icnirp criteria
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BASIC APPROACH OF ICNIRP TO PROTECTION BASIC APPROACH OF ICNIRP TO PROTECTION
AGAINST EMF EXPOSUREAGAINST EMF EXPOSURE
Paolo Vecchia
Past Chairman of ICNIRP
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THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ONTHE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ONNON-IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTIONNON-IONIZING RADIATION PROTECTION
ICNIRP is an independent scientific organization that:
• provides guidance and advice on the health hazards of non-
ionizing radiation
• develops international guidelines on limiting exposure to non-
ionizing radiation that are independent and science based
• provides science based guidance and recommendations on
protection from non-ionizing radiation exposure
TELECOMMUNICATIONS ANTENNAS, DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSION AND HUMAN HEALTH Lima, Peru, 10-11 July 2014
Scientific Research
Health Protection
Risk assessment
Protection standards
RESEARCH AND PROTECTIONRESEARCH AND PROTECTION
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STRUCTURE OF ICNIRPSTRUCTURE OF ICNIRP
ICNIRP operates through:
• Main Commission (14 Members, including a
Chairperson and a Vice-chairperson)
• Scientific Expert Group (25 Members at the moment)
• Project Groups (8 at the moment)
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MAIN COMMISSION 2008 - 2012MAIN COMMISSION 2008 - 2012
• R. Croft Australia
• A. Green Australia
• M. Feychting Sweden
• K. Jokela Finland
• J. Lin USA
• C. Marino Italy
• A. Peralta Philippines
• Z. Sienkiewicz UK
• P. Soederberg Sweden
• B. Stuck USA
• E. van Rongen The Netherlands
• S. Watanabe Japan
R. Matthes Germany ChairmanM. Feychting Sweden Vice Chairman
G. Ziegelberger Germany Scientific SecretaryM.H. Repacholi Australia Chairman Emeritus
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PROJECT GROUPSPROJECT GROUPS
• Protection Principles
• Radiofrequency (RF)
• Ultrasound
• RF Dosimetry
• Data Gaps
• NIR Exposure for Diagnostic Purposes
• NIR Exposure for Cosmetic and Non-Medical Purposes
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ICNIRP Statement
GENERAL APROACH TO PROTECTIONAGAINST NON-IONIZING RADIATION
Health Physics 82:540-548 (2002)www.icnirp.org
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A PROTECTION STANDARD SHOULD BE…A PROTECTION STANDARD SHOULD BE…
• Based on solid science
• Based on consensus
• Updated to present knowledge
• Stable over time
• Transparent in its development
• Clear and concise
• Adequately conservative
• Practically implementable
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FUNDAMENTALS OF ICNIRP GUIDELINESFUNDAMENTALS OF ICNIRP GUIDELINES
• Procedures and criteria are defined in advance
• Restrictions are based on science.
• No consideration for economic or social issues
• Only established effects are considered
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REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREREVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
All published studies are taken into consideration
The evidence is weighed based upon:
• Scientific quality
• Replicability
• Consistency
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ESTABLISHED EFFECTS OF RF FIELDSESTABLISHED EFFECTS OF RF FIELDS
Absorption of electromagnetic energy
Increase of body temperature (general or local)
Thermal effects (with threshold)
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The threshold for minor effects (behavioural changes in animals)is around 1 °C
THRESHOLD-BASED APPROACHTHRESHOLD-BASED APPROACH
Exp
osu
re le
vel
Established health effects
Reduction factor
“Safe” exposure
Threshold of effects
Exposure limit
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BIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE QUANTITYBIOLOGICALLY EFFECTIVE QUANTITY
Thermal effects are related to SAR, i.e. to to the energy
absorbed per unit time and per unit body mass (W/kg)
SAR is the biologically effective quantity for RF fields
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THE TWO-LEVEL SYSTEMTHE TWO-LEVEL SYSTEM
• Basic restrictions
in terms of biologically effective quantities
• Reference levels
in terms of an external exposure metric
Exposure below reference levels ensures compliance with basic
restrictions, since the relations between them have been developed under
worst-case conditions.
If the reference level is exceeded, the basic restriction is not necessarily
exceeded.
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BASIC RESTRICTIONSBASIC RESTRICTIONSAND REFERENCE LEVELSAND REFERENCE LEVELS
• Basic restrictions (limits of exposure) are set in terms of the
biologically effective quantity, below the threshold for effects
• Reference levels in terms of measurable quantities are derived by
the basic restrictions assuming conditions of maximum coupling
ICNIRP Guideline
GUIDELINES FOR LIMITING EXPOSURE TOTIME-VARYING ELECTRIC, MAGNETIC,
AND ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS(UP TO 300 GHZ)
Health Physics 74:494-522 (1998)www.icnirp.org
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LONG-TERM EFFECTS?LONG-TERM EFFECTS?
Although there are deficiencies in the epidemiological work,
such as poor exposure assessment, the studies have yielded no
convincing evidence that typical exposure levels lead to adverse
reproductive outcomes or an increased cancer risk in exposed
individuals.
This is consistent with the results of laboratory research on
cellular and animal models, which have demonstrated neither
teratogenic nor carcinogenic effects of exposure to athermal
levels of high-frequency EMF.
ICNIRP Guidelines 1998
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CONFIRMATION OF ESTABLISHED EFFECTSCONFIRMATION OF ESTABLISHED EFFECTS
It is the opinion of ICNIRP, that the scientific literature published
since the 1998 guidelines has provided no evidence of any
adverse effects below the basic restrictions and does not
necessitate an immediate revision of its guidance on limiting
exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields.
ICNIRP 2010
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THE “BLUE BOOK”: PURPOSETHE “BLUE BOOK”: PURPOSE
The review addresses the current scientific evidence concerning
exposure to high frequency (100 kHz – 300 GHz) EMF and the
resulting consequences for health.
It aims at providing input to the health risk assessment
undertaken by WHO
It also forms a basis for a thorough reevaluation of ICNIRP’s
science based guidance on limiting exposure to EMF.
Available at www.icnirp.org (378 pp.)
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THE “BLUE BOOK”: MAIN CONTENTTHE “BLUE BOOK”: MAIN CONTENT
Dosimetry of high-frequency EMFPhysical characteristics; Sources and exposures; RF measurement; Mechanisms of interaction; Dosimetry
Experimental studies of biological effectsBiological evidence for interaction mechanisms; Cellular studies; Animal studies; Human studies
Epidemiology of health effects of RF exposureStudies on occupational exposure; Studies on environmental exposure; Studies on mobile phones and tumor risk
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SUMMARYSUMMARY
• ICNIRP guidelines are based on effects established through a global analysis of the scientific literature
• Exposure limits are well below the thresholds for established health effects
• There is no convincing and consistent evidence of long term effects or any other adverse effects below the recommended limits
TELECOMMUNICATIONS ANTENNAS, DEVELOPMENT, INCLUSION AND HUMAN HEALTH Lima, Peru, 10-11 July 2014