EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2016 for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses

Abstract

Chronic diseases and illnesses associated with non-specific symptoms are on the rise. In addition to chronic stress in social and work environments, physical and chemical exposures at home, at work, and during leisure activities are causal or contributing environmental stressors that deserve attention by the general practitioner as well as by all other members of the health care community. It seems necessary now to take "new exposures" like electromagnetic fields (EMF) into account. Physicians are increasingly confronted with health problems from unidentified causes. Studies, empirical observations, and patient reports clearly indicate interactions between EMF exposure and health problems. Individual susceptibility and environmental factors are frequently neglected. New wireless technologies and applications have been introduced without any certainty about their health effects, raising new challenges for medicine and society. For instance, the issue of so-called non-thermal effects and potential long-term effects of low-dose exposure were scarcely investigated prior to the introduction of these technologies. Common electromagnetic field or EMF sources: Radio-frequency radiation (RF) (3 MHz to 300 GHz) is emitted from radio and TV broadcast antennas, Wi-Fi access points, routers, and clients (e.g. smartphones, tablets), cordless and mobile phones including their base stations, and Bluetooth devices. Extremely low frequency electric (ELF EF) and magnetic fields (ELF MF) (3 Hz to 3 kHz) are emitted from electrical wiring, lamps, and appliances. Very low frequency electric (VLF EF) and magnetic fields (VLF MF) (3 kHz to 3 MHz) are emitted, due to harmonic voltage and current distortions, from electrical wiring, lamps (e.g. compact fluorescent lamps), and electronic devices. On the one hand, there is strong evidence that long-term exposure to certain EMFs is a risk factor for diseases such as certain cancers, Alzheimer's disease, and male infertility. On the other hand, the emerging electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is more and more recognized by health authorities, disability administrators and case workers, politicians, as well as courts of law. We recommend treating EHS clinically as part of the group of chronic multisystem illnesses (CMI), but still recognizing that the underlying cause remains the environment. In the beginning, EHS symptoms occur only occasionally, but over time they may increase in frequency and severity. Common EHS symptoms include headaches, concentration difficulties, sleep problems, depression, a lack of energy, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. A comprehensive medical history, which should include all symptoms and their occurrences in spatial and temporal terms and in the context of EMF exposures, is the key to making the diagnosis. The EMF exposure is usually assessed by EMF measurements at home and at work. Certain types of EMF exposure can be assessed by asking about common EMF sources. It is very important to take the individual susceptibility into account. The primary method of trea...

The effects of electromagnetic fields on cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells

“…Prolonged exposure to low‐frequency PEMF is considered a carcinogen based on some epidemiological studies [Wertheimer and Leeper, ; Messam et al, ; Wang et al, ; Sermage‐Faure et al, ]. Technological advancement and continuous exposure of humans to the miscellaneous sources of these fields have heightened concern that the integrity and health of RPE cells are in danger from these fields [Belyaev et al, ]. Further investigations with respect to cellular and molecular changes of RPE cells exposed to different sets of PEMFs should be performed.…”

The cellular effects of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields on osteoblasts: A review

“…The first evidence of possible health risks connected to exposures to EMFs dates back to 1979, when reports on the possible pathological effects of the prolonged proximity to certain configurations of power lines [Wertheimer and Leeper, ] or exposure to radar‐emitted radiofrequencies [Robinette et al, ] were first published. As evidence started to accumulate, the idea, albeit controversial, that chronic exposure to EMFs could pose a threat to human health was developed [Budinger, ; Wertheimer and Leeper, ; Kavet and Banks, ; Brown and Chattopadhyay, ; Kavet, ; Tenforde, ; Habash et al, ; Bellieni et al, ; Rodríguez‐De la Fuente et al, ; Carpenter, ; Monazzam et al, ; Belyaev et al, ; Pall, , ; Lasalvia et al, ] to the point that 220 scientists from different countries in the world signed an international appeal to the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 highlighting the need to raise awareness in the general public and in health operators about the risks associated with chronic exposure to EMFs [Hardell, ]. This necessity has also been acknowledged by WHO and several governments [Belyaev et al, ].…”

Some recommendations for experimental work in magnetobiology, revisited

“…Firstly, it should be noticed that the need of readdressing the subject comes not only from scientific purism, but from two very sensitive issues for the general public: (i) the possibility of ELF-MF being carcinogenic [IARC, 2002;Villeneuve et al, 2002;Kabuto et al, 2006;Sch€ uz, 2011;Belyaev et al, 2016;Carlberg et al, 2017] and (ii) the possibility of using ELF-MF as therapeutic agents against cancer and other diseases [Shupak et al, 2003;Funk et al, 2009;Novikov et al, 2009;Hu et al, 2010;Tatarov et al, 2011;Nie et al, 2013;Buckner et al, 2015]. Indeed, even though the controversy has not evolved much in recent decades, the relevance of magnetobiology has risen in the eyes of scientists, the general public, governments, and international organizations, which have repeatedly pointed out inconsistencies among experimental results [IARC, 2002b;WHO, 2007;ICNIRP, 2010].…”