover many applications such as 5G technologies, WiFi, Bluetooth, mobile phones and base stations. This publication replaces the 100 kHz to 300 GHz part of the ICNIRP (1998) radiofrequency guidelines as well as the 100 kHz to 10 MHz part of the ICNIRP (2010) low-frequency guidelines.
The ICNIRP homepage provides further information. Morevover, Frequently Asked Questions related to the ICNIRP RF Guidelines 2020 are answered and the main differences between the new and previous guidelines are explained there.
The 9th International NIR (non-ionizing radiation) workshop organized by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) was originally scheduled to take place in Seoul, Korea, from May 6-8, 2020 (see EMF-Portal News from May 7, 2019). Now it has been postponed for an indefinite period of time due to the current Sars-CoV-2 virus epidemic.
Information about the new arrangements will be announced on the ICNIRP homepage and here on EMF-Portal.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a review of published literature between 2008 and 2018 of relevance to radiofrequency radiation and cancer. The results support the FDA’s determination that there is no consistent or credible scientific evidence of health problems caused by the exposure to radiofrequency energy emitted by cell phones.
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