Dutch National Platform on Radiation Risks (NPS) raises urgent issue

“Research

on electromagnetic fields should find a newdirection

”

June 23, 2009

Long-term exposure, but ... ... no knowledge, no safety standards

Citizens and ecosystems are nowadays increasingly exposed to long-term growth in low- andhigh-frequency electromagnetic fields from an ever wider range of electrical equipment, powerlines and wireless applications. The knowledge about possible health consequences of long-term effects of such fields is not available, or available only in a very limited way. This alsoapplies to the cumulative effect of these influences. In line with this, the current standardsprimarily focus on the prevention of acute health effects occurring on exposure to individualfields. As a consequence, in the current situation, human beings and the natural world are notprotected against possible long term health effects from a cocktail of different electromagneticfields.

Insufficient knowledge infrastructure relating to health & the environment

The above situation seems related to numerous inadequacies in the available knowledgeinfrastructure, frames of reference and research methodology in terms of uncovering linksbetween environment and health

. Traditional medical frameworks and industry - linked opinionsappear to be less and less appropriate for modern environmental health problems. Indicationsfor this are the continuing controversies and discrepancies in both the social and academicsphere, the use of default explanations

for both unexplained diseases, and unexplained

symptoms of electromagnetic fields („psychosomatic‟, 'symptom attribution' et cetera) and non

-recognition of disorders that do not fit traditional medical frameworks. Against this background,a growing awareness is developing that a different approach is needed for the detection of possible long-term effects of electromagnetic fields and associated mechanisms. This is in theform of an integrated biological research orientation, with a corresponding frame of reference,problem definition and instrumentation.

Social detecting of EMF-effects requires completion from science

Citizens and non-governmental organizations can only identify a few particularly striking linksbetween electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health, for example electro-hypersensitivity or cancer. The domain 'electromagnetic fields, bioelectricity and health' is a blind spot for manypeople. Compared to other, more easily observable environmental factors such as soot, noiseor particulate matter, citizens rarely attribute today's health problems to the presence of electromagnetic fields. At present, a large proportion of the potential health effects of electromagnetic fields cannot be observed directly in daily life, but the few links identified bynon-governmental organizations

could form indirect references to the importance of

1. Contribution to a 2009 information-gathering exercise on important environmental health issues by non-governmental organizations2. Bottlenecks in the current system of scientific research in the field of health & environment: (1) Medical - technological knowledge infrastructure; (2)Predominantly medical - epidemiological - physical makeup of committees; (3) Medical-oriented frameworks and definitions; (4). Biochemical -mechanistic worldview instead of system-biological - electrochemical; (5) Medically oriented research domain; (6) Medically-oriented research andmethodology; (7) Under-representation of biological perspective; (8) Predominantly descriptive rather than explanatory methodology; (9) High valuationof epidemiological studies compared to animal and cellular research; (10) Certainty of research is highest scientific value; (11) Falsifying instead of verifying view of science; (12) Slow growth of integrating science; (13) Sifting of already peer-reviewed researches; (14) Predominantly reductionisticresearch; (15) Scarcity of secondary meta-analysis of data; (16) Reductionistic method for evaluating state of science (17) Building on existing analysisrather than original meta-analysis; (18) Multiple fragmentation of available knowledge; (19) Limited link between internal functioning and externalfactors; (20) Reductionistic validation requirements prevent abstracting knowledge process; (21) Limited ability of current research types to detecthealth effects and mechanisms; (22) Limited statistical detection by epidemiological research of effects at low levels of agents; (23) Insufficientscientific validation of meta-communication regarding health & environment; (24) Creation of incorrect social and scientific frames of reference; (25)Medical - reductionistic - falsifying flows of research budgets3. Assumed explanations, since no other explanation can yet be found4. As contributed to the Dutch 209 information-gathering exercise by non-governmental organizations of important environmental health issues in 2009

electromagnetic fields for health. This may be done by comparing the contemporary diseasesthat non-governmental organizations give priority to - for example stress, non-specific healthproblems, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular diseases, hormonal disturbances or hypersensitivity to chemical substances - to the extent in which these conditions are associatedwith electromagnetic fields by science. Linking scientific knowledge to social signaling thusprovides another way for the area of electromagnetic fields to identify environmental healthproblems.

Increase of chronic diseases

of prosperity

A large number of diseases of prosperity have shown an increase in recent decades. Examplesare chronic stress, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, learning and behavioral problems inchildren, neuro-hormonal disorders, sleep disorders, obesity, allergies, rheumatic disorders,fertility problems, forms of cancer, and a group of related syndromes involving disruption of regulatory systems and changes to the central nervous system related to chronic stress, suchas CFS/ME, multiple chemical sensitivity, burnout, depression, anxiety disorders andAlzheimer's disease.

Large increase in numbers of biological disruptions by EM fields

In recent decades, scientists have reported an ever-increasing number of heterogeneousbiological disruptions and other changes due to exposure to electromagnetic fields, althoughthese are not fully understood. This reinforces the understanding that all these biologicaldisruptions together can accumulate into different health effects over the longer term. Itindicates a growing awareness that a long term degradation of public health is a realisticpossibility. Combined with the fact that protection against possible long-term health effects of electromagnetic fields is lacking, given current standards, it is likely that such effects on healthare already developing within the community and that some elements will already be revealed Ina proportion of the above chronic conditions.

Growing cooperation between scientists: BioInitiative Report 2007

The many thousands of heterogeneous biological disruptions caused by electromagnetic fieldswere hitherto only integrated for some smaller areas of biology. The growing realization that thetotality of these effects might have consequences for public health, brought parties together. In2007 leading scientists, researchers, public health and government professionals in the area of electromagnetic fields and health united across the globe. They composed a BioInitiativeReport

to feed into the global debate. The report outlines the state of science on possiblehealth effects of low and high frequency fields. To this end, specialists in relevant sub-domainsbrought together the growing number of reported disruptions in a dozen important biologicalareas where experts think there now exists sufficient consistent evidence for substantialbiological disruptions by electromagnetic fields

. They cover a wide field from gene-functioningand protein expression, genotoxic effects and DNA damage, general stress response of cells,effects on the immune function, a range of effects on neurology and behaviour, brain andauditory nerve tumours, leukaemia in children, to effects on melatonin, Alzheimer

‟s

and breastcancer. By using a multidisciplinary approach on a biological basis, and bringing all the materialtogether into larger groupings, a science based picture of a whole emerges. It suggests that inthese areas substantial long-term effects on human health may occur. The BioInitiative Groupemphasizes that many of the observed biological disruptions can also develop at exposures athousand times below the current exposure standards.

Comparison of above disorders with findings of BioInitiative Report

Using the BioInitiative Report, it becomes possible to supplement the identification of environmental health problems related to electromagnetic fields. For this, the diseases that areprioritized in the Dutch signaling report

, and the increasing unexplained diseases of prosperity

5 BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for a Biologically-based Public Exposure Standard for Electromagnetic Fields (ELF and RF), 2007

6. Due to the main research methodology and related characteristics of the existing knowledge infrastructure, scientific knowledge production up tillnow mainly had to take place in a highly fragmented way. In the BioInitiative Report, leading experts aggregated the growing amount of individualknowledge fragments in the larger biological sub-domain their expertise belongs to. For now, this sectored aggregation of scientific knowledge intwelve sub-domains appears to be a closest approach to assess the probability of resulting health effects of the growing set of observed biologicaldisruptions in these domains.7. Result of a 2009 information-gathering exercise by non-governmental organizations of important environmental health issues

in society, have to be compared with the potential health effects that the BioInitiative Reportpoints to. It shows that for some of the above chronic disorders in society nowadays, acombination of different disruptions in biological areas could occur, which are presented in theBioInitiative Report as demonstrated biological effects of electromagnetic fields. The range of effects that electromagnetic fields have on neurology and behavior for instance, could well berelated to the current increase in sleep disorders, depression, anxiety disorders and learningdisabilities among the population. In combination with the broad stress response thatelectromagnetic fields generate in the body, these neurological effects of electromagnetic fieldsmight also form a basis for the unexplained group of related syndromes which involve disturbed

communication between the body‟s regulatory sy

stems, changes in the central nervous systemand chronic stress. Furthermore, the major changes that electromagnetic fields generate in theimmune system according to the BioInitiative Report, in the form of stimulation of allergicresponses and inflammation, might be an important factor in the current increase in allergiesand inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Ongoing action at European level

The steady progress of scientific knowledge on the relationship between electromagnetic fieldsand health, and the growing consensus among scientists about possible far-reaching long-termeffects on public health has not gone unnoticed within the EU. For example, on April 2nd 2009,the European Parliament adopted by an overwhelming majority a resolution that calls on theEuropean Council and Commission to exercise caution in the use and expansion of electromagnetic fields and to take action in this area.

Economy should no longer take precedence over public health

Nowadays electrical equipment and wireless applications offer society an almost unprecedentednumber of options. But the balance between benefits and costs should always be kept in view.At present, there are strong and growing scientific indications that the societal costs of thesetechniques have for years been underestimated and insufficiently recognized. It no longer seems justified that the economy is given priority over public health and that costs from onesector are shifted elsewhere. Public health is an important engine of economic growth andforms the basis for the welfare of many. Serious signals that public health is becoming affectedmust therefore be answered with appropriate actions. This might avoid the high social costsresulting from unhealthy people.

It is now half past eleven - developing long-term effects

Given the above situation the National Platform on Radiation Risks considers it likely that long-term effects of electromagnetic fields are already developing among the population andecosystems. A proportion of so-called diseases of prosperity will be the long-term effects of frequent exposure to a mix of electromagnetic fields. The ever expanding number of observedbiological disruptions at low exposure levels, combined with the absence of a protectivestandard for long-term and cumulative effects of electromagnetic fields, makes long-termdegradation of public health likely. Moreover, the range of increasing diseases of prosperitydisplays broad similarities with the range of disruptions by electromagnetic fields that theBioInitiative Report warns of.

Turning point in knowledge, thinking and action needed

The National Platform on Radiation Risks believes that a turning point is now approaching, interms of available knowledge and insights. The increasing amount of information is so extensiveand points to such significant health effects that the burden of proof should be reversed. It is nolonger ethically justifiable to maintain the view that there is insufficient scientific basis for athreat to public health and to delay policy actions any longer

”

. Instead, advocates of this viewmust be required to unequivocally demonstrate that existing evidence for health effects fromelectromagnetic field exposure are false. It also seems essential to generate a shift inknowledge, scientific frameworks and related research methodologies. The whole system of scientific research would have to change from a traditional medical, fragmented, falsifyingapproach, to a more integrating biological, verifying direction. More of the same type of researchin this field does not make sense, as the tools and frameworks used for making observationswill remain unchanged.