mobile telephony and health

questions and answers

regulation

What is ICNIRP?

The International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is a non-profit organisation registered in Germany, made up of independent experts. The commission receives no financing from the industry or from telecommunications operators. It is recognised at an international level and collaborates closely with other, similar structures, such as the World Health Organisation.

What are the current regulations?

In 1998, the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) published in Health Physics the document Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time-Varying Electric, Magnetic and Electromagnetic Fields (up to 300 GHz), which for the first time set forth some basic restrictions regulating exposure to electromagnetic waves for frequencies of up to 300 GHz.

Based on this report, the Council of Europe published its recommendation 519/1999, fully adopted into Romanian legislation by means of the Health and Family Ministry Order 1007/2002, supplemented by Order 1193/2006.

For the frequency domain used by mobile telephony, the basic restrictions are expressed in average SAR for the whole body or localised SAR at the level of the head and upper body or at the level of members.

average SAR for the whole body [W/kg]	localised SAR at head and upper body level [W/kg]	localised SAR at the level of members [W/kg]
0,08	2	4

What is SAR?

SAR is the acronym for Specific Absorption Rate. It’s defined as the rate at which energy is absorbed by a unit of body tissue and can be expressed both as an average value for the whole body and as a value for a smaller portion of the body.

Average SAR for the whole body is useful to characterise exposure caused by base station emissions, because aerials are usually at some distance away from the public. The basic restriction recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection for the general public is, in this case, 0.08 W/kg.

Localised SAR is used when the transmitter is very close to the body and the energy is absorbed by a small portion of the body. This happens mainly with mobile phones, which are usually held next to the head or to members. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection set the limit for the general public’s exposure of the head and upper body area to 2 W/kg and for members to 4 W/kg.

How were these limits set?

The only scientifically proven effect of electromagnetic emissions in the mobile telephony frequency band was an increase in body temperature due to energy absorption. Laboratory tests have shown the fact that it’s possible for some tissue to be affected when the whole body's temperature increases by 1-2˚C. Different types of tissue have varying sensitivity to temperature variations. For this reason, the average body exposure threshold was set at 4 W/kg, which will cause a warming of less than 1˚C. To guarantee the general public’s safety, the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection decided that the basic restriction should be 50 times lower, ie 0.08 W/kg. These restrictions are not reached by mobile telephony base stations in areas where the public has access, with actual exposure values being much lower.

How is the level of exposure measured?

Exposure levels are evaluated either by measuring the energy absorbed by tissue (through SAR) in the case of mobile phones, or the power density of an equivalent plane wave in the case of base stations. Determining the maximum SAR value for a mobile phone is a relatively difficult operation. It’s done using models of the head, filled with a liquid whose properties are similar to the human brain in terms of wave propagation. The results obtained in this way are complemented by computer simulations using various models.

In the case of base stations, the procedure is simpler, because they aren’t located in the immediate vicinity of the human body and it’s possible to directly measure certain physical properties which serve as reference. Usually, these are the power density of the equivalent plane wave or the intensity of electrical current. The SAR values recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection are accompanied by a set of reference levels for these measures which guarantees that basic restrictions are abided by, even in the most unfavourable circumstances. Going over a reference level doesn’t necessarily mean that these values have been exceeded, however, but a more detailed investigation will be required.

The results recorded following the measurement campaign carried out in the United Kingdom by the NRPB in 2000 and published in the institution’s Report R321 show that power density values lie between 0.002% and 2% of the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection's norms.

Why are both W/m2 and W/kg used as measurement units?

The general public’s exposure to electromagnetic fields is quantified using SAR (the Specific Absorption Rate), which is expressed in W/kg (the power absorbed by living tissue per unit of mass). These limits constitute the basic restrictions for local exposure (head and upper body, members) and average full-body exposure.

However, SAR is difficult to measure, particularly in the case of full-body exposure. This is why reference levels for the intensity of electrical field (V/m), the intensity of magnetic field (A/m) and power density (W/m²) have been defined. In practice, their measurement is much easier to carry out and guarantees the fact that if these levels aren’t exceeded, the basic restrictions won’t be exceeded either.

In the case of mobile phones, we’re dealing with local exposure in the field near to the aerial, and reference levels are unusable. This is why basic restrictions must be used (W/kg).

Are mobile telephony operators involved in defining European exposure norms?

Operators are present only in the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC). This sets only the measurement methods of SAR and reference measures, not the dosage limits which are set by medical scientific committees, since the operators have no competencies in this regard.

base stations

Is it dangerous to live near a base station?

Orange installs aerials and base station equipment according to the Council of the European Union recommendations. These are based on the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection’s (ICNIRP) reports.

In June 2005, a conference organised by the World Health Organisation took place in Geneva, to evaluate the potential effects of mobile telephony base stations and other services on human health. The conclusion was that there exists no known risk associated with these sources of radiofrequency. This conclusion was re-iterated in Report 304/May 2006 - Base stations and wireless technologies (see www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html).

How can we be sure that all base stations abide by the norms?

Orange follows the specifications of recommendation 519/1999 of the European Council, adopted into Romanian law through the Order of the Minister of Public Health 1193/2006. In addition, Orange carries out measurements of the emissions generated by its own base stations either directly or through other organisations authorised and agreed by the authorities (the National Regulatory Authority for Communications and Information Technology – ANRCTI, the National Company of Radiocommunications SA, Military Unit 02512) to make sure that legal norms are not exceeded in publicly accessible areas near to its base stations.

Wouldn’t it be safer to install base stations more than 100 metres away from inhabitable areas?

Placing base stations at a greater distance from inhabitable areas would have an adverse effect to what is normally assumed:
- the base station’s power output would increase, in order to provide coverage in an area located further away
- mobile phone emissions would increase greatly, since it would have to communicate with a base station located at a greater distance

Isn't it possible to reduce the number of base stations?

The territory is divided into areas called cells, each cell being served by a base station. The size of a cell depends on a multitude of variables: type of aerial installed, geography, the location where it is mounted, the frequency band used to transmit and receive, population density in the area. In towns and cities, where communication traffic is greater, more cells are required, of smaller sizes. Conversely, in rural areas fewer cells are enough, but their coverage area is greater.

Increasing the number of base stations actually means a reduction in power output, since the distance to the mobile phone will be less and the system is designed in such a way as to provide communications using the minimum amount of resources required, in order to avoid interference.

Why isn't there just one network of base stations for all operators?

Each base station can serve a limited number of simultaneous calls, and just one network couldn’t carry the current level of mobile communications. Another reason behind the decision to provide separate licenses to mobile telephony operators was the intention to create a competitive environment.

Why aren’t all aerials placed at the same location?

Base stations cover areas of varying shapes and sizes. The totality of its cells makes up an operator’s network. Its architecture is unique, depending on the particular operator’s coverage needs. This is why what is useful for one operator won’t always be good for another; as a result, they’ll only be able to use the same sites in particular situations.

Isn’t it dangerous to install aerials near to schools or hospitals?

We're aware of these concerns, but there is no scientific reason to reach such a conclusion. Emissions near base stations are very weak and don’t exceed current legal norms.

Can waves emitted by the mobile telephony network affect the functioning of a pacemaker?

There is no interference from the base stations if the minimum distance is kept. Since the location of aerials is hardly accessible to the general public, it’s very unlikely that the minimum distance should be infringed upon.

In the case of mobile phones, following the research carried out, it has been established that the interference is zero down to a distance of 10 cm between the phone and the pacemaker. For additional safety, a distance of 15-20 cm is recommended.

mobiles

Are mobiles sold through the Orange retail network safe?

Mobiles sold by Orange conform to European and national standards. This is indicated by the CE marking on the mobile. Each mobile comes with documentation which specifies its SAR value as determined by the manufacturer. In addition, Orange indicates this value in the technical information it provides both in its stores and on the Internet site.

Usually, the mobile's power output is much lower than the maximum output measured during the manufacturer’s tests.

Is a mobile with a lower SAR value safer than one with a higher value?

If the SAR values are lower than the basic restriction (2 W/kg for localised exposure at the head and upper body level), then both mobiles will be considered safe. In fact, the SAR value given in the mobile’s documentation is a maximum value, which is only ever reached when commencing a call or under special circumstances. This happens when you’re at the edge of the coverage area and the signal received from the station is weak or when the speed of movement is very high and many transfers between cells take place. Otherwise, exposure is lower.

Should a handsfree device be used to decrease the level of exposure?

Using a handsfree device will only reduce exposure levels at the level of the head. A study carried out in France by the École Supérieure d’Électricité on 186 different GSM mobiles provided evidence of a decrease of about 10 times in the exposure at head level when using a handsfree device. However, no expert commission has found that the mobile phone represents a health hazard if basic restrictions are abided by.

Is it true that mobiles can draw in lightning?

There is no scientific evidence leading to such a conclusion.

There are certain products you can mount on the casing, which claim to reduce exposure. Is this true?

No, this is not true. They merely affect the mobile’s aerial leading to increased power output. As a result, the level of exposure and battery drain will increase, and coverage may decrease. In the USA, certain such products have been withdrawn from the market.

In any case, as long as the mobile abides by the basic restrictions imposed through the European Union Council recommendation 519/1999, the level of exposure isn't regarded as dangerous to human health

research in the field

How well-researched is this field?

Over 1,700 studies evaluating the biological effects of radiofrequency waves had been published by 2005. Of these studies, more than 400 are dedicated to the frequency bands where mobile telephony systems operate. Over the past ten years, over 200 million euros have been allocated to research in this field.

What kinds of studies are being carried out?

There are a number of studies being used to evaluate potential risks:

• epidemiological studies:
• these look at the statistical incidence and distribution of various diseases, trying to identify potential risk factors
• experimental studies on human volunteers
• experimental studies on animals
• experimental studies on cells

How can you recognise the quality of a study?

Presentation of a study in the media (TV, radio, the written press) doesn’t represent a guarantee of its scientific validity. To be valid, the study must be published in an influential scientific journal, which uses a peer reviewing committee. Its role is to evaluate the methodology used and the manner in which conclusions have been drawn.

The study must contain a precise description of the experiments, so that they can be replicated, as needed, by an independent laboratory. If the results bring any changes to what was known before their publishing date, the study will have to be replicated by other teams for confirmation. These procedures are set up in such a way as to guarantee the scientific rigour required in such an important field as human health.

What is the World Health Organisation (WHO) doing on this topic?

The World Health Organisation is engaged in an important EMF (ElectroMagnetic Fields) research programme, together with institutions from various countries, since 1996. It also has the task of setting forth advice on the effects of electromagnetic fields on human health.

Report 304/May 2006 looked at mobile telephony base stations. It re-asserts the conclusion that currently there is no scientific evidence leading us to believe that a danger for those living near to a base station exists, so long as reference levels are not exceeded.
With regards to mobile devices, the World Health Organisation leads the Interphone project, a very broad epidemiological study covering 13 countries, which sets to observe over 20,000 people, both healthy and suffering from various forms of cancer, to establish whether there is a link between radiofrequency emissions and this disease. The first results published so far have shown evidence of no such link.

How do mobile telephony operators contribute to such studies?

The Orange Group sponsors studies on the World Health Organisation’s agenda, but doesn’t intervene in defining their subject area, in carrying them out or in publishing them. The researchers are completely independent from Orange.

What do medical doctors say about the link between electromagnetic waves and cancer?

Numerous studies have been carried out, both epidemiological and laboratory animal experiments. They have been analysed by a number of international and national scientific commissions, such as:

• the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP)
• the World Health Organisation
• the American Cancer Society
• the National Committee for Protection against Radiation (in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
• the French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety
• the Health Council of the Netherlands
• the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority
• the Irish Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation
• the Australian Radiation Advisory Committee

None of the institutions mentioned could establish a link between electromagnetic emissions and the apparition or the development of cancer.

Can mobile telephony emissions affect the brain’s cognitive functions?

The studies carried out so far do not indicate the fact that weak emissions (such as those coming from base stations) have a damaging effect on cognitive functions, with no significant differences being noted between those exposed and those not exposed. Some changes in the brain’s electrical parameters have been noted, but they were very small. For comparison, a mere blink leads to greater variations of these parameters than the exposure to weak electromagnetic wave emissions.

Is male fertility influenced by mobile electromagnetic emissions?

At the end of the 20th century there were some suspicions that the number of sperm cells might be reduced as a result of exposure to the electromagnetic fields generated by the electrical power grid, but such suspicions have been refuted by subsequent research. The subject re-appeared in the public's attention in 2004, when the media presented a Hungarian study which was supposed to prove a link between mobile usage and lower sperm quality. The experts who evaluated it did not believe that the way in which the link was established was scientifically correct. There are other factors known to affect male fertility, such as pollution or heat, and such a study must be carried out under very strict laboratory conditions in order to correctly determine the cause.

Will my hearing be affected if I use a mobile?

In 2004, the results of the GUARD research programme financed by the European Union and carried out simultaneously in 7 countries were published. The conclusion was that the GSM network and mobiles do not affect human hearing in any way. A similar research programme is currently under way for UMTS (EMFnEAR), whose results will most likely be published in 2007.

Can mobile use cause headaches, dizziness or insomnia?

There are people who attribute such symptoms to exposure to low-intensity electromagnetic fields. This was termed electromagnetic hypersensitivity. In October 2004, the World Health Organisation held a conference in Prague on this topic. The conclusion was that there is no scientific basis for attributing these symptoms to low-intensity electromagnetic waves and that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is not a medical diagnosis. There are many other factors which influence the organism and can cause the same effects.

In December 2005, the World Health Organisation published Report 294 – Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/index.html), which reiterates the conclusions of the conference and presents the results of laboratory studies which establish the fact that these individuals cannot detect the presence of an electromagnetic field more easily than regular people.

Is the cardiovascular system affected by the electromagnetic field generated by mobile devices or by base stations?

There is no scientific evidence leading to such a conclusion. The studies carried out have not shown any difference in terms of blood pressure or heart rate between subjects exposed to electromagnetic wave emissions and those who were not exposed.

Can the mobile device influence hormonal levels?

Laboratory experiments carried out on people and animals have shown that mobiles can't influence hormonal levels.   

Does the human immune system suffer as a result of electromagnetic emissions generated by the cellular telephony system
 
Studies have been carried out for both normal exposure and for values which exceed basic restrictions and no effects have been registered on the immune system.

Should children’s exposure be limited, in comparison with adults?

In 2000, the first report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Telephony in the United Kingdom, led by Sir William Stewart, could not establish any negative effects of the use of mobile phones, but did recommend that children’s exposure be limited in order to exercise additional caution.

In 2002, the Health Council of The Netherlands carried out a separate evaluation of this subject and concluded that there is no scientific reason why children should use mobiles less. The studies carried out provided evidence of the fact that there is no significant difference in the cognitive performance of children exposed to emission levels comparable to those of a mobile phone and that of children who weren’t exposed. The World Health Organisation also investigated the idea and, in June 2004, following a conference in Istanbul, concluded that there is no scientific basis to indicate a greater level of sensitivity to radiofrequency waves in children.

In 2005, the Stewart commission published a new report which maintained its recommendation for precaution in the case of children, since it assumes that they will be exposed for a longer period of time than today’s adults. However, the report underlines the fact that, scientifically, there is no proof for saying that electromagnetic waves have negative effects on human health, if the basic restrictions imposed by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) are abided by.

Are there any long-term effects?

Mobile telephony systems aren’t the first to use radio waves. For decades, there have been transmitters for radio, television, the military and for the fire, police and ambulance services. In many cases, their power output is much greater than that of mobile telephony base stations. No effects have been established so far on human health.

What major research projects are currently underway?

Several international projects are currently underway or being finalised:

• Cemfec:
  • Belgium, Finland, Germany and Italy
  • researches the possibility that electromagnetic waves caused by the mobile telephony system can act as a co-carcinogen agent together with known carcinogens in the environment, particularly in water and food
  • both laboratory animal studies and cellular culture studies
  • had negative results, confirming similar previous studies

• Interphone:
  • England, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden
  • looks at the link between mobile phone use and cancer
  • vast epidemiological study carried out on over 20,000 individuals, both healthy and suffering from various forms of cancer
  • ongoing

• Perform-A:
  • Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy
  • researches whether electromagnetic waves owed to the GSM system favour the formation or development of cancer
  • laboratory animal study
  • finished, results not yet published

• Ramp2001:
  • France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Sweden
  • examines whether non-thermal effects resulting from prolonged exposure to radiofrequency fields could arise
  • both laboratory animal studies and cellular culture studies
  • ongoing

• Reflex:
  • Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Italy and Spain
  • researches the changes caused in human and animal cells exposed to both low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields
  • cellular culture studies
  • inconclusive; some effects have been noted, which will have to be confirmed by reproducing the experiments in other laboratories and investigated in vivo, through animal testing
• Guard:
  • France, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, Russia and Hungary
  • looks at the effect of using GSM mobiles on the auditory system
  • both laboratory animal and human volunteer studies
  • no adverse effects have been identified, and the research continues for 3G (UMTS) devices – the EMFnEAR project

UMTS

Will the introduction of UMTS increase the level of electromagnetic emissions?

The maximum power output utilised in the UMTS system is comparable to that used in the GSM system already in operation for several years. UMTS terminals have much-improved power emission control, which leads to lower exposure than in the case of GSM terminals.

Generally speaking, spectral power density is much lower than the reference levels recommended by the Council of the European Union and UMTS aerials will be installed, as those for GSM, according to these recommendations.

Will there be new locations for UMTS aerials?

Generally, UMTS base stations will be installed on existing sites, together with GSM base stations. This is why there will not be many new sites on top of already existing ones.