International Conference on EMF Safety

After long period of insisting on no link between cell phone radiation and cancer, scientists are slowly shifting their position. New studies are bringing credible results in such amount it appears the time for official adjustments is here.  The precautionary principle (practicing EMF safety) is becoming more popular and scientific community is slowly starting to officially encourage consumers to practice these steps and reduce EMF exposure as much as possible until we know completely what is the link between electromagnetic field radiation and cancer.

This spring, US Federal Communication Commission announced the 17 years old limits for safe levels of electromagnetic field exposure are to be reviewed. Also, US National Cancer Institute supports precautionary principle and EMF safety as well. Many European and Asian countries are adopting legislation on EMF safety and bans or strongly restricts installation and use of Wi-Fi in schools, or installation of cell phone towers near schools, kindergartens or densely populated living areas.

In April 2013, International Commission of EMF Safety organized a conference in Potenza Picena, Italy. The experts reviewed results from scientific studies and concluded electromagnetic field exposure harms humans in various ways:

- Preliminary results from testing on animals showed radiofrequency (RF) radiation is co-carcinogenic agent.

- Pulsed RF creates more invasive biological effects in comparison to non pulsed EMF.

- Pulsed RF can generate changes in  DNA regulation due to genome's methylation

- Epidemiologic studies indicated pulsed RF may pose significant health risk for people who are exposed to it and it is necessary to make more studies on pulsed RFs.

- RF can cause structural changes in human enzymes in nanoseconds, suggesting short exposures to electromagnetic field are also harmful

- some biological effects can be noticed even after short exposures to EMFs, while intensive and prolonged exposure makes human organism even more susceptible and less resistant to EMF radiation in the future

- electromagnetic field exposure creates significant harmful effects other than simple thermal effect (overheating of human tissue)

- radiofrequency radiation causes oxidative stress in living tissues (steady level of oxidative damage in cells, tissue or organ caused by reactive oxygen species - class of molecules derived from metabolism of oxygen, such as  free radicals or peroxide )

Main conclusion of this conference was that current EMF safety standards are obsolete and new, more strict and up to date standards must be adopted as soon as possible.

Adopting precautionary principle is especially important when it comes to children, pregnant women and people who are suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity. These categories are especially vulnerable to even small amounts and short exposures to EMF radiation. Wi-Fi technologies are based on pulsed RFs and introduction of Wi-Fi into schools should be approached with extreme caution or avoided completely. These pulsed RFs (from Wi-Fi and radars) cause more damage than regular RFs and should be kept far from residential areas. Exposure to RF sources in general should be reduced as much as possible.