The position statement says government exposure limits fail to reflect current scientific evidence and calls for stronger protections in schools.

The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), an independent consortium of scientists, physicians, engineers, and public health experts from around the world, today released a scientific position statement calling for governments to strengthen protections for children from non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs). Sources include cell phones, cell towers, 5G, power lines, substations and electrical grid infrastructure.

The statement “Safeguarding Children’s Health in the Digital Age: Addressing Screen Time, Wireless Radiation, and Extremely Low Frequency Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Field Exposures” is posted online and can be downloaded as a PDF.

Drawing on decades of scientific research, the experts conclude that children’s rapidly increasing exposure to cell phones, wireless networks, power lines and other sources of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields requires immediate public health action.

“Wireless radiation and other non-ionizing EMF exposure are critical issues for children’s environmental health.”

“Studies have reported numerous adverse effects, including cancer, oxidative stress, genetic impacts, blood-brain barrier permeability, sperm damage, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, impairments in cognition, learning and memory, sleep impacts, EEG alterations, and other neurological effects.”

“Children can be more vulnerable than adults to the health impacts of wireless radiation because it penetrates deeper and has higher absorption rates in regions of a child’s brain, and because their still-developing brains and physiological systems are more sensitive to environmental toxicants.”

“Government safety limits do not protect children…These limits remain unchanged for over 3 decades, well before children began using cell phones and when much of today’s technologies did not even exist.”

“The technologies shaping our future should not compromise the health of the next generation.”

They are calling on governments around the world to adopt stronger, science-based protections for children by modernizing exposure standards, reducing daily EMF exposures, and implementing practical policies that prioritize children’s health over convenience.

Recommendations for Governments

• Update national exposure limits on wireless, power frequency, and other non-ionizing EMF to reflect current scientific evidence and to ensure protection against biological effects.
• Fund independent research on long-term, cumulative biological and health effects of non-ionizing EMF.
• Require independent pre-market safety testing and independent post-market surveillance for the health effects of wireless and EMF-emitting devices.
• Ensure wireless radiation compliance tests for cell phones, Wi-Fi laptops and other RF radiation-emitting devices reflect children’s physiology and the way they use devices today, in direct body contact.
• Halt the introduction of new technologies until rigorous pre-market safety testing is performed.
• Inform families about the substantial science indicating health risks and educate them on ways to reduce exposures from cell phones, wireless devices, electronics, and other sources of EMF.
• Adopt a risk mitigation approach with strong policies that reduce children’s daily exposure at home and school and limit their use of wireless devices.
• Promote industry innovation for the design and manufacture of safer technologies, including wired networks, low-emission designs, and devices that minimize user exposure.
• Low-EMF spaces must be established in schools as a priority.

The Commission’s members have published numerous influential papers examining the biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields, the scientific basis of current exposure limits, and practical ways to reduce exposure. Their research has documented how today’s FCC, ICNIRP, and IEEE exposure limits are based primarily on preventing short-term tissue heating and do not account for the growing body of evidence demonstrating biological effects at non-thermal exposure levels. Commission members have also published analyses concluding that current wireless radiation exposure limits would need to be reduced by at least 200-fold to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s benchmark for acceptable cancer risk. In addition, they have identified hardware and software design changes that can substantially reduce wireless radiation emissions from cell phones while maintaining device performance, demonstrating that safer technologies are both feasible and achievable.  

ICBE-EMF is committed to upholding the highest standards of scientific research and makes science-based recommendations to ensure the protection of the public and the environment. ICBE-EMF.org

ICBE-EMF Scientific Position Statement on Children’s Health, Wireless and non-ionizing Electromagnetic Fields Download PDF

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