Electromagnetic fields and environmental health

Abstract

Invisible electromagnetic fields (EMFs) permeate the modern living environment. They emanate from sources such as electric power lines, home appliances, medical devices, mobile phones and their base stations. Microwave power transmission, a near-future technology that could soon be in practical use, may become a major producer of EMFs. Therefore, electromagnetic environments, including static magnetic fields and low- and high-frequency EMFs, are likely to increase worldwide. In late May 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a subagency of the World Health Organization (WHO), met to evaluate the carcinogenicity of radiofrequency (RF) EMFs from mobile phones. This meeting1 provided a good opportunity for deliberation on the effects of EMFs on human health and to consider future approaches to this issue. The report conclusions, outlined in this paper, suggest there is limited evidence for the carcinogenic effect of RF-EMFs, resulting in RF-EMFs being classified as possibly carcinogenic, but that more studies are necessary to draw quantitative conclusions.