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PURPOSE This review aims to estimate the threshold of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF EMF) effects on human brain based on analyses of published research results. To clarify the threshold of the RF EMF effects, two approaches have been applied: (1) the analyses of restrictions in sensitivity for different steps of the physical model of low-level RF EMF mechanism and (2) the analyses of experimental data to clarify the dependence of the RF EMF effect on exposure level based on the results of published original neurophysiological and behavioral human studies for 15 years 2007-2021. CONCLUSIONS The analyses of the physical model of nonthermal mechanisms of RF EMF effect leads to conclusion that no principal threshold of the effect can be determined. According to the review of experimental data, the rate of detected RF EMF effects is 76.7% in resting EEG studies, 41.7% in sleep EEG and 38.5% in behavioral studies. The changes in EEG probably appear earlier than alterations in behavior become evident. The lowest level of RF EMF at which the effect in EEG was detected is 2.45 V/m (SAR = 0.003 W/kg). There is a preliminary indication that the dependence of the effect on the level of exposure follows rather field strength than SAR alterations. However, no sufficient data are available for clarifying linearity-nonlinearity of the dependence of effect on the level of RF EMF. The finding that only part of people are sensitive to RF EMF exposure can be related to immunity to radiation or hypersensitivity. The changes in EEG caused by RF EMF appeared similar in the majority of analyzed studies and similar to these in depression. The possible causal relationship between RF EMF effect and depression among young people is highly important problem.

Ambient levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) have risen sharply in the last 80 years, creating a novel energetic exposure that previously did not exist. Most recent decades have seen exponential increases in nearly all environments, including rural/remote areas and lower atmospheric regions. Because of unique physiologies, some species of flora and fauna are sensitive to exogenous EMF in ways that may surpass human reactivity. There is limited, but comprehensive, baseline data in the U.S. from the 1980s against which to compare significant new surveys from different countries. This now provides broader and more precise data on potential transient and chronic exposures to wildlife and habitats. Biological effects have been seen broadly across all taxa and frequencies at vanishingly low intensities comparable to today’s ambient exposures. Broad wildlife effects have been seen on orientation and migration, food finding, reproduction, mating, nest and den building, territorial maintenance and defense, and longevity and survivorship. Cyto- and geno-toxic effects have been observed. The above issues are explored in three consecutive parts: Part 1 questions today’s ambient EMF capabilities to adversely affect wildlife, with more urgency regarding 5G technologies. Part 2 explores natural and man-made fields, animal magnetoreception mechanisms, and pertinent studies to all wildlife kingdoms. Part 3 examines current exposure standards, applicable laws, and future directions. It is time to recognize ambient EMF as a novel form of pollution and develop rules at regulatory agencies that designate air as ‘habitat’ so EMF can be regulated like other pollutants. Wildlife loss is often unseen and undocumented until tipping points are reached. Long-term chronic low-level EMF exposure standards, which do not now exist, should be set accordingly for wildlife, and environmental laws should be strictly enforced.

Many aspects of chemistry and biology are mediated by electromagnetic field (EMF) interactions. The central nervous system (CNS) is particularly sensitive to EMF stimuli. Studies have explored the direct effect of different EMFs on the electrical properties of neurons in the last two decades, particularly focusing on the role of voltage-gated ion channels (VGCs). This work aims to systematically review published evidence in the last two decades detailing the effects of EMFs on neuronal ion channels as per the PRISM guidelines. Following a predetermined exclusion and inclusion criteria, 22 papers were included after searches on three online databases. Changes in calcium homeostasis, attributable to the voltage-gated calcium channels, were found to be the most commonly reported result of EMF exposure. EMF effects on the neuronal landscape appear to be diverse and greatly dependent on parameters, such as the field's frequency, exposure time, and intrinsic properties of the irradiated tissue, such as the expression of VGCs. Here, we systematically clarify how neuronal ion channels are particularly affected and differentially modulated by EMFs at multiple levels, such as gating dynamics, ion conductance, concentration in the membrane, and gene and protein expression. Ion channels represent a major transducer for EMF-related effects on the CNS.

The hypothesis being tested was that the exposure of female workers to the electromagnetic field (EMF) emitted by an induction hob (IHb) meeting public exposure limitations (evaluated according to EN/IEC 62233) is also compliant with European Directive 2013/35/EU on workers' protection. The electric field induced in three female models in a realistic ergonomically comfortable posture near IHb was evaluated using numerical models of 25 kHz EMF sources (IHb covered by cooking vessels). It was found that, in analyzed ergonomically comfortable exposure situations, the electric field induced in the user's body may exceed public and workers' limits when the vessels do not match the dimensions of IHb's heating zone. This can even be the case when IHb complies with Conformité Européenne labeling requirements (i.e. EMF exposure falls below public limits 30 cm away from IHb edge). In the 36 exposure scenarios analyzed, statistically significant differences were found when the distances from IHb and vessel dimension, and the height and body mass index of models in exposure scenarios varied, but not between the use of models of pregnant and nonpregnant women. The use of IHb complying with European requirements on general public protection does not ensure that EMF exposure to workers complies with the relevant limits. Adequate protection measures need to address these occupational environmental hazards. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Background The growing popularity of mobile phones and the expansion of network infrastructure in Greece have raised concerns about the possible negative health effects on sensitive groups, such as children, from exposure to long-term radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). Aims The objective of this study is to estimate mean RF-EMF exposure levels of primary and secondary education schools located in the municipality of Korydallos, Athens, Greece. Methods We performed measurements to all the schools units ($n=62$) in the region in order to calculate the mean value for RF-EMF exposure in the range of 27 MHz–3 GHz, which covers the whole spectrum of RF-EMF sources. Results At the $97.5\%$ of schools found in Korydallos region, the exposure level is at least 2200 times below the Greek exposure limits. Conclusion The exposure levels in the locations tested are both below $60\%$ of the highest limit set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection regarding school exposures.

International radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure assessment standards and regulatory bodies have developed methods and specified requirements to assess the actual maximum RF EMF exposure from radio base stations enabling massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) and beamforming. Such techniques are based on the applications of power reduction factors (PRFs), which lead to more realistic, albeit conservative, exposure assessments. In this study, the actual maximum EMF exposure and the corresponding PRFs are computed for a millimeter-wave radio base station array antenna. The computed incident power densities based on near-field and far-field approaches are derived using a Monte Carlo analysis. The results show that the actual maximum exposure is well below the theoretical maximum, and the PRFs similar to those applicable for massive MIMO radio base stations operating below 6 GHz are also applicable for millimeter-wave frequencies. Despite the very low power levels that currently characterize millimeter-wave radio base stations, using the far-field approach can also guarantee the conservativeness of the PRFs used to assess the actual maximum exposure close to the antenna.

High exposures to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) are possible in workplaces involving sources used for broadcasting, telecommunication, security and identification, remote sensing and the heating and drying of goods. A systematic literature review of occupational RF EMF exposure measurements could help to clarify where more attention to occupational safety may be needed. This review identifies specific sources of occupational RF EMF exposure and compares the published maximum exposures to occupational exposure limits. A systematic search for peer-reviewed publications was conducted via PubMed and Scopus. Relevant grey literature was collected via web searches. For each publication, the highest measured electric field strength, magnetic flux density or power density was extracted. Maximum exposures exceeding the limits were reported for dielectric heating, scanners for security and radiofrequency identification, plasma devices and broadcasting and telecommunication transmitters. Occupational exposure exceeding the limits was rare for microwave heating and radar applications. Some publications concerned cases studies of occupational accidents followed by a medical investigation of thermal health effects. These were found for broadcasting antennas, radar installations and a microwave oven and often involved maintenance personnel. New sources of occupational exposure such as those in fifth generation telecommunication systems or energy transition will require further assessment.

Paving the path toward the fifth generation (5G) of wireless networks with a huge increase in the number of user equipment has strengthened public concerns on human exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMFs). This requires an assessment and monitoring of RF EMF exposure, in an almost continuous way. Particular interest goes to the uplink (UL) exposure, assessed through the transmission power of the mobile phone, due to its close proximity to the human body. However, the UL transmit (TX) power is not provided by the off-the-shelf modem and RF devices. In this context, we first conduct measurement campaigns in a multi-floor indoor environment using a drive test solution to record both downlink (DL) and UL connection parameters for Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. Several usage services (including WhatsApp voice calls, WhatsApp video calls, and file uploading) are investigated in the measurement campaigns. Then, we propose an artificial neural network (ANN) model to estimate the UL TX power, by exploiting easily available parameters such as the DL connection indicators and the information related to an indoor environment. With those easy-accessed input features, the proposed ANN model is able to obtain an accurate estimation of UL TX power with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.487 dB.

I recently reported induction of chromatid-type aberrations in human peripheral blood lymphocytes after a single 15 min exposure to universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) mobile telephony (MT) electromagnetic field (EMF) from a mobile phone. Lymphocytes from six healthy subjects were stimulated for mitosis, and exposed during the G2/M phase at 1 cm distance from the handset during an active phone call in "talk" mode. The same type of cells from the same subjects treated with a high caffeine dose (~ 290 times above the permissible single dose for an adult human) exhibited the same type of aberrations in a little smaller but comparable degree. The combination of this caffeine dose and the 15 min MT EMF exposure increased dramatically the number of aberrations in all subjects. The combined effect increased almost linearly with increasing duration of exposure to the MT EMF. Thus, MT EMF exposure ~ 136 times below the official limit (ICNIRP 2020) exerts a genotoxic action even greater than that of a caffeine dose ~ 290 times above the corresponding limit. Therefore, with a reasonable approximation, the limit for MT EMFs should be lowered by at least ~ 4 × 104 times (136 × 290) for short-term exposures, and ~ 4 × 106 times for long-term exposures.

Background In recent years, radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) exposure has increased owing to new communication technologies. Simultaneously, increased exposure to RF-EMF has led to society's growing concern about the possible effects they may have on human health. Many studies have described personal RF-EMF exposure by using personal exposimeters to know a population's daily exposure to mobile phone base stations and to other sources whose installations tend to be permanent. Nonetheless during special events like concerts or fairs, where many people gather, permanent installations might not suffice to cover demand. So telephone companies install temporary stations for these events, and modify the exposure pattern of these areas or populations. Objective To study if installing temporary antennae for large events, and high concentrations of mobile phones, modify the exposure pattern compared to usual situations. Methods Personal RF-EMF exposure from mobile phones (uplink) and mobile phone base stations (downlink) installed at the 2017 Albacete Fair (Spain) was recorded. Between 7 and 17 September, more than 2,500,000 people visited this Fair. Measurements were taken by two Satimo EME SPY 140 personal exposimeters, placed one each side of a research team member's waist. These exposimeters were programmed to take measurements every 4 s at different time of day; morning, afternoon and night; and in several places, around the Fair Enclosure (zones Ejidos and Paseo) and inside the enclosure (Interior). These measurements were repeated on a weekday, at the weekend and the day after the Fair ended after temporary base stations had been removed. They were also taken for 1 h in all three zones, for each time of day; that is, 9 h were recorded for each study day. Results The mean RF-EMF recorded exposure from base stations (downlink-DL) on the days the Fair opened (morning, afternoon and night) for the three studied zones was 791.8 μW/m2, while the exposure produced by mobile phones (uplink-UL) was 59.0 μW/m2. These values were 391.2 μW/m2 (DL) and 10.3 μW/m2 (UL) a few days after the event ended. In study zones Ejidos and Paseo, both outside, the highest mean exposure was recorded at the weekend as 1494.1 and 848.1 μW/m2 respectively. For the Interior zone, the mean value recorded during the Fair was 354.8 μW/m2. These values contrast with those recorded in the three zones after the event ended: 556.37 (Ejidos), 144.1 (Paseo); 473.21 μW/m2 (Interior). The fact that the mean exposure recorded at Interior was slightly higher after the Fair could be due to signal shielding by so many people. The reduction in exposure in Paseo after the Fair was outstanding, probably due to the antennae being placed on low towers. Major differences were also found in the RF-EMF exposure from UL. In this case, the weekend values taken during the Fair were between 28.2 μW/m2 at Interior (weekday) and 98.1 μW/m2 at Ejidos (weekend), which dropped to 5.5 at Paseo after the Fair, to 11.7 μW/m2 at Interior and to 13.6 μW/m2 at Ejidos. Conclusions Installing mobile phone base stations, and a dense public using mobile phones, imply a significant increase in personal RF-EMF exposure compared to that recorded during normal periods in the same area. However, the recorded measurements were below legally established limits.

Personal exposure to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMFs) was studied using personal measurements in five different microenvironments in each of five cities (Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges and Hasselt) in Flanders, Belgium. These measurements were carried out by two researchers using on-body calibrated personal exposimeters. In three out of the five studied cities (Brussels, Ghent and Bruges), temporal aspects of personal exposure to RF-EMFs were studied as well. Measurements during and outside of rush hours (7:00–9:15 and 16:30–19:00) were compared. Likewise, measurements were executed during night time and compared to the ones measured during working hours. Representativeness and repeatability of the measurement method was studied as well. The highest mean total exposure was found in Brussels (2.63 mW/m2), the most densely populated city in this study. However, we measured higher downlink exposure in Antwerp than in Brussels, which might be an effect of the stronger legislation on base stations in Brussels. The measurements and used protocol were found to be both repeatable over time (r = 0.95 for median total exposure) and representative for the studied microenvironments in terms of path selection (r = 0.88 for median total exposure). Finally, in 10 out of the 13 on-body calibrated frequency bands we found that the measurement devices underestimate the intensity of the incident RF-EMFs with median underestimations up to 68%.

Personal measurements of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have been used in several studies to characterise personal exposure in daily life, but such data are limitedly available for adolescents, and not yet for the United Kingdom (UK). In this study, we aimed to characterise personal exposure to RF-EMF in adolescents and to study the association between exposure and rules applied at school and at home to restrict wireless communication use, likely implemented to reduce other effects of mobile technology (e.g. distraction). We measured exposure to RF-EMF for 16 common frequency bands (87.5 MHz–3.5 GHz), using portable measurement devices (ExpoM-RF), in a subsample of adolescents participating in the cohort Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP) from Greater London (UK) (n = 188). School and home rules were assessed by questionnaire and concerned the school's availability of WiFi and mobile phone policy, and parental restrictions on permitted mobile phone use. Adolescents recorded their activities in real time using a diary app on a study smartphone, while characterizing their personal RF-EMF exposure in daily life, during different activities and times of the day. Data analysis was done for 148 adolescents from 29 schools who recorded RF-EMF data for a median duration of 47 h. The majority (74%) of adolescents spent part of their time at school during the measurement period. Median total RF-EMF exposure was 40 μW/m2 at home, 94 μW/m2 at school, and 100 μW/m2 overall. In general, restrictions at school or at home made little difference for adolescents’ measured exposure to RF-EMF, except for uplink exposure from mobile phones while at school, which was found to be significantly lower for adolescents attending schools not permitting phone use at all, compared to adolescents attending schools allowing mobile phone use during breaks. This difference was not statistically significant for total personal exposure. Total exposure to RF-EMF in adolescents living in Greater London tended to be higher compared to exposure levels reported in other European countries. This study suggests that school policies and parental restrictions are not associated with a lower RF-EMF exposure in adolescents.

Recent progress in wireless technologies has made human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) increasingly complex. The situation can increase public concerns related to possible health effects due to EMF exposure. Monitoring EMF exposure levels and characterizing them are indispensable for risk communications of human exposure to EMFs. From this background, a project on the acquisition, accumulation, and applications of EMF exposure monitoring data in Japan was started in 2019. One of the objectives of this project is to obtain a comprehensive picture of EMF exposure in actual daily lives. In 2019 and 2020, we measured the electric field (E-field) strength from mainly mobile phone base stations in the same areas as those in measurements conducted in 2006 and 2007 by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan, and compared the data to investigate the time-course of the EMF environment. The number of measured points was 100 (10 × 10 grids) in an area of 1 km × 1 km in two urban and two suburban areas, and that in an underground shopping mall was 158. This large-scale study is the first in Japan. As a result, we found that the measured E-field strengths tended to be higher in 2019 and 2020 than those in 2006 and 2007, especially in the mall. However, the median ratios to the Japanese radio wave protection guideline values for urban areas and malls are lower than −40 dB.

Highlights • Male infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes are relevant human health problems. • Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields are widespread in the human environment. • A link between radiofrequency and adverse reproductive outcomes is controversial. • This is the protocol of WHO-funded systematic review and meta-analysis on this issue., Background Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields (RF-EMF) at environmental level have been reported to induce adverse effects on the male reproductive system and developing embryos. However, despite the number of experiments conducted since the 1970s, the diversity of testing approaches and exposure conditions, inconsistencies among results, and dosimetric flaws have not yet permitted a solid assessment of the relationship between RF-EMF exposure and such effects, warranting a more systematic and methodologically rigorous approach to the evaluation of available data. Objectives This study aims at evaluating the effects of RF-EMF exposure on male fertility and pregnancy outcomes by a systematic review (SR) of experimental studies, conducted in compliance with international guidelines. The evidence will be organized into three streams: 1) Studies evaluating the impact of RF-EMF on the male reproductive system of experimental mammals; 2) studies evaluating the impact of RF-EMF on human sperm exposed in vitro; 3) studies evaluating the impact of RF-EMF on adverse pregnancy, birth outcomes and delayed effects in experimental mammals exposed in utero. Study eligibility and criteria Eligible studies will include peer-reviewed articles reporting of original results about effects of controlled exposures to RF-EMF in the frequency range 100 kHz–300 GHz on the selected outcomes without any language or year-of-publication restrictions. Eligible studies will be retrieved by calibrated search strings applied to three electronic databases, PubMed, Scopus and EMF Portal and by manual search of the list of references of included papers and published reviews. Study appraisal and synthesis method The internal validity of the studies will be evaluated using the Risk of Bias (RoB) Rating Tool developed by National Toxicology Program/Office of Health Assessment and Translation (NTP/OHAT) integrated with input from the SYRCLE RoB tool. Given sufficient commensurate data, meta-analyses will be performed, otherwise narrative syntheses will be produced. Finally, the certainty of the effects of RF-EMF exposure on male fertility and pregnancy and birth outcomes will be established following GRADE. Funding The study is financially supported by the World Health Organization. Registration OSF Registration DOI https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/7MUS3; PROSPERO CRD42021227729, CRD42021227746.

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) (frequencies of 100 kHz to 300 GHz) has been steadily increasing. In addition to heat-related effects of RF EMF, other yet-unspecified biological effects, might exist which could possibly lead to health effects. Given the large number of health endpoints that have been studied, we wanted to prioritize those that would merit systematic reviews. We developed a survey listing of all health endpoints reported in the literature and we asked 300 RF EMF experts and researchers to prioritize these health effects for systematic review as critical, important or unimportant. We also asked the experts to provide the rationale for their prioritization. Of the 300 RF EMF experts queried, 164 (54%) responded. They rated cancer, heat-related effects, adverse birth outcomes, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, cognitive impairment, adverse pregnancy outcomes and oxidative stress as outcomes most critical regarding RF EMF exposure. For these outcomes, systematic reviews are needed. For heat-related outcomes, the experts based their ranking of the critical outcomes on what is known from human or animal studies, and for cancer and other outcomes, they based their rating also on public concern. To assess health risks of an exposure in a robust manner, it is important to prioritize the health outcomes that should be systematically reviewed. Here we have shown that it feasible to do so in an inclusive and transparent way.

Background Although there are several human experimental studies on short-term effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on sleep, the role of effect modification by sex or age in this context has not yet been considered. In an earlier study, we observed sex differences in RF-EMF effects in elderly subjects. The present study investigated possible RF-EMF effect modifications by age in men. Methods Data available for the present analysis come from three double-blind, randomized cross-over studies, in which effects of different RF-EMF exposure signals on sleep were investigated in young [sample 1: 25.3 (mean) ± 2.6 (SD) years; sample 2: 25.4 ± 2.6 years; n = 30, respectively] and older (69.1 ± 5.5 years; n = 30) healthy male volunteers. Studies comprised a screening/adaptation night followed by nine experimental nights at two-week intervals. RF-EMF exposure effect modifications by age were analysed for two different exposure signals (GSM900 at 2 W/kg, TETRA at 6 W/kg), each compared to a sham exposure. Polysomnography, during which the exposure signals were delivered by a head worn antenna, as well as sleep staging were performed according to the AASM standard. Four subjective and 30 objective sleep parameters were statistically analysed related to possible RF-EMF effects. Results Comparisons of sleep parameters observed under sham exposure revealed highly pronounced physiological differences between young and elderly men. A consistent exposure effect in both age groups was found for a shorter latency to persistent sleep under TETRA exposure reflecting a sleep-promoting effect. Exposure effect modifications by age were observed for two of the four self-reported sleep parameters following GSM900 exposure and for arousals during REM sleep under TETRA exposure. Conclusions As effects of a short-term all-night RF-EMF exposure on sleep occurred only sporadically in young and elderly men, it seems that age doesn't matter in this respect. However, as long as there are no corresponding data from young healthy women that would allow a comparison with the data from elderly women, this assumption cannot be conclusively verified. Nevertheless, the present results are not indicative of any adverse health effects.

Background: Everyday exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted from wireless devices such as mobile phones and base stations, radio and television transmitters is ubiquitous. Some people attribute non-specific physical symptoms (NSPS) such as headache and fatigue to exposure to RF-EMF. Most previous laboratory studies or studies that analyzed populations at a group level did not find evidence of an association between RF-EMF exposure and NSPS. Objectives: We explored the association between exposure to RF-EMF in daily life and the occurrence of NSPS in individual self-declared electrohypersensitive persons using body worn exposimeters and electronic diaries. Methods: We selected seven individuals who attributed their NSPS to RF-EMF exposure. The level of and variability in personal RF-EMF exposure and NSPS were determined during a three-week period. Data were analyzed using time series analysis in which exposure as measured and recorded in the diary was correlated with NSPS. Results: We found statistically significant correlations between perceived and actual exposure to wireless internet (WiFi - rate of change and number of peaks above threshold) and base stations for mobile telecommunications (GSM + UMTS downlink, rate of change) and NSPS scores in four of the seven participants. In two persons a higher EMF exposure was associated with higher symptom scores, and in two other persons it was associated with lower scores. Remarkably, we found no significant correlations between NSPS and time-weighted average power density, the most commonly used exposure metric. Conclusions: RF-EMF exposure was associated either positively or negatively with NSPS in some but not all of the selected self-declared electrohypersensitive persons. Keywords: Electromagnetic sensitivity, Idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI-EMF), Non-specific physical symptoms (NSPS), Electromagnetic fields, EMF, Personal exposure measurements

The effects of simulated electromagnetic fields (EMF), emitted from sub-sea power cables, on the commercially important decapod, edible crab (Cancer pagurus), were assessed. Stress related parameters were measured ( l -Lactate, d -Glucose, Haemocyanin and respiration rate) along with behavioural and response parameters (antennular flicking, activity level, attraction/avoidance, shelter preference and time spent resting/roaming) during 24-h periods. Exposure to EMF had no effect on Haemocyanin concentrations, respiration rate, activity level or antennular flicking rate. EMF exposure significantly disrupted haemolymph l -Lactate and d -Glucose natural circadian rhythms. Crabs showed a clear attraction to EMF exposed shelter (69%) compared to control shelter (9%) and significantly reduced their time spent roaming by 21%. Consequently, EMF emitted from Marine Renewable Energy Devices (MREDs) will likely affect edible crabs both behaviourally and physiologically, suggesting that the impact of EMF on crustaceans must be considered when planning MREDs.

The management of the occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issue of great scientific, social and economic significance, was under intense negotiations at European level over the last twenty years; the Directive 2013/35/EU is the new legislative tool. The presented study deals with the practical aspects of the Directive's implementation.The appropriate, extensive measurements and the overall EMF exposure assessments (i.e. exposure mapping, identification of hot spots, proposition of solutions) were conducted in specific workplaces, including power production, railway, broadcasting, clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems, industrial and research sites, as well as common office workplaces.The vast majority of the performed EMF assessments did not reveal occupational overexposures; moreover in most of the cases, even the general public exposure limits (in the above occupational areas) were not exceeded. The very few localized overexposures detected, were manageable on the basis of the technical and organizational OHS principles. On the contrary, the maintenance procedures of the EMF emitting equipment, as recorded in this survey, presented overexposures revealing a challenging field.This study lays a firm basis for the clarification of the occupational EMF environment, where potential exposures might be high. The proper risk assessment demands precise exposure identification and deep understanding of the EMF nature and hazards. Misconceptions range from the common exposure overestimation to the rarer case of the maintenance hazards underestimation, while attention is needed concerning the proper application of the complex limiting system of the Directive.

Exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) induces physiological changes in organism that are observed at different levels—from biochemical processes to behavior. In this study, we evaluated the effect of EMF exposure (50 Hz, 7 mT) on cockroach’s response to noxious heat, measured as the latency to escape from high ambient temperature. We also measured the levels of lipid peroxidation and glutathione content as markers of oxidative balance in cockroaches exposed to EMF. Our results showed that exposure to EMF for 24, 72 h and 7 days significantly increases the latency to escape from noxious heat. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased significantly after 24-h EMF exposure and remained elevated up to 7 days of exposure. Glutathione levels significantly declined in cockroaches exposed to EMF for 7 days. These results demonstrate that EMF exposure is a considerable stress factor that affects oxidative state and heat perception in American cockroach.

Presented information about the welding process and equipment, focusing on the emission of electromagnetic field (EMF) with levels significant in terms of the labor safety regulations in force in Poland - the ordinances of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy that came into force on June 27, 2016 and June 29, 2016 - emerged due to harmonization with European Union directive 2013/35/EU of 26 June 2013 of the European Parliament and the Council. They presented methods of determination of the EMF distribution in the welding machine surroundings and analyzed the background knowledge from the available literature.The subject of the analysis included popular high frequency welders widely used in the industry. Electromagnetic field measurements were performed in the welder operating place (in situ) during machine normal operations, using measurement methods accordant with labor safety regulations in force in Poland and according to the same guidelines, the EMF distributions and parameters having been described.They presented various scenarios of particular, real examples of excessive exposure to EMF in the dielectric welder surroundings and showed solutions, ranging from simple and costless and ending on dedicated electromagnetic shielding systems, which allowed to reduce EMF exposure in some cases of more than 80% (protection zone ranges) or eliminate dangerous zone presence.It has shown that in the dielectric welders surrounding, significant EMF strength levels may be the result of errors or omissions which often occur during development, installation, operation or modification of welding machines. It has allowed to present the measures that may significantly reduce the exposure to EMF of workers in the welder surroundings. The role of accredited laboratories in helping in such cases was underlined. Med Pr 2017;68(6):693-703.Presented information about the welding process and equipment, focusing on the emission of electromagnetic field (EMF) with levels significant in terms of the labor safety regulations in force in Poland – the ordinances of the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy that came into force on June 27, 2016 and June 29, 2016 – emerged due to harmonization with European Union directive 2013/35/EU of 26 June 2013 of the European Parliament and the Council. They presented methods of determination of the EMF distribution in the welding machine surroundings and analyzed the background knowledge from the available literature.The subject of the analysis included popular high frequency welders widely used in the industry. Electromagnetic field measurements were performed in the welder operating place (in situ) during machine normal operations, using measurement methods accordant with labor safety regulations in force in Poland and according to the same guidelines, the EMF distributions and parameters having been described.They presented various scenarios of particular, real examples of excessive exposure to EMF in the dielectric welder surroundings and showed solutions, ranging from simple and costless and ending on dedicated electromagnetic shielding systems, which allowed to reduce EMF exposure in some cases of more than 80% (protection zone ranges) or eliminate dangerous zone presence.It has shown that in the dielectric welders surrounding, significant EMF strength levels may be the result of errors or omissions which often occur during development, installation, operation or modification of welding machines. It has allowed to present the measures that may significantly reduce the exposure to EMF of workers in the welder surroundings. The role of accredited laboratories in helping in such cases was underlined. Med Pr 2017;68(6):693–703.

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are classified as "possibly carcinogenic" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Some publications have reported associations between EMF exposure and DNA damage, but many other studies contradict such findings. Cytomorphological changes, such as micronuclei (MN), indicative of genomic damage, are biomarkers of genotoxicity. To test whether mobile phone-associated EMF exposure affects the MN frequency in exfoliated buccal cells, we obtained cells smears from the left and right inner cheeks of healthy mobile phone users, aged 18-30 (n=86), who also completed a characterization survey. MN frequencies were tested for potential confounding factors and for duration of phone use and preferential side of mobile phone use. No relationship was observed between MN frequency and duration of mobile phone use in daily calls. Cells ipsilateral to mobile phone use did not present a statistically significantly higher MN frequency, compared to cells contralateral to exposure. A highly statistically significant (p

International audience; Worker exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) is a growing concern of international commissions. A European directive from 2013 (2013/35/EU) recommend to estimate or measure EMF exposure of all exposed workers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) workers are specially concerned by this point because they work all day long in the vicinity of a very strong magnet (generally 1.5 or 3 T), which cannot be turned off. Setting up a magnetic field monitoring device on these workers would therefore be a good way to ensure their security. European directive threshold adequacy could then be verified. But this verification does not ensure a complete analysis of the worker exposure. Such an analysis based on quality control charts and exposure time's metrics has been described in this paper. The proposed magnetic field exposure analysis has additionally been tested on a long-term exposure follow-up of 18 MRI workers during 2 months.

Maintaining the health of dermal fibroblast cells and controlling their growth and proliferation would directly affect the health of skin tissues. The present study encompassed three control and three experimental specimens, which were different in terms of the duration of exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) and intensity. With a decrease in intensity from 2 mT to 1 mT during 24, 48, and 72 hours after exposing the cells to EMF, the frequency of the sample fibroblast cells increased by 60.3%, 144.9%, and 90.1%, respectively. With an increase in intensity from 3 mT to 4 mT during 48 and 72 hours of exposure to EMF, the frequencies of the sample fibroblast cells decreased by 6.8% and 86.7%, respectively. It seems to be possible to achieve the most desirable condition to help the restoration of wounds and skin lesions through decreasing the exposure intensity from 2 mT to 0.5 mT and increasing EMF exposure time from 24 hours to 72 hours simultaneously and non-invasively. The most desirable approach to improve the treatment of skin cancers non-invasively is to increase the intensity from 3 mT to 5 mT and to enhance EMF exposure time from 48 to 72 hours. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of 50-Hz extremely low frequency pulsed (PEMF) and sinusoidal (SEMF) electromagnetic fields on the testis using a rat model. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty-seven male Wistar albino rats were used. The rats were divided into three groups (n=9 each): sham group, SEMF group, and PEMF group. The SEMF and PEMF groups (pulse time: 20 milliseconds, pulse frequence: 50 Hz) were subjected to 1.5 mT, 50 Hz exposure 6 hours a day, 5 days a week for 28 days in methacrylate boxes. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained with H-E and PAS. In addition, E-cadherin and type IV collagen expressions were examined immunohistochemically. RESULTS: Seminiferous tubule basement membranes decreased with EMFs, especially those treated with SEMF. In addition, expression levels of E-cadherin on seminiferous epithelium decreased in PEMF and SEMF groups. The expression level of type IV collagen was also decreased in perivascular and seminiferous tubule basement membrane as compared to that in the sham group. CONCLUSION: PEMF and SEMF have adverse effects on the testis at a histopathological level. EMF leads to a decrease in E-cadherin and type IV collagen expression levels. WOS:000563774200002 2-s2.0-85094820953

A measuring campaign for the assessment of electromagnetic exposure levels from mobile phones in the city center of Leuven, Belgium, has been carried out. The main objective of the assessment is to study the dependency of the exposure of the user by his own mobile phone in terms of location in the city (very close to base stations and at randomly selected locations). The measurements were performed in both public and private areas in 60 outdoor and 60 indoor locations in Leuven. The campaign was focused on GSM 900 mobile communications. The results show that the exposure is considerably higher for indoor environments compared to outdoor environments, and at the randomly chosen locations compared to locations very close to base stations. However, the most important observation is that the average outdoor exposure in Leuven of the user of a mobile phone is about 8 times higher than the average outdoor exposure by base stations. Indoors, this factor rises to about 30. ispartof: ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH vol:175 pages:402-413 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in indoor environments depends on both outdoor sources such as radio, television and mobile phone antennas and indoor sources, such as mobile phones and wireless communications applications. Establishing the levels of exposure could be challenging due to differences in the approaches used in different studies. The goal of this study is to present an overview of the last ten years research efforts about RF EMF exposure in indoor environments, considering different RF-EMF sources found to cause exposure in indoor environments, different indoor environments and different approaches used to assess the exposure. The highest maximum mean levels of the exposure considering the whole RF-EMF frequency band was found in offices (1.14 V/m) and in public transports (0.97 V/m), while the lowest levels of exposure were observed in homes and apartments, with mean values in the range 0.13–0.43 V/m. The contribution of different RF-EMF sources to the total level of exposure was found to show slightly different patterns among the indoor environments, but this finding has to be considered as a time-dependent picture of the continuous evolving exposure to RF-EMF.

Clinical research aiming at objectively identifying and characterizing diseases via clinical observations and biological and radiological findings is a critical initial research step when establishing objective diagnostic criteria and treatments. Failure to first define such diagnostic criteria may lead research on pathogenesis and etiology to serious confounding biases and erroneous medical interpretations. This is particularly the case for electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and more particularly for the so-called “provocation tests”, which do not investigate the causal origin of EHS but rather the EHS-associated particular environmental intolerance state with hypersensitivity to man-made electromagnetic fields (EMF). However, because those tests depend on multiple EMF-associated physical and biological parameters and have been conducted in patients without having first defined EHS objectively and/or endpoints adequately, they cannot presently be considered to be valid pathogenesis research methodologies. Consequently, the negative results obtained by these tests do not preclude a role of EMF exposure as a symptomatic trigger in EHS patients. Moreover, there is no proof that EHS symptoms or EHS itself are caused by psychosomatic or nocebo effects. This international consensus report pleads for the acknowledgement of EHS as a distinct neuropathological disorder and for its inclusion in the WHO International Classification of Diseases.

Revisión [ES] Los campos electromagnéticos (CEM) están presentes en todos los ambientes en dónde se utiliza energía eléctrica. Toda la población se encuentra expuesta a CEM, pudiendo éstos producir efectos en la salud. Este trabajo pretende constatar si existe relación entre la exposición ocupacional a CEM y el desarrollo de cáncer. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en siete bases de datos: MEDLINE, COCHRANE, WOK, IBECS, LILACS, EMF-portal y SCOPUS. Como criterio de inclusión, se tuvieron en cuenta los artículos publicados entre 2000 y 2017, el tipo de artículo, el idioma y que la población expuesta a CEM fuese únicamente ocupacional. La presente revisión sistemática encuentra resultados contradictorios entre la exposición ocupacional a CEM y el desarrollo de cáncer, por tanto, no se puede llegar a una conclusión sólida. La evidencia parece demostrar que altos niveles de exposición a CEM podrían aumentar el riesgo de padecer ciertos tipos de cánceres. Debido a la diversidad de resultados obtenidos, se deberían realizar nuevos estudios con una mejor calidad metodológica y con un número suficiente de trabajadores expuestos a dosis altas de CEM. Por último, deberían aplicarse en todos los estudios medidas o matrices de exposición homogéneas para permitir la mejor comparación de resultados. [EN] Electromagnetic fields (EMF) are present at any place where electric energy is used. There is a permanent risk of developing adverse health consequences, since population is exposed to EMF.This work aims to investigate if any relation between the occupational exposure to EMF and its cancer associated risks took place. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in seven databases: MEDLIE, COCHRANE, WOK, IBECS, LILACS, EMF-portal and SCOPUS. The articles published between 2000 and 2017, the article type, language, and just occupationally exposure population were taken into account in the inclusion criteria. Contradictory results between occupational EMF exposure and the risk of developing cancer were found by this systematic criteria. Nevertheless, evidence seems to demonstrate that high-level EMF exposure might arise the risk of causing any type of cancer. Given that diversity of results found, new studies should be done with a better methodological quality and an enough number of workers exposed to EMF high levels. In closing and in order to obtain a better result comparison, standard EMF exposure measurements should in every single future study be applied. No

As mobile network technologies and usage change, mobile network cells have become smaller to meet the increased demand for data throughput. Small cell base stations are frequently used as a mobile network deployment method and are predominantly installed to service areas with a high density of people and to cover a small geographical area. Various measurement programs of the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure have been conducted around base stations in general and these results have been published. There is, however, little data available on the EMF exposure levels around small cells. A measurement program was conducted to perform EMF exposure measurements around small cell base station sites. Results are compared to the relevant safety guidelines and to available data for EMF exposure around base stations in general.

Background In the studies investigating the potential health effects of occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), the key problem is the assessment of workers’ exposure. Electromagnetic fields exposure assessment requires determining maximum EMF levels, for the acute effect, and the dose absorbed, for the cumulative effect. A study was undertaken to determine EMF exposure in workers at broadcasting centers (BCs) in Poland. It was the first part of a comprehensive project on health effects of occupational exposure to EMF. Material and Methods The study was conducted in 4 selected BCs. Spot measurements of electric field strength (E), and the results of E measurements that were made in the past for occupational hygiene assessments, were used for determining workers’ exposure to electric field. The parameters considered were the maximum E value (E max ), the weighted average E value (E avg ) and the E lifetime dose (E lifetime dose ). Results In the group of workers examined, the E values did not exceed 16.7 V/m for Emax (the occupational exposure limit (OEL) for work shift in Poland is 20 V/m), 2.9 V/m for E avg and 1 500 000 (V/m) 2 ×h for E lifetime dose . Conclusions In view of the lack of dosimetry data, a retrospective assessment of BC workers’ exposure to very high frequency and ultra-high frequency EMF was conducted, which made it possible to estimate EMF lifetime dose for the workers. Since the EMF exposure levels at BCs did not exceed the admissible values, they can be considered safe to the workers’ health, according to the approach used for developing OELs for EMF exposure. Med Pr 2018;69(5):477–482

Major approaches of the Russian Federation in setting of exposure guidelines to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in occupational and public environments are discussed in this paper. EMF exposure guidelines in Russia are based on the results of hygienic, clinical, physiological, epidemiological and experimental studies and are frequency-dependent. The concept of a threshold principle of occupational and environmental factors due to hazardous exposure effects has been used to set permissible exposure levels of different EMF frequency ranges. The data of experimental studies showed hazardous threshold levels of EMF effects. The main criteria of EMF hazardous exposure evaluated in the experimental study concerned both estimation of threshold levels of chronic (long-term) and acute exposure. Also, this paper contains some recent experimental study data on correlation of long-term radiofrequency and power-frequency EMF exposure effects with regard to time duration, the so-called time-dependence approach. It enables identification of the value of permissible EMF exposure levels depending on exposure duration. This approach is used in occupational exposure guideline setting and requires the introduction of "power exposition" (PE) and "maximal permissible level" (MPL). In general, EMF exposure guidelines are established with regard to possible duration of exposure per day.