Do people understand IARC's 2B categorization of RF fields from cell phones?

In May 2011, the International Agency on Cancer in Research (IARC) issued an official statement concluding that cell phone usage was "possibly carcinogenic to humans." There have been considerable doubts that non-experts and experts alike fully understood what IARC's categorization actually meant, as "possibly carcinogenic" can be interpreted in many ways. The present study is based on an online survey indicating that both the characterization of the probability of carcinogenicity, as well as the description of the risk increase given in the IARC press release, was mostly misunderstood by study participants.

Scientific basis for the Soviet and Russian radiofrequency standards for the general public.

The former Soviet Union (USSR) and the USA were the first countries to introduce standards limiting exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields. However, the exposure limits in the USSR standards were always much lower than those in the USA and other countries. The objective of this article is to provide a history of the development of the Soviet and Russian RF standards.

Concern that "EMF" magnetic fields from power lines cause cancer.

In 2002, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 2002) categorized extremely low frequency (ELF) (including the power frequencies of 50 and 60 Hz) magnetic fields as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." That was based on pooled analyses of epidemiological research that reported an association between exposure to low-level magnetic fields and childhood leukemia. In 2007 a task group of scientific experts convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the IARC categorization but found that the laboratory studies and other research results did not support the association.

Systematic review of wireless phone use and brain cancer and other head tumors.

We conducted a systematic review of scientific studies to evaluate whether the use of wireless phones is linked to an increased incidence of the brain cancer glioma or other tumors of the head (meningioma, acoustic neuroma, and parotid gland), originating in the areas of the head that most absorb radiofrequency (RF) energy from wireless phones. Epidemiology and in vivo studies were evaluated according to an agreed protocol; quality criteria were used to evaluate the studies for narrative synthesis but not for meta-analyses or pooling of results. The epidemiology study results were heterogeneous, with sparse data on long-term use (≥ 10 years).

An international project to confirm Soviet-era results on immunological and teratological effects of RF field exposure in Wistar rats and comments on Grigoriev et al. [2010].

Results of key Soviet-era studies dealing with effects on the immune system and teratological consequences in rats exposed to radiofrequency (RF) fields serve, in part, as a basis for setting exposure limits in the USSR and the current RF standards in Russia. The World Health Organization's (WHO) International EMF Project considered these Soviet results important enough that they should be confirmed using more modern methods. Since the Soviet papers did not contain comprehensive details on how the results were obtained, Professor Yuri Grigoriev worked with Dr.

Long-term health implications of the Chernobyl accident and relevant projects of the World Health Organization.

The past two decades have witnessed dramatic changes in public health governance and international cooperation on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident, especially after the end of the Cold War. The World Health Organization (WHO) has committed itself deeply to the public health issues around Chernobyl and has participated in various health projects such as health monitoring and cancer screening. WHO has also been engaged in research activities such as the Chernobyl Tissue Bank, in close collaboration with the Ministries of Health in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine.

Static fields: biological effects and mechanisms relevant to exposure limits.

Recently, the International EMF Project of the World Health Organization (WHO) published an Environmental Health Criteria monograph on static electric and magnetic fields. In the present paper a short overview is given of the biological and health effects discussed in this document. The main conclusions are that no acute effects other than transient phenomena such as vertigo and nausea have been observed with exposure to static magnetic flux densities up to 8 T.

Workgroup report: base stations and wireless networks-radiofrequency (RF) exposures and health consequences.

Radiofrequency (RF) waves have long been used for different types of information exchange via the air waves--wireless Morse code, radio, television, and wireless telephone (i.e., construction and operation of telephones or telephone systems).

Albinism in Africa as a public health issue.

Background: Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetically inherited autosomal recessive condition and OCA2, tyrosine-positive albinism, is the most prevalent type found throughout Africa. Due to the lack of melanin, people with albinism are more susceptible to the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure. This population must deal with issues such as photophobia, decreased visual acuity, extreme sun sensitivity and skin cancer.

World Health Organization's International Radon Project.

Following initial in vitro and in vivo studies and important studies of uranium miners, scientists have now completed impressive case-control studies of lung cancer risk from exposure to residential radon. Researchers have pooled these studies, in which all the information from the individual studies was reanalyzed. These pooled analyzes confirm that in the context of residential exposure, radon is now an established risk factor for lung cancer.

The sensitivity of children to electromagnetic fields.

In today's world, technologic developments bring social and economic benefits to large sections of society; however, the health consequences of these developments can be difficult to predict and manage. With rapid advances in electromagnetic field (EMF) technologies and communications, children are increasingly exposed to EMFs at earlier and earlier ages. Consistent epidemiologic evidence of an association between childhood leukemia and exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields has led to their classification by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a "possible human carcinogen.

Biological effects of radiofrequency fields: does modulation matter?

This commentary considers modulation as a factor of potential biological importance in assessment of risk of radiofrequency (RF) energy emitted by communications systems and other technologies. Modulation introduces a spread of frequencies into a carrier waveform, but in nearly all cases this spread is small compared to the frequency of the carrier. Consequently, any nonthermal (field-dependent) biological effects related to modulation must result from interaction mechanisms that are fast enough to produce a response at radiofrequencies.

Health risks of electromagnetic fields. Part III: Risk analysis.

The management of potential health risks from electromagnetic (EM) fields presents both scientific and nonscientific challenges. When the scientific evidence is ambiguous, as is the case with EM fields, expert judgment of this evidence becomes particularly important. This article provides biomedical researchers with a comprehensive assessment of the status of EM health risk based on our two previous articles [Parts I and II, Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, Volume 31, Issue 3].

Health risks of electromagnetic fields. Part II: Evaluation and assessment of radio frequency radiation.

The increasing use of different radio frequency (RF)-emitting devices in residential and occupational settings has raised concerns about possible health effects of RF energy emitted by such devices. The debate about the potential risks associated with RF fields will persist with the prevalent network-connected wireless products and services targeting the marketplace for all kinds of consumer use. The aim of this article is to provide biomedical researchers with a review and critical evaluation of the current literature on acute and long-term health risks associated with RF radiation (RFR).

Health risks of electromagnetic fields. Part I: Evaluation and assessment of electric and magnetic fields.

Exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF) emanating from the generation, distribution, and utilization of electricity is widespread. The major debate in recent years has focused on the possibility that exposure to EMF may result in adverse health consequences, including the development of cancer. This article provides a review and evaluation of potential health risks associated with residential and occupational exposure to EMF.