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Comments to the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks on EMF, Health and Environment

Jan 10, 2024

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EHT submitted to the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) DRAFT Preliminary Opinion on potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) Update with regard to frequencies between 1Hz and 100 kHz.

EHTs comprehensive comments to SCHEER on the draft included ensuring that the latest published literature documenting effects to flora and fauna was included in the final report as the draft only focused on outdated conference proceedings and omitted the numerous published scientific reviews.

Notably, the SCHEER draft states, “The exposure of animals and plants to ELF-EMFs may become higher than that of humans, if they are close to anthropogenic sources in the environment. Moreover, animals and plans possess receptors and structures not existing in humans, which could give rise to species  specific biological effects.” 

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer: How source of funding affects results by Carpenter, D. O. (2019) in Environmental Research found “all government or independent studies find either a statistically significant association between magnetic field exposure and childhood leukemia, or an elevated risk of at least OR = 1.5, while almost all industry supported studies fail to find any significant or even suggestive association.” 

In addition EHT referenced research on associations between EMF and miscarriage. EHT  also recommended that the final report include a section on government (public and occupational)  policies and personal behaviors that can mitigate future health risk.

Park et al., 2020’s research investigating ELF-EMF levels in schools has found exposure at students’ seat positions was mostly caused by electrical appliances, electronic wiring, and distribution boxes and the authors conclude that, “it is important to design safe and appropriate environments for digital learning in schools, such as proper seating arrangements, to avoid ELF-EMFs exposure to students as much as possible.”

Selected excerpts from EHT comments.

The comments are expected to be posted online soon. The excerpts on this page are just a few of EHT’s comments submitted though the portal. 

Section 5.5 Effects from low frequency fields on fauna and flora  should include the published literature documenting effects to flora and fauna including the latest literature reviews and systematic reviews on this issue. The SCHEER Report needs to include the three part literature reviews of Levitt et al as well as the systematic review on insects by  Thill et al 2023. 

Levitt et al 2021 states, “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.”    Thill et al 2023 reviewed studies on insects finding altered behavior, altered enzyme activity, altered metabolism, reduced reproductive capacity, oxidative stress, impaired memory, DNA damage and developmental effects.

Further, the studies on combined exposures with EMF such as Molina-Montenegro et al. (2023) Electromagnetic fields disrupt the pollination service by honeybees and Piechowicz et al 2020 need to be included alongside the two studies by Lupi.  

Comments on pregnancy outcomes

The published systematic reviews that have found associations with miscarriage and preterm birth should be included such as Irani 2023 and Ghazanfarpor 2021. Both found associations with miscarriage and they considered the increasing use of appliances and devices that generate EMF in homes, in industries and in the medical field. 

Irani 2023: “The results of the random-effects meta-analysis indicated that EMF exposure had a significant effect on miscarriage: rate ratio (RR) = 1.699; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.121, 2.363 (P < 0.001); and heterogeneity (I2) = 84.55% (P < 0.001). The findings showed that pregnant woman who were exposed to high levels of EMF had an increased risk of miscarriage.” 

Ghazanfarpour et al 2021 “Effect of electromagnetic field on abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis” found exposure to EMFs above 50 Hz or 16 mG is associated with 1.27× increased risk of abortion. “It may be prudent to advise women against this potentially important environmental hazard.” 

  • Irani M, Aradmehr M, Ghorbani M, Baghani R. Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Abortion in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Malays J Med Sci. 2023 Oct;30(5):70-80. doi: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.5.6. Epub 2023 Oct 30. PMID: 37928787; PMCID: PMC10624444.
  • Ghazanfarpour, M., Kashani, Z. A., Pakzad, R., Abdi, F., Rahnemaei, F. A., Akbari, P. A., & Roozbeh, N. (2021). Effect of electromagnetic field on abortion: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Open Medicine (Warsaw, Poland), 16(1), 1628–1641.

Studies on preterm birth should be referenced as well as the 2021 “Maternal Use of Induction Heating Cookers During Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes: The Kyushu Okinawa Maternal and Child Health Study” found “IH cooker use during pregnancy was independently associated with a reduced risk of preterm birth (PTB).”

Additional Studies To Reference 

Source of Funding Impacts Results in EMF Research

The report should include a section dedicated to how sources of fundings can impact results as research finds that all government or independent studies find either a statistically significant association or an elevated risk while almost all industry supported studies fail to find any significant or even suggestive association. 

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer: How source of funding affects results by Carpenter, D. O. (2019) in Environmental Research found “all government or independent studies find either a statistically significant association between magnetic field exposure and childhood leukemia, or an elevated risk of at least OR = 1.5, while almost all industry supported studies fail to find any significant or even suggestive association.” 

Abstract: While there has been evidence indicating that excessive exposure to magnetic fields from 50 to 60 Hz electricity increases risk of cancer, many argue that the evidence is inconsistent and inconclusive. This is particularly the case regarding magnetic field exposure and childhood leukemia. A major goal of this study is to examine how source of funding influences the reported results and conclusions. Several meta-analyses dating from about 2000 all report significant associations between exposure and risk of leukemia. By examining subsequent reports on childhood leukemia it is clear that almost all government or independent studies find either a statistically significant association between magnetic field exposure and childhood leukemia, or an elevated risk of at least OR = 1.5, while almost all industry supported studies fail to find any significant or even suggestive association. A secondary goal of this report is to examine the level of evidence for exposure and elevated risk of various adult cancers. Based on pooled or meta-analyses as well as subsequent peer-reviewed studies there is strong evidence that excessive exposure to magnetic fields increases risk of adult leukemia, male and female breast cancer and brain cancer. There is less convincing but suggestive evidence for elevations in several other cancer types. There is less clear evidence for bias based on source of funding in the adult cancer studies. There is also some evidence that both paternal and maternal prenatal exposure to magnetic fields results in an increased risk of leukemia and brain cancer in offspring.

When one allows for bias reflected in source of funding, the evidence that magnetic fields increase risk of cancer is neither inconsistent nor inconclusive. Furthermore adults are also at risk, not just children, and there is strong evidence for cancers in addition to leukemia, particularly brain and breast cancer.


Electromagnetic fields within neonatal incubators

Electromagnetic fields within neonatal incubators have been shown to have adverse effects on newborns. Research has found that equipment in the NICU creates low-frequency electromagnetic fields “that can have subtle yet measurable effects on the autonomic nervous system” and preterm infants are especially vulnerable to these effects. A study by Passi et al 2017 that looked at 26 preterm infants from the NICU at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center measured the environmental electromagnetic levels in and around incubators. Then, the researchers electrically grounded the babies to reduce the exposures. They found that the babies autonomic nervous system “is able to sense the electrical environment” and the babies were more relaxed when they were grounded. 

In 2017 Bellieni and colleagues carried out a review of the current research on electromagnetic fields in neonatal incubators, and concluded, “…future incubators should be conceived following better criteria about EMF emissions, redesigning the incubator components” (Bellieni et al., 2017). Earlier publications by Bellieni and colleagues report similar findings including changes in melatonin production and altered heart rate variability.  Due to the vulnerability of newborn babies, preventative and prudent measured should be taken against exposure to electromagnetic fields.

Research Citations on Neonatal Incubators 

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The Report should include the ANSES 2019 Report “Health effects associated with exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields” recommendations which include:

  • Not to build new facilities attended by vulnerable people (hospitals, schools, etc.) immediately next to very-high voltage power lines, or running new power lines over these facilities as well as limiting exposure.  
  • Characterizing the occupational exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields specifically associated with transformer substations, particularly those located close to public buildings, homes or workplaces and sending information to employers, preventionists, occupational doctors and occupational health services regarding ELF and that employers and occupational doctors inform women of the regulatory provisions allowing them to adapt their working conditions when they are pregnant, in order to limit fetal exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields.The report highlights the need to better manage occupational exposure for employees who could be exposed to high levels of electromagnetic fields, particularly pregnant women.  In some scenarios of occupational exposure, it has been shown that the induced current density in the foetus may exceed the limits recommended for the general public. The CES recommends continuing studies to model exposure during pregnancy.
  • Manufacturers of industrial machines emitting low- frequency electromagnetic fields (at least those in the seven categories of machine with the highest levels of exposure) should measure the exposure associated with rated conditions of machine operation and use, and include these data in the technical specifications.

 

Examples of recommendations to the public on personal behaviors to minimize EMF exposure  include:

  • Do not rest a laptop or electric on your lap. Keep electronics on a table.
  • Do not sleep near a charging cell phone or a charging laptop or digital device. Always charge devices away from sleeping/living  spaces and preferable during the daytime. Charging generates high EMFs near the cord and batteries can catch fire during charging.
  • Do not use a cell phone while it is charging as the ELF-EMF field is high. Likewise- try to use your laptop on battery , rather than while charging. Always unplug the laptop once it is charged.
  • Corded alarm clocks and radios can have intense EMFs, so replace your alarm clock with a battery powered alarm clock. This will reduce your exposure at night.
  • Do not sleep with your head or body near a wall that has the electric panel, electric meter or appliance on the other side.
  • Unplug appliances and electronics such as TV’s and microwaves ovens when not in use. This reduces ELF and also reduces energy consumption. An easy way to do this for electronics is to get a powerstrip that you can easily switch off.
  • Remove electronics from the bedroom—especially around your bed and the crib.
  • Avoid sleeping with electric blankets and heating pads; if you use an electric blanket to preheat your bed, unplug it before sleeping. If you only turn it off, the EMF will still be present.
  • Do not stand near a microwave oven when it is on. Better yet, use a toaster oven.
  • EMFs from electrical wiring can be reduced if you flip the switch on the breaker for the electrical circuits near the bedroom at night. However circuits are not designed to be flipped every night.  Some people use a “kill switch” so all you have to do is flip one switch at night to turn off breakers all at once.
  • Get a magnetic field meter to take measurements in your home. If your ELF measurements show high levels in your home, it could be faulty wiring which an electrician can fix. Often simple fixes can greatly reduce ELF-EMF exposure.
  • Take measurements in your home if you live near powerlines because levels can be high throughout the house from the EMF emanating from high voltage powerlines.

 

EHT recommends protective policies by governments to minimize residential, occupational and school exposures. ICNIRP limits do not protect from effects of long term exposure.  We also recommend that for electronics and appliances the ELF emissions be measured by the manufacturer and transparently posted for the consumer. Instructions should include a recommended separation distance so people know to minimize their exposure. Further, industry research and design should focus on significantly mitigating EMF exposures, especially for cars and transportation. 

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