EMF GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS Paolo Vecchia National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy Chairman of ICNIRP THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

ICNIRP The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation: Is an independent group of experts established in 1992 Is formally recognised by WHO and ILO Maintains close relationships with other national and international organisations THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

SCOPE OF ICNIRP The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation: develops international guidelines on limiting exposure to non-ionizing radiation that are independent and science based provides guidance and advice on the health hazards of non-ionizing radiation provides science based guidance and recommendations on protection from non-ionizing radiation exposure THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

SYSTEMS OF PROTECTION Health threshold based systems Adequate for well established, threshold effects Optimization systems Adequate for no-threshold known hazards Precautionary measures Adequate for suspected, not established hazards (Berqvist 1996) THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

THE ICNIRP GUIDELINES ICNIRP Guidelines are: Science-based Developed following criteria and methods defined a priori Flexible THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES : Review of the literature Establishment of health effects Identification of the critical effect Setting basic rstrictions Derivation of reference levels THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The review performd by ICNIRP is comprehensive and selective at a time. In fact, any single observation or study may indicate the possibility of a health risk related to a specific exposure. However, risk assessment requires information: From studies that meet quality criteria From the totality of science THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

EVALUATION PROCESS The evaluation process used by ICNIRP consists of three steps: Evaluating single studies in terms of their relevance Reviewing all the information for each health effect Combining the outcomes into an overall evaluation THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

OVERALL EVALUATION A decision is made whether the available evidence allows the identification of an adverse health effect that is caused by an exposure. By this identification, the effect becomes “established”. Science-based exposure limits are set with regard to established effects only. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

CRITERIA FOR ESTABLISHING EFFECTS The overall body of research is evaluated with regard to: Quality of studies Reproducibility of experiments Consistency of findings THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

THRESHOLDS FOR EFFECTS Guidelines are developed based upon a quantitative relationship between exposure and adverse effect. If the relationship takes the form of a threshold, it may be possible to state a level of exposure below which the adverse effect may be avoided. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

ESTABLISHED EFFECTS OF EMF All established effects of EMF are acute in nature ELF fields Stimulation of electrically excitable tissues RF Increase of body temperature (general or local) Acute effects occur above given exposure thresholds THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

BIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE QUANTITIES The biological and health effects are related to several parameters of exposure that include the intensity of the fields, but are not limited to it. Therefore, external fields are not the most appropriate quantities to be related to the effects. Biologically effective quantities, also called dosimetric quantities, are used instead. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

INTERACTION MECHANISMS AND BIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE QUANTITIES ELF Interaction mechanism: Stimulation of tissues Biological effective quantity: Induced current density Unit: mA/m2 RF Interaction mechanism: Energy absorption Biological effective quantity: SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) Unit: W/kg THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

BASIC RESTRICTIONS AND REFERENCE LEVELS Basic restrictions (limits of exposure) are set in terms of the biologically effective quantity, below the threshold for effects Reference levels in terms of measurable quantities are derived by the basic restrictions assuming conditions of maximum coupling THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

BASIC RESTRICTIONS FOR RADIOFREQUENCY FIELDS Maximum temperature increase: 1 °C Corresponding SAR threshold (worst case): 4 W/kg Basic restriction for workers: 0.4 W/kg Basic restrictions for the public: 0.08 W/kg THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

CONSERVATIVE APPROACH Compliance with basic restrictions ensures prevention of established, acute effects Compliance with reference levels assures compliance with basic restrictions On the contrary, exceeding reference levels does not necessarily imply that basic restrictions are exceeded THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE OF SAR THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

Power density required to produce a whole-body SAR equal to the ICNIRP basic restriction (NRPB 2004) THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

NON-THRESHOLD EFFECTS If available data permit the identification of an adverse effect but not of a threshold, other risk reducing strategies may be employed. The role of ICNIRP is to analyse the risk in terms of levels of consequences that could be quantified. The acceptability of such risks would, however, be based also on social and economic considerations, and as such, fall outside the remit of ICNIRP. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

CAUTIONARY APPROACHES The ICNIRP approach necessarily requires well-based scientific data related to established health effects. When, in face of a suspected adverse health effect, there are calls for protective measures, other approaches to risk management may be applied. ICNIRP emphasises the need to ensure that the practical manner in which such approaches are applied should not undermine or be to the detriment of science-based exposure guidelines. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

ICNIRP AND THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE The use of the Precautionary Principle is a risk management activity, whereas the development of exposure guidelines based on established health risks is a risk analysis activity. Depending on how the Precautionary Principle is applied, it may therefore complement, rather than conflict with, ICNIRP exposure guidelines. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

CAUTIONARY EVALUATION OF DATA AND CAUTIONARY MEASURES The Precautionary Principle should not be confused with the need to make a cautious interpretation of scientific data on established effects. The latter leads to the use of reduction factors when deriving guidelines for limiting exposure. THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

CONCLUSIONS ICNIRP has developed guidelines that are scientific, logical, and flexible The same basic approach is common to other international guidelines ICNIRP continuosly revises – and updates when needed - its guidelines in the light of: New scientific data Introduction of new sources and related exposure conditions Experience gained with practical implementation THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION The ICNIRP Guidelines are available in English, French, German, Italian, and Japanese at www.icnirp.org THE ROLE OF ICT IN PROTECTING MAN AND ENVIRONMENT Cairo (Egypt), 4-6 October 2004