NRPB and ICNIRP Guidelines

Mobile Phone Base Stations – The Real Facts about the links with Ill-Health
NRPB and ICNIRP Guidelines
The industry claim that because they adhere to the NRPB and ICNIRP guidelines, base stations are safe. However, the
Government backed Stewart Report says there is a potential problem with emissions below the ICNIRP guidelines and so
recommends a precautionary approach. The industry response has been to say we are taking a precautionary approach –
we’re sticking to the guidelines!
The ICNIRP guidelines do not actually consider all of the potential ill-effects of EMF. The ICNIRP Guidelines state: "In the
case of potential long-term effects of exposure, such as an increased risk of cancer, ICNIRP concluded that available data
are insufficient to provide a basis for setting exposure restrictions". The industry dismiss concerns about cancer by stating
adherence to the ICNIRP guidelines – when these guidelines specifically DO NOT take account of the cancerous effects of
base stations.
Microwave Syndrome – this is a term used by scientists covering a variety of symptoms including: sleep disturbances,
fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, depressive tendency, concentration difficulties, memory loss, skin
problems, visual & hearing disturbances, dizziness, cardiovascular problems and libido lowering.
Studies Showing Ill-Health Effects of Base Stations
1. Study of the health of people living in the vicinity of mobile phone base stations.
Santini et al., Pathol Biol (Paris) [Pathologie Biologie (Paris)] 2002; 50: 369–73
Found significant health effects on people living within 300 metres of mobile phone base stations. Conclusions
include the recommendation: "it is advisable that mobile phone base stations not be sited closer than 300 meters to
populations"
2. Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Study for the Netherlands Ministries of Economic Affairs,
Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, and Health, Welfare and Sport - "Effects of Global Communications System
Radio-Frequency Fields On Well Being and Cognitive Function of Human Subjects With and Without Subjective
Complaints" (September 2003)
Found significant effects on wellbeing, according to a number of internationally-recognised criteria (including
headaches, muscle fatigue/pain, dizziness etc) from 3G mast emissions well below accepted ‘safety’ levels (less
than 1/25,000th or 0.00004% of ICNIRP guidelines).
3. INCREASED INCIDENCE OF CANCER NEAR A CELL-PHONE TRANSMITTER STATION
Ronni Wolf MD(Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel), Danny Wolf MD(Pediatric Outpatient Clinic,
Hasharon Region, Kupat Holim, Israel) International Journal of Cancer Prevention Volume 1, No. 2, April 2004
This study, based on medical records of people living within 350 metres of a long-established phone mast, showed a
fourfold increased incidence of cancer generally compared with the general population of Israel, and a tenfold
increase specifically among women, compared with the surrounding locality further from the mast.
4. Influence of the Neighbourhood of a Cellular Transmitter Antennae on the Incidence of Cancer Eger et. al. Umwelt-
Medizin-Gesellschaft. 2004-Nov;17 (4): 326-335 Naila Study, Germany (November 2004) The result of the study shows that
the proportion of newly developing cancer cases was significantly higher among those patients who had lived
during the past ten years at a distance of up to 400 metres from the cellular transmitter site, which bas been in
operation since 1993, compared to those patients living further away, and that the patients fell ill on average 8
years earlier. In the years 1999-2004, i.e. after five years’ operation of the transmitting installation, the relative risk of
getting cancer had trebled for the residents of the area in the proximity of the installation compared to the
inhabitants of Naila outside the area.
5, The Reflex Project - An EU Funded project undertaken by 12 institutions from 7 EU Countries published in November
2004. The Report concluded: "Based on the methodology used and the data obtained in the REFLEX study, the
findings on genotoxicity caused by RF-EMF are hard facts" This means that emissions within the ICNIRP 'safety'
guidelines damage DNA causing both single-strand and double-strand breaks. As the report notes, earlier research
established that DNA double strand breaks may lead to cell death, uncontrolled cell growth or cancer.
The Mobile Industry claim that Cancer Clusters seen around base stations cannot be linked, as the cancers are of a wide
variety so cannot be caused by the same source. The Reflex project demonstrates the opposite - the different cancers could
all be caused by the base stations as the effect is on cells at a molecular level.
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6. Survey study of people living in the vicinity of cellular phone base stations by Santini R, Santini P, Le Ruz P, Danze JM,
Seigne M published in: Electromagn Biol Med 2003; 22 (1): 41 – 49 found incidence of Microwave Syndrome
7. The Microwave Syndrome: A Preliminary Study in Spain by Navarro EA, Segura J, Portoles M, Gomez-Perretta C
published in: Electromagn Biol Med 2003; 22 (2-3): 161 – 169 found incidence of Microwave Syndrome
8. Subjective symptoms reported by people living room in the vicinity of cellular phone bases stations: review Bortkiewicz et.
al. Medycyna Pracy 2004;55(4):345-51 found incidence of Microwave Syndrome
9. Mobile public perception of risk concerning celltowers and phones - Hutter et. al. Sozial-und Praventivmedizen
2004;49(1):62-6. Found that contrary to industry claims, adversaries of the antennas relay do not express unusual fears –
there is no significant psychological effect
10. Subjective symptoms, sleeping problems, and cognitive performance in subjects living room near mobile phone base
stations - Hutter et. al. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006 May;63(5):307-13 found incidence of Microwave
Syndrome at very low levels of exposure
11. Neurobehavioral effects among inhabitants around mobile phone base stations - Abdel-Rassoul et. al. Neurotoxicology
2006 Aug 1. Compared people living near mobile phone masts with a control group. Symptoms of Microwave Syndrome
significantly higher amongst people living very close to the mast - headache (23.5%), memory problems (28.2%),
dizziness (18.8%), tremors (9.4%), depressive symptoms (21.7%), and sleep disturbance (23.5%)
12. Health Effects Associated with Mobile Base Stations in Communities – Dr Neil Cherry Assoc Prof Environmental Health,
Lincoln University, Canterbury, NZ – concluded that there was “extremely strong evidence to conclude that cell sites
are risk factors for: cancer, especially brain tumour and leukaemia….cardiac arrhythmia, heart attack and heart
disease…Neurological effects including sleep disturbance, learning difficulties, depression and suicide.
Reproductive effects especially miscarriage and congenital malformation. Viral and infectious diseases because of
reduced immune system competency.
In addition there have been numerous studies on the effects on animals and plants including cows, sparrows, storks, bees
and trees, all showing detrimental effects in reproduction, growth or general wellbeing.
Industry sources point to WHO Factsheet #304 – yet many of the above studies are from the WHO EMF database and do
not support the conclusions of Factsheet #304. In addition the WHO and the ICNIRP have been criticised for being biased
and overtly influenced by the mobile industry (“Conflict of Interest & Bias in Health Advisory Committees: A Case Study of
the WHO’s Electro Magnetic Frequency (EMF) Task Group” – Maisch – J. Aust. Coll. Nutr. & Enc. Med. Vol. 25 No 1 April
2006 pp15-17).
What do Scientists Think ?
The Frieburger Appeal
Over 36,000 signatures have been collected including 3000 doctors noting a link between some symptoms associated with
Microwave Syndrome and mobile phone base stations. The Frieburger Appeal calls on governments to promote more
research and to reduce peoples exposure to base stations.
The Resolution of Benevento
42 scientists from 16 countries supported this resolution (International Commission on Electromagnetic Safety), claiming
that the current sources of financing research skews the results, and that the arguments according to which the CEM of low
intensity cannot affect biological systems do not represent current scientific opinion. They invite governments to plan mobile
masts in a way to limit the exposure of the community, and urgently condemn the telecoms companies marketing to young
children teenagers who are especially at risk.
The Money
The industry offered - and the Government accepted a whopping £22.5 billion pounds for the 3G licences - at the time that
represented 2.5% of the Gross Domestic Product of the UK. The licence holders obviously have a vested interest in
recouping their investment - they are hardly likely therefore to invest in research to prove that their technology is unsafe,
and open themselves to compensation claims. On the other hand, the Government are likewise unwilling to invest in
research which could ultimately result in them being forced to refund the £22.5 billion to the licence holders.
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