Homepage MNP Homepage CBS Homepage WUR

Electromagnetic fields (discussion)

Exposure to electromagnetic (EM) fields can increase as a result of the use of equipment such as mobile telephones, radio and TV. This has led to concern about the possible health risks of EM fields.

Concern about health


The explosive growth of applications that may cause more exposure to electromagnetic (EM) fields (such as mobile telephony, radio and TV) has led to concerns about possible health risks arising from their use. Various factors reinforce these concerns:
  • conflicting results of scientific research;
  • the lack of information about, and monitoring of, the introduction of applications such as the mobile telephone;
  • the association with ionising radiation and radioactivity and
  • the fact that EM fields can cause malfunctions in some equipment.

What fields are we talking about?


A distinction can be made in between extreme-low-frequency and radio-frequent electromagnetic fields.

Extreme-low-frequency EM fields


  • Sources
    Extreme-low-frequency EM fields (ELF) of 50 Hz are generated in the transport and distribution of electricity and the use of electrical equipment. These ELF fields are found around everyday things such as overhead power lines, shavers, vacuum cleaners and drilling machinery.
  • Effects
    The immediate effect of exposure to these fields is the generation of electrical charges in the body. The exposure limits are based exclusively on short-term effects and are concerned with preventing, for example, arrythmia (Health Council, 2000).
  • Research
    Foreign surveys have shown a weak but reasonably consistent association between exposure to these fields and the incidence of leukaemia in children. However, no causal link can be established. If this association were also to be present in the Netherlands, RIVM estimates that this would explain 1 of the 110 new cases annually of childhood leukaemia (Van der Plas et al., 2001).
  • Policy
    The various reports about the possible health effects of overhead power lines are the reason why the Dutch government, working on the basis of the precautionary principle, is conducting a review of the options for reducing exposure to magnetic fields around overhead power lines (VROM, 2001).

Radio-frequent EM fields


  • Sources
    Radio-frequent EM fields (RF, 300 Hz to 300 GHz) or radio waves are found around mobile telephones and their associated base stations, TV and radio masts, radar installations and microwave ovens.
  • Effects
    Increases in body temperature of a few degrees centigrade occur only when there is long-term exposure, close to the source and with sufficiently strong fields. Non-specific effects such as sleeplessness, headache, memory loss and behavioural problems which are associated with exposure to RF fields have not yet been demonstrated unequivocally.
  • Research
    The studies of the long-term effects (such as the incidence of brain tumours following mobile telephone use) are still too limited to allow any definitive conclusions to be drawn. Given the limited knowledge available, the English Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones has recommended adopting the precautionary principle until such time as firmer knowledge is available about the potential health effects. It has therefore recommended that unnecessary use of telephones by children should be discouraged (IEGMP, 2000).
  • Policy
    In the Netherlands, the policy for positioning masts has been laid down in the National Mast Policy (NAB, 2000). Under the terms of this policy, building permission is no longer necessary for the siting of masts no higher than five metres. A covenant between central government, municipal authorities and the suppliers of mobile telephone services sets out agreements relating to collaboration between the suppliers, the drafting of a siting plan and the discussion of that plan with municipal authorities, the visual appropriateness, the agreement of inhabitants and the maximum permitted exposure of the population to radio-frequent electromagnetic fields. It is based on the exposure limits in the EU recommendation on the limitation of exposure of the general public to EM fields (EU, 1999). The exposure limits, that are expressed as reference levels for electric and magnetic fields, must not be exceeded. The aim for the future is to include the agreements in the covenant in legislation.

References


  • Health Council of the Netherlands (2000). Commissie ELF elektromagnetische velden. Blootstelling aan elektromagnetische velden (0 Hz - 10 MHz). Health Council 2000/6, The Hague.
  • Plas, M. van der, D.J.M. Houthuijs, A. Dusseldorp, R.M.J. Pennders and M.J.M. Pruppers (2001). Magnetische velden van hoogspanningslijnen en leukemie bij kinderen. RIVM (report no. 610 050 007), Bilthoven.
  • VROM (2001). National Environmental Policy Plan 4. Working on sustainability: Where there's a will there's a world. Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague.
  • IEGMP (2000). Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones. Mobility Phones and Health. NRPB, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon.
  • NAB (2000). Nota Nationaal Antennebeleid, Dutch Lower House, 2000-2001, 27 561, no. 2, Sdu Uitgevers, The Hague.
  • EU (1999). Council of the European Communities Council Recommendation of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz). Official Journal of the European Communities 1999/519/EC.

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium
This page was last changed on November 25, 2005  (version 01).