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Planetary electromagnetic pollution: it is time to assess its impact

December 2018
The Lancet Planetary Health 2(12):e512-e514

DOI:10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30221-3

License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Authors:

Priyanka Bandara

Independent Researcher

David Orlo Carpenter

University at Albany, State University of New York

Figure: Typical maximum daily exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from man-made and natural power flux densities in comparison with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection safety guidelines 1 Anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation levels are illustrated for different periods in the evolution of wireless communication technologies. These exposure levels are frequently experienced daily by people using various wireless devices. The levels are instantaneous and not time-averaged over 6 minutes as specified by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection for thermal reasons. Figure modified from Philips and Lamburn 12 with permission. Natural levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation were based on the NASA review report CR-166661. 13

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Comment

www.thelancet.com/planetary-health Vol 2 December 2018

e512

Planetary electromagnetic pollution: it is time to assess its

impact

As the Planetary Health Alliance moves forward after a

productive second annual meeting, a discussion on the

rapid global proliferation of artiﬁcial electromagnetic

ﬁelds would now be apt. The most notable is the

blanket of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation,

largely microwave radiation generated for wireless

communication and surveillance technologies, as

mounting scientiﬁc evidence suggests that prolonged

exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation

has serious biological and health eﬀects. However,

public exposure regulations in most countries con-

tinue to be based on the guidelines of the International

Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection1 and

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,2 which

were established in the 1990s on the belief that only

acute thermal eﬀects are hazardous. Prevention of tissue

heating by radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation is

now proven to be ineﬀective in preventing biochemical

and physiological interference. For example, acute

non-thermal exposure has been shown to alter human

brain metabolism by NIH scientists,3 electrical activity

in the brain,4 and systemic immune responses.5 Chronic

exposure has been associated with increased oxidative

stress and DNA damage6,7 and cancer risk.8 Laboratory

studies, including large rodent studies by the US National

Toxicology Program9 and Ramazzini Institute of Italy,10

conﬁrm these biological and health eﬀects in vivo. As we

address the threats to human health from the changing

environmental conditions due to human activity,11

the increasing exposure to artiﬁcial electromagnetic

radiation needs to be included in this discussion.

Due to the exponential increase in the use of wireless

personal communication devices (eg, mobile or cordless

phones and WiFi or Bluetooth-enabled devices) and

the infrastructure facilitating them, levels of exposure

to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation around

the 1 GHz frequency band, which is mostly used for

modern wireless communications, have increased from

extremely low natural levels by about 10¹⁸ times (ﬁgure).

Radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation is also used

for radar, security scanners, smart meters, and medical

equipment (MRI, diathermy, and radiofrequency

ablation). It is plausibly the most rapidly increasing

anthropogenic environmental exposure since the mid-

20th century, and levels will surge considerably again,

as technologies like the Internet of Things and 5G add

millions more radiofrequency transmitters around us.

Unprecedented human exposure to radiofrequency

electromagnetic radiation from conception until death

has been occurring in the past two decades. Evidence

of its eﬀects on the CNS, including altered neuro-

development14 and increased risk of some neuro-

degenerative diseases,15 is a major concern considering

the steady increase in their incidence. Evidence exists

for an association between neuro develop mental or

Figure: Typical maximum daily exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from man-made and

natural power ﬂux densities in comparison with International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation

Protection safety guidelines1

Anthropogenic radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation levels are illustrated for diﬀerent periods in the

evolution of wireless communication technologies. These exposure levels are frequently experienced daily by

people using various wireless devices. The levels are instantaneous and not time-averaged over 6 minutes as

speciﬁed by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection for thermal reasons. Figure modiﬁed

from Philips and Lamburn12 with permission. Natural levels of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation were

based on the NASA review report CR-166661.13

010

1 MHz

1 GHz

1 THz

Power ﬂux density (W/m

)

Frequency (Hz)

2010s

1980s

1950s

Medium-wave broadcastin

Short-wave broadcasting

FM VHF radio

Television

Mobile phones

Mobile phones, WiFi, etc

300 GHz end of ICNIRP radiofrequency guidance

–15

–12

–9

–6

–3

–18

ICNIRP (occupational peak)

ICNIRP (occupational)

ICNIRP (public peak)

ICNIRP (public)

2010s, typical

1980s, typical

1950s, typical

Natural background

Comment

e513

www.thelancet.com/planetary-health Vol 2 December 2018

behavioural disorders in children and exposure to

wireless devices,14 and experimental evidence, such as

the Yale ﬁnding, shows that prenatal exposure could

cause structural and functional changes in the brain

associated with ADHD-like behaviour.16 These ﬁndings

deserve urgent attention.

At the Oceania Radiofrequency Scientiﬁc Advisory

Association, an independent scientiﬁc organisation,

volunteering scientists have constructed the world’s

largest categorised online data base of peer-reviewed

studies on radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation

and other man-made electromagnetic ﬁelds of lower

frequencies. A recent evaluation of 2266 studies

(including in-vitro and in-vivo studies in human,

animal, and plant experimental systems and population

studies) found that most studies (n=1546, 68∙2%)

have demonstrated signiﬁcant biological or health

eﬀects associated with exposure to anthropogenic

electromagnetic ﬁelds. We have published our

preliminary data on radiofrequency electromagnetic

radiation, which shows that 89% (216 of 242) of

experimental studies that investigated oxidative stress

endpoints showed signiﬁcant eﬀects.7 This weight of

scientiﬁc evidence refutes the prominent claim that

the deployment of wireless technologies poses no

health risks at the currently permitted non-thermal

radiofrequency exposure levels. Instead, the evidence

supports the International EMF Scientist Appeal by

244 scientists from 41 countries who have published on

the subject in peer-reviewed literature and collectively

petitioned the WHO and the UN for immediate

measures to reduce public exposure to artiﬁcial

electromagnetic ﬁelds and radiation.

Evidence also exists of the eﬀects of radiofrequency

electromagnetic radiation on ﬂora and fauna. For

example, the reported global reduction in bees and

other insects is plausibly linked to the increased

radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation in the

environment.17 Honeybees are among the species

that use magnetoreception, which is sensitive to

anthropogenic electromagnetic ﬁelds, for navigation.

Man-made electromagnetic ﬁelds range from

extremely low frequency (associated with electricity

supplies and electrical appliances) to low, medium,

high, and extremely high frequency (mostly associated

with wireless communication). The potential eﬀects

of these anthropogenic electromagnetic ﬁelds on

natural electromagnetic ﬁelds, such as the Schumann

Resonance that controls the weather and climate,

have not been properly studied. Similarly, we do not

adequately understand the eﬀects of anthropogenic

radio frequency electromagnetic radiation on other

natural and man-made atmospheric components

or the ionosphere. It has been widely claimed that

radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, being non-

ionising radiation, does not possess enough photon

energy to cause DNA damage. This has now been

proven wrong experimentally.18,19 Radiofrequency

electromagnetic radiation causes DNA damage

apparently through oxidative stress,7 similar to near-UV

radiation, which was also long thought to be harmless.

At a time when environmental health scientists

tackle serious global issues such as climate change and

chemical toxicants in public health, there is an urgent

need to address so-called electrosmog. A genuine

evidence-based approach to the risk assessment and

regulation of anthropogenic electromagnetic ﬁelds

will help the health of us all, as well as that of our

planetary home. Some government health authorities

have recently taken steps to reduce public exposure to

radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation by regulating

use of wireless devices by children and recommending

preferential use of wired communication devices in

general, but this ought to be a coordinated international

eﬀort.

*Priyanka Bandara, David O Carpenter

Oceania Radiofrequency Scientiﬁc Advisory Association,

Scarborough, QLD 4020, Australia (PB); and Institute for Health

and the Environment, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, USA

(DOC)

pri.bandara@orsaa.org

We declare no competing interests. We thank Alasdair Philips for assistance with

the ﬁgure and Victor Leach and Steve Weller for assistance with the ORSAA

Database, which has enabled our overview of the scientiﬁc evidence in this area

of research.

article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

1 International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. ICNIRP

guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic, and

electromagnetic ﬁelds (up to 300 GHz). Health Phys 1998; 74: 494–522.

2 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. IEEE C95.7-2014—IEEE

recommended practice for radio frequency safety programs, 3 kHz to

300 GHz. IEEE Standards Association, 2014. https://standards.ieee.org/

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4 Schmid MR, Loughran SP, Regel SJ, et al. Sleep EEG alterations: eﬀects of

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For the Oceania Radiofrequency

Scientific Advisory Association

see www.orsaa.org

For the International EMF

Scientist Appeal see www.

emfscientist.org

Comment

www.thelancet.com/planetary-health Vol 2 December 2018

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Background: In 2011, IARC classified radiofrequency radiation (RFR) as possible human carcinogen (Group 2B). According to IARC, animals studies, as well as epidemiological ones, showed limited evidence of carcinogenicity. In 2016, the NTP published the first results of its long-term bioassays on near field RFR, reporting increased incidence of malignant glial tumors of the brain and heart Schwannoma in rats exposed to GSM - and CDMA - modulated cell phone RFR. The tumors observed in the NTP study are of the type similar to the ones observed in some epidemiological studies of cell phone users. Objectives: The Ramazzini Institute (RI) performed a life-span carcinogenic study on Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the carcinogenic effects of RFR in the situation of far field, reproducing the environmental exposure to RFR generated by 1.8 GHz GSM antenna of the radio base stations of mobile phone. This is the largest long-term study ever performed in rats on the health effects of RFR, including 2448 animals. In this article, we reported the final results regarding brain and heart tumors. Methods: Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed from prenatal life until natural death to a 1.8 GHz GSM far field of 0, 5, 25, 50 V/m with a whole-body exposure for 19 h/day. Results: A statistically significant increase in the incidence of heart Schwannomas was observed in treated male rats at the highest dose (50 V/m). Furthermore, an increase in the incidence of heart Schwann cells hyperplasia was observed in treated male and female rats at the highest dose (50 V/m), although this was not statistically significant. An increase in the incidence of malignant glial tumors was observed in treated female rats at the highest dose (50 V/m), although not statistically significant. Conclusions: The RI findings on far field exposure to RFR are consistent with and reinforce the results of the NTP study on near field exposure, as both reported an increase in the incidence of tumors of the brain and heart in RFR-exposed Sprague-Dawley rats. These tumors are of the same histotype of those observed in some epidemiological studies on cell phone users. These experimental studies provide sufficient evidence to call for the re-evaluation of IARC conclusions regarding the carcinogenic potential of RFR in humans.

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Apr 1981

J.K. Raines

The effects of nonionizing electromagnetic (EM) field interactions with the human body were reported and human related studies were collected. Nonionizing EM fields are linked to cancer in humans in three different ways: cause, means of detection, and effective treatment. Bad and benign effects are expected from nonionizing EM fields and much more knowledge is necessary to properly categorize and qualify EM field characteristics. It is concluded that knowledge of the boundary between categories, largely dependent on field intensity, is vital to proper future use of EM radiation for any purpose and the protection of the individual from hazard.

Sleep EEG alterations: Effects of different pulse-modulated radio frequency electromagnetic fields

Article

Apr 2011
J SLEEP RES

Previous studies have observed increases in electroencephalographic power during sleep in the spindle frequency range (approximately 11-15 Hz) after exposure to mobile phone-like radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF). Results also suggest that pulse modulation of the signal is crucial to induce these effects. Nevertheless, it remains unclear which specific elements of the field are responsible for the observed changes. We investigated whether pulse-modulation frequency components in the range of sleep spindles may be involved in mediating these effects. Thirty young healthy men were exposed, at weekly intervals, to three different conditions for 30 min directly prior to an 8-h sleep period. Exposure consisted of a 900-MHz RF EMF, pulse modulated at 14 Hz or 217 Hz, and a sham control condition. Both active conditions had a peak spatial specific absorption rate of 2 W kg(-1) . During exposure subjects performed three different cognitive tasks (measuring attention, reaction speed and working memory), which were presented in a fixed order. Electroencephalographic power in the spindle frequency range was increased during non-rapid eye movement sleep (2nd episode) following the 14-Hz pulse-modulated condition. A similar but non-significant increase was also observed following the 217-Hz pulse-modulated condition. Importantly, this exposure-induced effect showed considerable individual variability. Regarding cognitive performance, no clear exposure-related effects were seen. Consistent with previous findings, our results provide further evidence that pulse-modulated RF EMF alter brain physiology, although the time-course of the effect remains variable across studies. Additionally, we demonstrated that modulation frequency components within a physiological range may be sufficient to induce these effects.

Effects of Cell Phone Radiofrequency Signal Exposure on Brain Glucose Metabolism

Article

Feb 2011
J Am Med Assoc

The dramatic increase in use of cellular telephones has generated concern about possible negative effects of radiofrequency signals delivered to the brain. However, whether acute cell phone exposure affects the human brain is unclear. To evaluate if acute cell phone exposure affects brain glucose metabolism, a marker of brain activity. Randomized crossover study conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2009, at a single US laboratory among 47 healthy participants recruited from the community. Cell phones were placed on the left and right ears and positron emission tomography with ((18)F)fluorodeoxyglucose injection was used to measure brain glucose metabolism twice, once with the right cell phone activated (sound muted) for 50 minutes ("on" condition) and once with both cell phones deactivated ("off" condition). Statistical parametric mapping was used to compare metabolism between on and off conditions using paired t tests, and Pearson linear correlations were used to verify the association of metabolism and estimated amplitude of radiofrequency-modulated electromagnetic waves emitted by the cell phone. Clusters with at least 1000 voxels (volume >8 cm(3)) and P < .05 (corrected for multiple comparisons) were considered significant. Brain glucose metabolism computed as absolute metabolism (μmol/100 g per minute) and as normalized metabolism (region/whole brain). Whole-brain metabolism did not differ between on and off conditions. In contrast, metabolism in the region closest to the antenna (orbitofrontal cortex and temporal pole) was significantly higher for on than off conditions (35.7 vs 33.3 μmol/100 g per minute; mean difference, 2.4 [95% confidence interval, 0.67-4.2]; P = .004). The increases were significantly correlated with the estimated electromagnetic field amplitudes both for absolute metabolism (R = 0.95, P < .001) and normalized metabolism (R = 0.89; P < .001). In healthy participants and compared with no exposure, 50-minute cell phone exposure was associated with increased brain glucose metabolism in the region closest to the antenna. This finding is of unknown clinical significance.