Electrical Apparatus magazine, May 2006 EMF revisited: the studies continue

Although much worldwide attention has shifted to climate change, rising energy costs, and terrorism, the possible health hazards associated with electromagnetic field radiation (EMF) continue to be studied in dozens of countries. Although a United States multi-agency "Research and Public Information Dissemination" program (RAPID) was completed in 1998, the World Health Organization's International EMF Project is ongoing.

RAPID concluded that scientific evidence of EMF as a health hazard was "weak," citing "sporadic findings" of a "small, increased risk with increasing exposure...insufficient to warrant aggressive regulatory concern" but nevertheless a reason to be cautious.

European electric utilities have joined in promoting adoption of EMF exposure guidelines developed by the Council of the European Union. Some specific limits have been adopted (for example, a magnetic field intensity of 10 milligauss in Switzerland).

Research continues to show a varying degree of association between EMF exposure and the onset of certain diseases, particularly childhood leukemia.

Authorities differ widely in their judgment of what combination of field strength and exposure time may be dangerous. Some studies appear to connect EMF with a wide range of other conditions such as Alzheimer's, spontaneous abortion, depression, and insomnia. In the State of California, researchers have quantified the probability that EMF could cause certain ailments.

Such cause-and-effect relationships are difficult to prove because of the lack of a large, unexposed control group within any population, as well as the rarity of some diseases regardless of their cause. Equally important: research has not yet established any specific physical mechanism by which EMF causes biological damage marking the onset of a specific disease.

Most studies have involved radiation at power line frequency. In recent years, however, the higher frequencies of cellular telephone operation have raised concerns because so many people now use these instruments (more than half the population in Britain, for example) and the radiation source is close to the user's head. Cellular transmission towers are a greater concern, although farther away from most people, because of their continuous operation.

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Featured Technical Article
May 2006

On this page is a summary of the Electrical Apparatus May 2006 featured technical article, by Richard L. Nailen, P.E., "EMF revisited: the studies continue" EMF erneut im Brennpunkt: Die Studien gehen weiter ... Champ électromagnétique revisité: les études continuent ... La RCE nuevamente: los estudios continúan To order backissues which contain the foreign language summaries and the full article, call 312-321-9440 or visit our online webstore. See also links to additional technical summaries, below.

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