ICBE-EMF Archives - International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields https://icbe-emf.org/tag/icbe-emf/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:18:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://icbe-emf.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-favicon-32x32.png ICBE-EMF Archives - International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields https://icbe-emf.org/tag/icbe-emf/ 32 32 Webinar: Cell Phones and Wireless: Why Current Exposure Limits Do Not Protect Against Cancer and Reproductive Harm https://icbe-emf.org/webinar-cell-phones-and-wireless-why-current-exposure-limits-may-not-protect-against-cancer-and-reproductive-harm/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:30:00 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=7393 Webinar: Cell Phones and Wireless: Why Current Exposure Limits Do Not Protect Against Cancer and Reproductive Harm Featuring Ronald Melnick, Ph.D.Former Senior Toxicologist, National Toxicology Program (NTP) Hosted by: The Collaborative for Health & Environment and Environmental Health Sciences Date: September 30, 2026Time: 1:00 PM U.S. Eastern TimeLocation: Online via Zoom Register: Reserve Your Spot… 

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Webinar: Cell Phones and Wireless: Why Current Exposure Limits Do Not Protect Against Cancer and Reproductive Harm

Featuring Ronald Melnick, Ph.D.
Former Senior Toxicologist, National Toxicology Program (NTP)

Hosted by: The Collaborative for Health & Environment and Environmental Health Sciences

Date: September 30, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time
Location: Online via Zoom

Register: Reserve Your Spot

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Health and Human Services are both seeking public input on wireless radiation and health. This webinar offers a timely opportunity to hear from one of the scientists who helped lead the U.S. government’s landmark research on cell phone radiation.

Ronald Melnick, Ph.D. served for more than 28 years as a senior toxicologist with the National Toxicology Program (NTP) at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, where he helped design the NTP’s landmark studies on cell phone radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Those studies, together with the Ramazzini Institute research, found increased cancer in laboratory animals chronically exposed to RF radiation.

During this webinar, Dr. Melnick will discuss the scientific evidence linking wireless radiation to cancer and reproductive harm, explain why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nominated RF radiation for study by the NTP, and review the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2011 evaluation that classified RF radiation as a possible human carcinogen.

He will also explain why the WHO-commissioned systematic reviews on RF radiation should not be interpreted as evidence of safety and discuss the methodological shortcomings identified in “WHO Commissioned Systematic Reviews on Health Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation Provide No Assurance of Safety,” published in Environmental Health. (Read the paper)

The webinar will examine the scientific basis of the RF exposure limits adopted by the FCC, ICNIRP, and IEEE, drawing from the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) publication “Scientific Evidence Invalidates Health Assumptions Underlying the FCC and ICNIRP Exposure Limit Determinations for Radiofrequency Radiation: Implications for 5G.” (Read the paper)

Finally, Dr. Melnick will present his team’s latest quantitative cancer risk assessment, “Cancer Risk Assessment of Radiofrequency Radiation Using U.S. EPA Methodology,” which applied EPA cancer risk methods to the NTP findings. The analysis concluded that current FCC, IEEE and ICNIRP exposure limits are at least 200 times too high to protect against cancer risk and 24 times too high to protect against reproductive harm. (Read the paper)

About Ronald Melnick, Ph.D.

Ronald Melnick, Ph.D., served for more than 28 years as a senior toxicologist with the National Toxicology Program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. He led the design and interpretation of numerous toxicity and carcinogenicity studies, including the NTP’s landmark investigations of cell phone radiofrequency radiation. He is Senior Science Advisor and Past Chair of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF).

Dr. Melnick has served on numerous scientific advisory committees and review panels, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). He also served in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and is a Fellow (Emeritus) of the Collegium Ramazzini and has published several papers on RF as well as other environmental health issues. 

The webinar will be moderated by Theodora Scarato, Director of the Wireless and EMF Program at Environmental Health Sciences. (Biography)

For additional information, visit the https://www.healthandenvironment.org/che-webinars/97191

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Flawed “Validation” Studies Do Not Negate the Established Evidence That Cell Phone Radiation Causes Cancer in Rats, Scientists Conclude https://icbe-emf.org/flawed-validation-studies-do-not-negate-the-established-evidence-that-cell-phone-radiation-causes-cancer-in-rats-scientists-conclude/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:49:57 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=7156 Flawed “Validation” Studies Do Not Negate the Established Evidence That Cell Phone Radiation Causes Cancer in Rats, Scientists Conclude Summary: A new paper published in Environmental Health on cell phone radiation and cancer finds that the Japanese and Korean animal studies do not prove cell phone safety, as they were underpowered and used too few… 

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Flawed "Validation" Studies Do Not Negate the Established Evidence That Cell Phone Radiation Causes Cancer in Rats, Scientists Conclude

Summary: A new paper published in Environmental Health on cell phone radiation and cancer finds that the Japanese and Korean animal studies do not prove cell phone safety, as they were underpowered and used too few exposure doses to legitimately challenge the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s landmark findings of increased cancer from long-term cell phone radiation exposure. Long-overdue policy changes to reduce public exposure to cell phone radiation are urgently needed.

PRESS RELEASE

A new peer reviewed paper published in the journal Environmental Health states that two industry-linked “validation” studies from Japan and Korea published in 2026, designed to verify the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) finding that cell phone radiofrequency (RF) radiation causes cancer in rats, were so underpowered and narrowly designed such that they could never have confirmed or refuted the original results, regardless of the outcome. The authors state that these “validation” studies should not comfort the public when it comes to the safety of cell phones and other wireless devices.

The paper “Conflicting views in experimental carcinogenesis: A commentary on design and methodological deficiencies in the follow-up validation studies on radiofrequency radiation,” authored by Ronald L. Melnick (formerly of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences), Joel M. Moskowitz (University of California, Berkeley), and Paul Héroux (McGill University) on behalf of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), examines the design and interpretation of the Japan and Korea studies against long-standing scientific and regulatory standards for animal carcinogenicity testing.

Background

In 2011, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified RF radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based largely on results from human epidemiological studies. In 2018, the National Toxicology Program, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, issued the final report of their $30 million animal studies concluding there is “clear evidence” that male rats exposed to cell phone (RF) radiation for two years developed malignant heart schwannomas, a rare tumor, along with “some evidence” of brain gliomas and adrenal tumors. The NTP study was designed to provide greater sensitivity than international guidelines for rigorous cancer-testing.

A study conducted by the Ramazzini Institute in 2018 reported increased tumors similar to those observed in the NTP. These new animal cancer findings, along with additional human studies, prompted the WHO/IARC advisory group to repeatedly recommend a new evaluation of the scientific evidence on the carcinogenicity of wireless radiation. Many scientists with expertise in environmental carcinogenicity then published their conclusion that the current evidence is now consistent with IARC criteria for the classification of wireless RF radiation as a “probable human carcinogen”  (IARC Group 2A), or even  “carcinogenic to humans” (Group 1).

However, after the NTP study was released, new animal studies were launched in Japan and Korea, under an “International Validation Project,” aiming to test whether the NTP’s findings were reproducible. Their results, separately published in 2026, concluded that long-term RF radiation exposure did not produce reproducible carcinogenic or genotoxic effects.

However, according to the new paper, the Japanese and Korean animal studies did not replicate the NTP study and had several deficiencies, including:

  • Severely Reduced Statistical Power: The follow-up studies used only 70 animals per group, compared to 90 per group in the NTP study. Power calculations indicate that detecting a significant response for rare tumors at the lower exposure level used in those studies would require many more animals per group.
  • Omission of High-Dose Groups: The follow-up studies tested only a single exposure level (4 W/kg) and dropped the NTP’s highest exposure level (6 W/kg), where significant carcinogenic effects were most statistically pronounced.
  • Violation of FDA and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines: Testing guidelines by these groups require at least three different doses plus a control group to conduct a critical dose-response trend analysis. Single-dose studies eliminate the ability to detect dose-dependent trends.
  • Overlooked Signals of Harm: Despite being underpowered, the Korean study actually observed a 3% incidence rate of heart schwannomas in exposed rats (versus 0% in controls), matching the tumor rate observed at 3 W/kg in the NTP study, yet the researchers surprisingly dismissed the finding.
  • Prominent Role of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and Industry-Friendly Advisors: The project’s principal investigator was an ICNIRP member, and the advisory committee overseeing the research was heavily composed of current and former ICNIRP members, several of whom have served as industry consultants. The Japan/Korea studies were aimed at protecting ICNIRP’s current cell phone radiation safety limits rather than at documenting radiation risks.

The authors of the new analysis conclude that the Japan and Korea studies’ conclusion of “no reproducible carcinogenic potential” of cell phone radiation is simply not supported by the studies’ design and, in the case of the Korean study, is undercut by its own data. Therefore, the Japan and Korea studies do not alter the National Toxicology Program’s finding of “clear evidence” of cancer.

In a paper published earlier this year, Melnick and Moskowitz concluded that, based on the NTP cancer findings, current FCC and ICNIRP exposure limits would need to be at least 200 times lower to protect against cancer risk from 8 hours of daily exposure. The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields is calling on governments to implement policies that reduce public exposure and inform cell phone users on how to minimize their risk.

Ronald L. Melnick, PhD, lead author and retired toxicologist at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, who led the design of the original NTP radiofrequency radiation studies:

“The Japan and Korea studies cannot be used as proof of safety. To properly verify a study that found clear evidence of rare tumors like heart schwannomas, follow-up research must be designed with equal or greater sensitivity. By dropping the highest exposure level, testing only a single dose, and using fewer animals, these follow-up underpowered studies failed to meet basic FDA and OECD testing guidelines and were systematically biased toward finding no significant effect. These studies appear to be engineered to come back negative.

In short, the Japan and Korea studies cannot be used to invalidate the National Toxicology Program’s peer-reviewed findings of carcinogenicity or to justify the FCC’s and ICNIRP’s thermal-based exposure limits.”

Joel M. Moskowitz, PhD, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, whose research focuses on the public health implications of wireless radiation exposure:

“Millions of people carry cell phones against their bodies for hours a day, and children are being exposed over far longer lifetimes than any generation before them. Public health decisions about safety limits should be built on the most rigorous animal evidence available, not on studies constructed in a way that was unlikely to detect harm even if it exists. We cannot allow flawed experimental designs to shield outdated safety guidelines from necessary, health-protective revisions. The scientific evidence on cancer and other biological effects is sufficient to warrant policies to reduce exposure.”

 

Dr. Paul Héroux, Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University:

“These studies did not reproduce the original methodology, exposure assessment, or study conditions. From a biostatistical perspective, testing only 70 animals at a single dose level leaves a study severely underpowered to detect rare carcinogenic events. Without multiple dose groups and adequate sample sizes, finding ‘no statistically significant effect’ is an artifact of poor study design rather than evidence of safety. Importantly, when the NTP and Korean and Japanese studies are considered together, the overall evidence confirms cancer risk.” 

Implications for Public Policy and Public Health

The authors state that governments have a responsibility to protect public health by ensuring that exposure limits for cell phone and cell tower radiation are based on the strongest available scientific evidence, not on studies that lack the scientific rigor necessary to detect known hazards. They conclude that the Japanese and Korean follow-up studies cannot be relied upon to dismiss the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s findings or to delay protective action. Before negative validation studies can be interpreted as evidence against the NTP’s findings, they must match or exceed the original study’s design, including the same animal model, exposure regimen, adequate group sizes, multiple exposure levels, and sufficient statistical power. Accordingly, they state that the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and regulatory agencies should base hazard evaluations and public health policies on the strongest available evidence.

ICBE-EMF maintains that current U.S. and ICNIRP exposure limits for cell phones, Wi-Fi, smart meters, and cell towers are not adequately protective because a substantial body of research reports cancer and other biological effects, including DNA damage, oxidative stress, neurological effects, and reproductive harm. The Commission calls on governments to halt the rollout of new wireless technologies until independent safety assessments are completed and to adopt policies that reduce RF radiation exposure risks.

Scientific reference:

Melnick, R.L., Moskowitz, J.M., Héroux, P. et al. Conflicting views in experimental carcinogenesis: a commentary on design and methodological deficiencies in the follow-up validation studies on radiofrequency radiation. Environ Health 25, 66 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-026-01324-5

About the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF)

ICBE-EMF is an international consortium of scientists, doctors, and researchers with expertise and peer-reviewed publications on the biological and health effects of electromagnetic fields, including RF radiation. The Commission 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

Want to share information on wireless and health with your elected officials?

See ICBE-EMFs Government Brief: Wireless Radiation, EMF Exposure, Public Health and Environment Scientific Findings and Policy Recommendations

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Are There Health Risks from Cell Towers? https://icbe-emf.org/are-there-health-risks-from-cell-towers/ Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:44:12 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=7134 Are There Health Risks from Cell Towers? As communities debate the placement of new cell towers, many people ask a simple question: Are cell towers safe? Is the RF radiation they emit safe? According to the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), experts on the science, human health, and environmental impacts… 

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Are There Health Risks from Cell Towers?

As communities debate the placement of new cell towers, many people ask a simple question: Are cell towers safe? Is the RF radiation they emit safe?

According to the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), experts on the science, human health, and environmental impacts of non-ionizing electromagnetic (EMF) radiation, the current scientific evidence indicates that existing cell tower radio-frequency (RF) radiation exposure limits are not sufficiently health protective and should be updated with a comprehensive scientific review. Until then, governments should adopt measures to reduce unnecessary exposure, such as ensuring cell towers and base station antennas are located far from homes and schools. 

In scientific comments submitted to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), ICBE-EMF urged the agency not to fast-track cell towers and wireless infrastructure until current cell tower and wireless radiation exposure limits are independently reviewed and updated. The Commission references peer-reviewed scientific research that has linked RF radiation exposure to numerous health and environmental harms. It states that U.S. cell tower RF radiation exposure limits, unchanged since 1996, “are not science-based and do not protect the public.”

The ICBE-EMF sent a letter to U.S. Congress documenting the science on cell tower and wireless radiation and explaining how an analysis of U.S. government research, published in the journal Environmental Health, found that FCC limits need to be reduced by at least 200 times to protect against an excess cancer risk of one per 100,000, the level typically used by the EPA to determine safety limits for environmental hazards. The ICBE-EMF also has a policymakers factsheet for governments. 

What do experts say about cell tower radiation?   

“There is no consensus for wireless safety. The International EMF Scientist Appeal, a petition submitted to the United Nations and signed by more than 260 scientists who have published over 2,000 peer-reviewed papers on EMF, biology and health, states that the current wireless RF radiation human exposure guidelines set by the FCC and other national and international organizations such as ICNIRP do not adequately protect against health risks.  In addition, numerous medical organizations and public health experts recommend reducing exposure as substantial evidence exists pointing to serious risks.”

According to ICBE-EMF:

  • Current FCC cell tower RF exposure limits are based only on short-term heating effects and ignore decades of peer-reviewed research reporting biological effects at lower, non-heating exposure levels.
  • The FCC’s limits do not account for long-term exposure, children’s greater vulnerability, cumulative exposures, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, or documented impacts on wildlife and ecosystems.
  • A rapidly expanding body of peer-reviewed research demonstrates that RF radiation from wireless infrastructure, including cell towers and 5G small cells, can produce harmful biological effects at levels below current FCC and ICNIRP limits.
  • Studies of people living near cell towers report increased biomarkers of DNA damage, oxidative stress, hormonal disruption, sleep disturbance, neurological symptoms, and increased cancer rates.
  • Children are uniquely vulnerable, as research shows children absorb higher rates of wireless RF radiation deeper into their more sensitive brains, as compared to adults. Further, research has also documented that cell phone radiation exposure can exceed limits when the phone is close to the body, and that Wi-Fi and cell towers can increase children’s exposure in schools. 

Human Exposure Limits for Cell Tower Radiation Have Not Been Updated Since 1996

The FCC’s RF radiation exposure limits for cell towers and cell phones have remained unchanged and without a comprehensive scientific review since 1996, despite the widespread deployment of smartphones, Wi-Fi, 4G, and 5G technologies.  

In 2021, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a remand order on the FCC’s decision not to update its human exposure limits for RF radiation, unchanged since 1996, when only a fraction of the cell towers and cell phones that we have today even existed. The court order found the FCC’s refusal to update the limits as “arbitrary and capricious” and mandated that the FCC show proper review of the record evidence regarding scientific research on the effects of long-term exposure, effects on children, as well as on wildlife and the environment. To date, the FCC has not complied. It has been nearly 5 years since the remand order was issued. The ICBE-EMF recommends a halt to the fast-tracking of cell towers in light of the failure of the FCC to respond to the Court order. 

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Power Lines, EMF, Childhood Leukemia, and Public Health: Dr. David Carpenter on the Science https://icbe-emf.org/power-lines-emf-childhood-leukemia-and-public-health-dr-david-carpenter-on-the-science/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:53:17 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=7110 Power Lines, EMF, Childhood Leukemia, and Public Health: Dr. David Carpenter on the Science What does decades of scientific research say about the health risk of EMF magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines and substations? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDtK9aZ8BSs In this in-depth interview, Dr. David O. Carpenter, a Harvard-trained physician and one of the world’s leading experts on… 

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Power Lines, EMF, Childhood Leukemia, and Public Health: Dr. David Carpenter on the Science

What does decades of scientific research say about the health risk of EMF magnetic fields from high-voltage power lines and substations?

In this in-depth interview, Dr. David O. Carpenter, a Harvard-trained physician and one of the world’s leading experts on electromagnetic fields (EMF), explains the science on powerline EMF health risk and why the magnetic fields from power lines remain an important health and safety issue. 

Dr. Carpenter has published over 500 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has edited six books. Among his numerous papers on non-ionizing electromagnetic fields, he published a major review of the research on EMF from power lines and cancer in the journal Environmental Research, which found magnetic field EMF exposure increases the risk of childhood leukemia. There is also scientific evidence for adult leukemia, brain and breast cancer. The review also compared industry-funded research to independently funded studies and found “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.”

“The evidence that magnetic fields increase the 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.”

-David Carpenter in Environmental Research “Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer: How source of funding affects results”

David O. Carpenter M.D. is Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment, a Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization, at the University at Albany. He is also a Commissioner of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields. Dr. Carpenter directed the New York State Power Lines Project, one of the largest government-funded research programs investigating the health effects of electric and magnetic fields. He discusses the history of EMF research, the evidence linking long-term exposure to magnetic fields with childhood leukemia, and why he believes scientific findings have been misunderstood and minimized.

 

Topics Covered in this Interview

  • The research linking high-voltage power lines to childhood leukemia
  • How industry-funded studies differed from independently funded research
  • Why U.S. research funding on ELF magnetic fields largely disappeared
  • Why substations and high-voltage transmission lines should not be located where children, athletes, or residents spend long periods of time
  • How buried transmission lines can substantially reduce magnetic field exposure

Dr. Carpenter also discusses why he believes policymakers should re-examine the extensive body of published EMF research and implement protections. He states that electricity is essential to modern society, but argues that infrastructure should be designed in ways that minimize unnecessary long-term exposure where people live, attend school, and spend significant amounts of time.

Watch the full interview to learn about the history of EMF research, the scientific evidence on magnetic fields from power lines, and what communities should know when evaluating new transmission line and substation projects.

Some recent scientific publications on high voltage transmission lines, magnetic fields, and cancer risk. 

  • A 2022 systematic review by Brabant et al. in Reviews on Environmental Health found that long-term exposure to magnetic fields above 0.4 µT (4 milligauss) was associated with increased risk of childhood leukemia, particularly acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
  • A 2021 meta-analysis of 33 studies concluded a significant association between powerline ELF exposure and childhood leukemia, with possible dose-response effects.
  • A study of children in Mexico City by Correa‐Correa et al. 2025 found children exposed 4 milligauss (ELF-EMF)  in their homes had a significantly increased risk of central nervous system tumors.  Prolonged tablet use also increased CNST risk, especially in children aged 6–10. Residential ELF-MF exposure was measured over 24 h. 
  • A study by Lowenthal et al. (2007), published in the Internal Medicine Journal, found that people who lived within 300 meters of high-voltage power lines during childhood had significantly elevated risks of lymphoproliferative and myeloproliferative disorders, including approximately threefold higher risk during the first 15 years of life and up to fivefold higher risk with exposure in early childhood.
  • A large 18-year nationwide cohort study of over 3.5 million people published in Environment International (2026) found increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s mortality associated with living close to electrical grid infrastructure like powerlines and substations.

IEEE and ICNIRP limits for magnetic fields do not protect from cancer risk

Dr. Carpenter explains that IEEE and ICNIRP limits primarily address short-term, acute effects (such as nerve stimulation), not long-term EMF exposure health effects. In 2002, the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that ELF-EMF magnetic fields are “possibly carcinogenic” to humans. The US does not have federal safety limits for magnetic field exposure, as the EPA was defunded decades ago. The often cited ICNIRP and IEEE exposure limits for fields at 60 Hz are 2,000–9,000 milligauss. However, the levels at which epidemiologic studies have reported associations with childhood leukemia are at 3–4 milligauss. 

Keywords: power lines, EMF, electromagnetic fields, magnetic fields, childhood leukemia, high-voltage transmission lines, substations, public health, Dr. David Carpenter, Harvard Medical School, environmental health, transmission lines, electric and magnetic fields, ELF EMF, power line safety, cancer risk, buried power lines, childhood cancer research.

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Government Brief: Wireless Radiation, EMF Exposure, Public Health and Environment Scientific Findings and Policy Recommendations https://icbe-emf.org/government-brief-wireless-radiation-emf-exposure-public-health-and-environment-scientific-findings-and-policy-recommendations/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:50:42 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=7070 Government Brief: Wireless Radiation, EMF Exposure, Public Health and Environment Scientific Research and Policy Recommendations of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields Download ICBE-EMF Policy Factsheet   The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) is an international commission of distinguished scientists and researchers in engineering, medicine, biology,… 

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Government Brief: Wireless Radiation, EMF Exposure, Public Health and Environment

Scientific Research and Policy Recommendations of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields

 

The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) is an international commission of distinguished scientists and researchers in engineering, medicine, biology, and public health, with decades of research focused on the biological effects of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF). 

The ICBE-EMF has created a factsheet for policymakers. Download PDF

We recommend science-based policies to protect public health and the environment. 5G, 6G, and wireless network densification should be halted until up-to-date, science-based regulations are in place as the science is now sufficient to support a risk mitigation approach.  Stronger safeguards, oversight and transparency measures are needed to ensure that health and environmental protections keep pace with the rapid expansion of wireless and electrical infrastructure. Public exposure to EMF should be dramatically reduced to protect our future.

ICBE-EMF has published several peer-reviewed papers:

  • ICBE-EMF paper in Environmental Health documents the scientific evidence indicating that current wireless radiation guidelines fail to protect public health.
  • ICBE-EMF paper in Environmental Health analyzing the cancer data from the $30 million U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) animal study with EPA methodology concluded that FCC/ICNIRP limits are at least 200 times too high to protect us from cancer risk with 8 hours per day of exposure.
  • ICBE-EMF paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health outlines practical engineering solutions to dramatically reduce cellphone radiation emissions.

What is the issue with cell towers, cell phones, 5G, and wireless networks?

  • Wireless radiofrequency (RF) radiation, a type of non-ionizing EMF, is currently regulated under exposure limits put forth by the FCC, ICNIRP, and IEEE. These limits are based on outdated science, inaccurate assumptions, and fail to reflect the growing body of evidence on health and environmental risk.
  • Daily exposures are increasing among all age groups and in all settings (home, school, workplace).
  • Hundreds of scientists are calling for stricter, evidence-based safety limits and policies to reduce exposure in order to protect public health and the environment.

Why do current human exposure guidelines for cell towers, cell phones, and wireless networks fail to protect the public?

  • Current FCC, IEEE and ICNIRP limits assume heat is the only harmful effect. These limits are based on studies conducted in the 1980s involving 40–60-minute exposures in 5 monkeys and 8 rats.
  • Significant scientific research has reported adverse effects at non-heating levels allowed by current regulations, including DNA damage, cancer, sperm damage, neurological effects, and oxidative stress.
  • Limits do not adequately protect the vulnerable: children, medically sensitive individuals, and the developing fetus. Research has found that children can absorb higher rates of wireless in their more sensitive developing brains and bodies.

Recommendations for Policymakers

  • Ensure a robust, independent scientific review of the research.
  • Update exposure limits so they are science-based and offer greater protection to the public’s health and our environment
  • Halt 5G and wireless network densification until up-to-date science-based regulations are in place.
  • Adopt a risk mitigation approach with policies that reduce exposures, especially for children, such as distancing cell towers and transmission lines from homes, and installing safer Ethernet connections in schools.
  • Fund independent bioeffects research
  • Strengthen transparency, compliance and oversight
  • Measure and monitor EMF levels with data posted on publicly accessible websites.  
  • Expand public awareness on why and how to reduce exposure
  • Promote industry research and designs that provide safer technology

Scientific References

ICBE-EMF Factsheets

ICBE-EMF Resources

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Scientists Call on Congress and FCC to Halt Cell Tower Fast-Track Proposals in Light of New Scientific Analysis on Wireless Radiation Health Risks https://icbe-emf.org/scientists-call-on-congress-and-fcc-to-halt-cell-tower-fast-track-proposals-in-light-of-new-scientific-analysis-on-wireless-radiation-health-risks/ Fri, 15 May 2026 06:14:36 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=7019 ICBE-EMF Letter to Congress and the FCC Calling to Halt Cell Tower Fast Track Proposal in Light of New Scientific Analysis on Cell Tower and Wireless Radiation Health Risks Letter to House and Senate leadership and the Federal Communications Commission warns that newly published peer-reviewed analysis indicates current federal wireless radiation limits may be set… 

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ICBE-EMF Letter to Congress and the FCC Calling to Halt Cell Tower Fast Track Proposal in Light of New Scientific Analysis on Cell Tower and Wireless Radiation Health Risks

Letter to House and Senate leadership and the Federal Communications Commission warns that newly published peer-reviewed analysis indicates current federal wireless radiation limits may be set hundreds of times too high to protect against cancer risk.

May 14, 2026

Berkeley, California: The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) just sent a scientific letter to U.S. Senate and House leadership and to the FCC Commissioner challenging federal proposals to allow the densification of cell towers near homes and schools without updating FCC wireless radiation limits.  ICBE-EMF maintains that the FCC’s 1996 human exposure limits for the radiofrequency radiation (RF) emitted by cell towers, cell phones, and wireless networks fail to adequately protect the public against cancer and other health effects. Unless Congress and the FCC ensure a formal review that takes into account the most recent scientific evidence, they “would be failing to protect public health,” cautioned the Commission’s scientists, an international consortium of scientists, physicians, and researchers with extensive expertise in the health effects of wireless and other non-ionizing electromagnetic field exposures.

The Commission’s letter specifically highlighted a newly published peer-reviewed paper in the journal Environmental Health by ICBE-EMF scientists Dr. Ronald Melnick, former senior toxicologist with the National Toxicology Program, and Dr. Joel Moskowitz of the University of California, Berkeley. Using results from a $30 million U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) cancer study, the researchers applied standard procedures developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and found that current RF exposure limits are at least 200 times too high to protect the public from cancer risk.

“Our analysis clearly demonstrates that the current FCC and ICNIRP limits for cell phones and wireless networks are structurally incapable of protecting human health. We urgently need governments to step up, abandon these obsolete guidelines, and conduct rigorous risk assessments using modern toxicological data,” stated Dr. Melnick. 

The scientists warned that if the FCC moves forward with plans to fast-track cell towers and wireless infrastructure by preempting local government control, as outlined in the FCC’s proposed “Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments” (NPRM 25-276), without first updating federal exposure limits to reflect the latest scientific research, Americans would effectively become “test subjects in an uncontrolled national radiation experiment, one conducted without consent, without monitoring, and without updated safety limits.”

The ICBE-EMF submitted a comprehensive scientific filing to the FCC in the “Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments” proceeding, detailing the latest scientific research on wireless radiation health effects, deficiencies in current FCC regulations, and the need for updated science-based protections. ICBE-EMF scientists also sent letters to both House and Senate committees in advance of their FCC oversight hearings calling for independent scientific review and greater oversight and accountability. This new letter expands upon those concerns by incorporating the findings from the latest publication. 

Watch a video below of Dr. Ronald Melnick sharing details of the paper when it was first published.  

About the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF)

ICBE-EMF is an international consortium of scientists, doctors, and researchers with expertise and peer-reviewed publications on the biological and health effects of electromagnetic fields, including wireless RF radiation. Wireless devices such as cell phones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi, and cell towers emit radiofrequency radiation. The Commission 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

 

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The International Commission On The Biological Effects Of Electromagnetic Fields: Collaboration on EMFs, Health, and the Environment https://icbe-emf.org/the-international-commission-on-the-biological-effects-of-electromagnetic-fields-collaboration-on-emfs-health-and-the-environment/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:36:48 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=6791 The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields ~Accomplishing More Together~ Elizabeth Kelley M.A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viMvq80zWHQ Vimeo Link, PDF of powerpoint slides  As exposure to cell tower radiation, cell phone emissions, wireless technologies, and power-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) continues to expand worldwide, the gap between scientific evidence and public policy is growing wider. In her… 

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The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields ~Accomplishing More Together~

Elizabeth Kelley M.A.

As exposure to cell tower radiation, cell phone emissions, wireless technologies, and power-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) continues to expand worldwide, the gap between scientific evidence and public policy is growing wider.

In her presentation “The International Commission On The Biological Effects Of Electromagnetic Fields ~Accomplishing More Together~,” Elizabeth Kelley, M.A., Managing Director of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), explains why independent science, global collaboration, and protective policy are urgently needed to protect human health and the environment 

Elizabeth Kelley is a longtime public health policy expert and EMF safety advocate with a background in public administration and health care policy, including work at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

She has worked on the issue for three decades and served as:

  • Managing Director of ICBE-EMF
  • President of the Electromagnetic Safety Alliance (ESA)
  • Director of the International EMF Scientist Appeal to the United Nations
  • Former Managing Director of the International Commission on Electromagnetic Safety (ICEMS)

 

Kelley traces today’s U.S. EMF policy challenges back to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, which launched the digital wireless era in the United States. Under Section 704, state and local governments were prohibited from regulating cell towers and wireless facilities based on   environmental effects, so long as installations complied with FCC radiofrequency exposure limits. Those limits, unchanged for nearly 30 years, were based on outdated assumptions that only tissue heating matters, ignoring non-thermal biological effects now widely reported in the scientific literature  

The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields 

The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) was established to address a critical gap: the lack of independent, biologically based evaluation of EMF health risks from:

  • Cell towers and small cells
  • Mobile phones and tablets
  • Wi-Fi and wireless networks
  • Power lines and electrical infrastructure (ELF-EMF)

ICBE-EMF’s objectives include:

  • Issuing science-based EMF guidelines
  • Publishing and reviewing peer-reviewed EMF research
  • Critiquing FCC and ICNIRP exposure assumptions
  • Engaging regulators, policymakers, manufacturers, and the public
  • Recommending risk mitigation measures and safer technology solutions
  • Maintaining a sustained public presence on EMF health issues 

The ICBE-EMF paper “Scientific evidence invalidates health assumptions underlying the FCC and ICNIRP exposure limit determinations for radiofrequency radiation: implications for 5G,” published in Environmental Health documents how the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Commission on Nonionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) have  ignored hundreds of scientific studies documenting adverse health effects at exposures below the threshold dose claimed by these agencies, which was used to establish human exposure limits. The FCC and ICNIRP limit threshold of harm for cell towers, cell phones, Wi-Fi and wireless is based on science from the 1980s and do not adequately protect workers, children, people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, and the public from exposure to the nonionizing radiation from wireless data transmission. 

The International EMF Scientist Appeal: Global Scientific Consensus

A major focus of Kelley’s work is the International EMF Scientist Appeal, initiated in 2015 and now signed by 250+ independent scientists from over 40 countries.

The Appeal calls for:

  • children and pregnant women should be protected;
  • guidelines and regulatory standards should be strengthened;
  • manufacturers should be encouraged to develop safer technology;
  • utilities responsible for the generation, transmission, distribution, and monitoring of electricity maintain adequate power quality and ensure proper electrical wiring to minimize harmful ground current;
  • the public be fully informed about the potential health risks from electromagnetic energy and taught harm reduction strategies;  
  • medical professionals be educated about the biological effects of electromagnetic energy and be provided training on the treatment of patients with electromagnetic hypersensitivity;  
  • governments fund training and research on electromagnetic fields and health that is independent of industry and mandate industry cooperation with researchers;  
  • media disclose experts’ financial relationships with industry when citing their opinions regarding health and safety aspects of EMF-emitting technologies; and
  • white-zones (radiation-free areas) be established.

The EMF Scientist Appeal is widely recognized as a credible international consensus statement, directly challenging the adequacy of existing RF exposure standards 

 

Safer Wireless Technology Is Achievable

Safer technology is possible now. ICBE-EMF has challenged manufacturers to adopt low-cost engineering solutions that can significantly reduce unnecessary radiation from cell phones and wireless devices without sacrificing performance in the ICBE-EMF 2023 paper “Cell Phone Radiation Exposure Limits and Engineering Solutions,” published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Learn More

Facts on Cell Phones, Wireless, Non-ionizing EMF and Health: The  ICBE-EMF  Question and Answer  on What You Need to Know

Government Safety Limits: Factsheet: Scientific Evidence Invalidates Health Assumptions of Government Exposure Limits for Radiofrequency Radiation (RFR): Implications for 5G 

Flaws of the WHO Reviews: Fact Sheet on Key Weaknesses of the WHO Funded Review on Cancer, Cell Phones And  Wireless Radiation 

Cell Phone Radiation Engineering Solutions: Cell Phone Radiation Exposure Limits and Engineering Solutions to Minimize User RF Radiation Exposure 

How to Protect Yourself: Safety Tips on Reducing Wireless Radiation Exposure

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U.S. And International Scientists Urge Congress to Question FCC Over Outdated Cell Tower Radiation Safety Limits https://icbe-emf.org/u-s-and-international-scientists-urge-congress-to-question-fcc-over-outdated-cell-tower-radiation-safety-limits/ Wed, 14 Jan 2026 13:19:29 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=6763 U.S. and International Scientists Urge Congress to Question FCC Over Outdated Cell Tower and Wireless Radiation Safety Limit The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields, experts on cell tower and wireless radiation, sent a letter to Congress ahead of the House oversight hearing January 14, 2026.  Washington, DC- “The FCC’s cell tower… 

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U.S. and International Scientists Urge Congress to Question FCC Over Outdated Cell Tower and Wireless Radiation Safety Limit

The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields, experts on cell tower and wireless radiation, sent a letter to Congress ahead of the House oversight hearing January 14, 2026. 

Washington, DC- “The FCC’s cell tower radiation limits are not science-based, not protective of public health, and have not been meaningfully reviewed since 1996,” warned the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) in a letter sent to members of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce ahead of today’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversight hearing.

The letter, signed by the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF)an international consortium of physicians and scientists with extensive expertise in electromagnetic field (EMF) health effects, urges Congress to press the FCC on its continued reliance on decades-old cell tower and wireless radiofrequency (RF) exposure limits that ignore a large body of peer-reviewed research documenting biological harm at non-thermal levels 

“The FCC’s current standards are based almost entirely on preventing short-term tissue heating and fail to account for chronic exposure, children’s vulnerability, or the extensive scientific evidence of biological effects below FCC limits,” the Commission wrote.

ICBE-EMF highlighted findings from large-scale animal studies conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program and the Ramazzini Institute, both of which reported increased brain and heart tumors following long-term RF exposure. 

ICBE-EMF reminded lawmakers that in 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ordered the FCC to explain why it has not updated its RF exposure limits, finding that the agency failed to address evidence of harm at levels below its guidelines. According to the Commission, the FCC has still not complied with that court order.  

“Without updated safety limits or a comprehensive scientific review, the FCC is effectively treating American communities as subjects in an uncontrolled national experiment.”

“The public cannot be assured of safety, and Congress cannot exercise meaningful oversight, without a transparent accounting of the scientific basis for continued reliance on outdated RF exposure limits,” the Commission concluded.

John Frank, MD, ICBE-EMF Chairperson; physician and epidemiologist, University of Edinburgh; Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, stated: 

“Current government limits for wireless exposure based on the FCC and ICNIRP do not ensure safety.  Based on hundreds of studies published over the past 30 years showing adverse effects at non-heating levels, far lower than the regulations allow,  the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields is calling for a halt to the introduction of new technologies and immediate action to reduce public exposure. We caution all governments that the science clearly demonstrates that both the U.S. FCC and ICNIRP limits are fundamentally flawed.”

Dr. Joel Moskowitz, ICBE-EMF Commissioner, Director of the Center for Family and Community Health at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley stated: 

“The FCC’s current limits for cell‑tower and wireless‑device radiation were developed decades ago and do not reflect today’s real‑world patterns of continuous exposure. These limits also do not incorporate considerations for children’s heightened vulnerability or the growing body of peer‑reviewed research reporting neurological, reproductive, immunological, and environmental effects at exposure levels below current FCC thresholds. From a public‑health standpoint, governments should take steps to reduce population‑wide exposure, with particular attention to protecting children.”

Ronald Melnick, Ph.D. Past Chair, ICBE-EMF, now Senior Advisor; former Senior Toxicologist, National Toxicology Program, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences, stated: 

“The current human exposure limits for wireless radiation, established by the FCC in 1996, are based on behavioral studies of a single effect from the 1980s, in which small groups of rats and monkeys were exposed to a limited number of sessions for no more than one hour. At that time, the prevailing assumption was that no adverse effects would occur if increases in body temperature were less than one degree centigrade. These studies are inadequate for setting health protective exposure limits.” 

“Until science-based exposure limits are properly established, especially for vulnerable populations, such as children and pregnant women, health agencies need to educate the public and promote practical ways to reduce exposures.  In addition, public areas with low wireless radiation levels need to be established for susceptible and highly sensitive individuals.”

ICBE-EMF Documents

About the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF):

ICBE-EMF is an international consortium of scientists, doctors, and researchers with expertise and peer-reviewed publications on the biological and health effects of electromagnetic fields, including wireless RF radiation. Wireless devices such as cell phones, cordless phones, Wi-Fi, and cell towers emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation. The Commission 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

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Scientists Warn the FCC: Fast-Tracking Cell Towers Risks Public Health and the Environment https://icbe-emf.org/scientists-warn-the-fcc-fast-tracking-cell-towers-risks-public-health-and-the-environment/ Thu, 18 Dec 2025 03:52:07 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=6639 Scientists Warn the FCC: Fast-Tracking Cell Towers Risks Public Health and the Environment FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, DC — The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), an international consortium of physicians and scientists, has formally cautioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that U.S. cell tower and wireless radiation guidelines are outdated,… 

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Scientists Warn the FCC: Fast-Tracking Cell Towers Risks Public Health and the Environment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, DC — The International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), an international consortium of physicians and scientists, has formally cautioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that U.S. cell tower and wireless radiation guidelines are outdated, scientifically unsupported, and fail to protect public health.

In comments submitted to the FCC in response to its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, “Build America: Eliminating Barriers to Wireless Deployments” (WT Docket No. 25-276), which proposes a series of measures to override local city and state governments to speed deployment of cell towers and wireless infrastructure across the United States of America. 

ICBE-EMF stated that it is “challenging the safety of the FCC’s wireless radiation exposure limits and is calling for an independent evaluation before the FCC moves to fast-track cell towers and wireless infrastructure across the nation.” 

ICBE-EMF warned of cell tower health risks, stating that “cell towers, 5G and wireless infrastructure should not be fast-tracked as this will increase public exposure to RF radiation, an environmental exposure that decades of scientific research has associated with numerous health and environmental harms.” 

Regarding the FCC limits for human exposure, ICBE-EMF stated, “U.S. limits on allowable exposures to RF radiation, unchanged since 1996, are not science-based and do not protect the public.”

According to the filing, “the outdated 1996 limits are based on scientifically unsupported assumptions, focusing only on short-term heating effects while ignoring the extensive peer-reviewed published scientific evidence of biological harm at lower, non-heating levels.” ICBE-EMF further stated that FCC limits “do not account for long-term health effects, children’s vulnerability, cumulative exposures, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, or the documented impacts on wildlife and ecosystems.” 

Citing large bodies of peer-reviewed scientific research, ICBE-EMF explained that “many studies have demonstrated oxidative effects associated with exposure to low-intensity RF radiation, and significant adverse effects including cardiomyopathy, carcinogenicity (brain and thyroid cancer), DNA damage, neurological disorders, increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier, and sperm damage.” 

The filing also referenced a recent World Health Organization-commissioned systematic review, stating that it reported “high certainty” evidence linking radiofrequency radiation exposure to cancer in laboratory animals, and concluded that “the long-standing assumption that current government limits are based on — that cell phone RF radiation can only cause harm through tissue heating — is wrong.” 

ICBE-EMF warned that the FCC’s proposal to fast-track cell towers would also harm the environment, stating that “The FCC’s plan to proliferate cell towers would put flora and fauna at risk. The FCC has not established guidelines to protect non-human species from RF radiation even though there is a large and growing body of evidence that demonstrates the biological effects of RF radiation on animals and plants.” 

The Commission further criticized the FCC for failing to comply with a federal court mandate, stating that “to date, the FCC has not complied” with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ 2021 order requiring the agency to justify its refusal to update wireless radiation limits and to examine long-term health and environmental effects, particularly for children. 

ICBE then addressed the FCC’s proposals to preempt local rules that are RF related based on Section 704 of the Telecom Act stating, “The FCC’s reliance on Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act to preempt local consideration of environmental and health impacts is unjustified because the Commission has not conducted any meaningful review of RF radiation effects, nor ensured that any federal agency is doing so. Without updated safety limits, NEPA analysis, or an up-to-date current scientific evaluation, the FCC cannot continue to claim that health and environmental impacts may not be considered by local governments. Because the Commission has failed to perform the very scientific and environmental oversight that Congress presumed when enacting Section 704, it cannot lawfully claim that state and local governments are barred from considering impacts the FCC itself has never reviewed.” 

This came at the same time the organization submitted a letter to members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ahead of the December 17, 2025, FCC oversight hearing, urging lawmakers to question the FCC’s continued reliance on its 1996 wireless radio-frequency (RF) radiation exposure limits for cell towers and wireless networks. 

Download PDF of the ICBE-EMF Submission to the FCC 

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Wireless, Non-ionizing Radiation and Children’s Health at School: Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe Lecture https://icbe-emf.org/wireless-wi-fi-emf-risks-to-childrens-health-dr-erica-mallery-blythe-lecture/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:13:29 +0000 https://icbe-emf.org/?p=6539 Wireless, Non-ionizing Radiation and Children’s Health at School A Presentation by Dr. Erica Mallery Blythe In this presentation, Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe — a UK-based medical doctor with a decade of experience working within the UK National Health System hospital care and sixteen years of research following this in the field of biological effects of electromagnetic… 

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Wireless, Non-ionizing Radiation and Children's Health at School

A Presentation by Dr. Erica Mallery Blythe

In this presentation, Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe — a UK-based medical doctor with a decade of experience working within the UK National Health System hospital care and sixteen years of research following this in the field of biological effects of electromagnetic fields, addresses the impact of wireless, non-ionizing radiation on children’s health at school.

Speaking to educators, parents, and policymakers, Dr. Mallery-Blythe explains that while society has long accepted wireless technology as harmless, modern research tells a very different story.

We Are Electromagnetic Beings

Dr. Mallery-Blythe begins with a reminder that life itself is electromagnetic. “At the most basic level, we are electromagnetic,” she says. Every heartbeat, every neuron firing in the brain, depends on electromagnetism.

The Myth of “Harmless” Non-Ionizing Radiation

For decades, the non-ionizing portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as Wi-Fi and cell towers, was considered harmless at low doses — unlike X-rays or gamma rays, which can ionize atoms and damage DNA. But according to Dr. Mallery-Blythe, “all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum can interact with our biology”.

Evidence now indicates that even at low intensities, radiofrequency (RF) radiation — the same frequencies used for Wi-Fi and cell phones — can interact with the body in measurable ways.

Unfortunately, existing exposure limits of the FCC and ICNIRP are based on outdated science. The current exposure limits assume harm occurs only if tissue is over-heated, but they do not protect for the harmful effects of long-term cumulative exposure.

Dr. Mallery-Blythe and her colleagues at the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) published a peer-reviewed paper which “mapped out 14 assumptions which are invalid underlying the current exposure limits.”

Children, she warns, are not adequately protected. “They used the exposure values from adults to set restrictions for children.”

Children Are Especially Vulnerable

Differences in the anatomy, physiology and permittivity of children can make them more vulnerable and children can absorb relatively more radiation compared to adults. Dr. Mallery-Blythe cites research showing “five-fold increases in the delicate eyes of a child and up to 30-fold in substructures within the brain such as the hippocampus.”

These exposures are not hypothetical. In classrooms filled with Wi-Fi routers, tablets, and laptops, radiation levels can be significantly increased — especially during activities like video streaming, where multiple devices are transmitting simultaneously.

Documented Biological Effects

Dr. Mallery-Blythe outlines several biological mechanisms observed in both laboratory and epidemiological studies, including oxidative stress — a process that accelerates cellular aging and has been implicated in cancer, infertility, and neurological disorders.

She points to animal research from the U.S. National Toxicology Program and Italy’s Ramazzini Institute, which both found the same cancers — gliomas and schwannomas — in rodents exposed to RF radiation.

Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: A Growing Concern

Dr. Mallery-Blythe also highlights the condition known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) — characterized by headaches, dizziness, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and skin symptoms triggered by EMF exposure. She cautions that some children and adults are now so severely affected they “cannot go to school safely or even access their own home without symptoms.”

What Schools Can Do

Rather than waiting for policy to catch up, Dr. Mallery-Blythe urges schools to take immediate risk reduction measures. She notes that “radiofrequency radiation below limits can induce serious biological damage” and that present safety standards must be revised to protect children. She calls for schools to conduct proper risk assessments, especially in the setting of a child or member of staff who has acute or chronic health challenges which could be linked to EMFs and for governments to enact policies to reduce exposure.

She emphasizes, “Children are especially vulnerable, and hardwired internet services can immediately be used to protect children at school.”

Simple steps can make a difference:

  • Replace Wi-Fi with hardwired Ethernet connections
  • Use hardwired phones in schools for staff and students
  • Use Faraday pouches or boxes to store mobile phones
  • Educate staff and parents about how to reduce exposure

The bottom line is that science has advanced, but government policies have not. We have the tools to make schools safer right now through wired technology, informed choices, and public awareness.

Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe

Dr. Erica Mallery-Blythe is a Special Expert at the International Commission on Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) and Founder of Physicians’ Health Initiative for Radiation and Environment (PHIRE). She is a UK trained medical doctor with a decade of experience within hospital medicine. Emergency trauma medicine was her area of expertise in hospital, and in training for this specialty she has a broad base of medical experience including surgery, anesthetics, obstetrics, paediatrics and intensive care (both neonatal and adult). She has worked in hospital emergency rooms, led trauma teams, taught on trauma medicine courses throughout the UK and abroad and was selected to instruct doctors on teaching within medicine for Advanced Trauma and Life Support (ATLS)

References:

Davis, D., Birnbaum, L., Ben-Ishai, P., Taylor, H., Sears, M., Butler, T., & Scarato, T. (2023). Wireless technologies, non-ionizing electromagnetic fields and children: Identifying and reducing health risks. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 53(2),101374.  

 

International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF), (2022). Scientific evidence

invalidates health assumptions underlying the FCC and ICNIRP exposure limit

determinations for radiofrequency radiation: implications for 5G. Environ

Health. Oct 18;21(1):92.  

 

Schuermann, D., & Mevissen, M. (2021). Manmade Electromagnetic Fields and Oxidative Stress—Biological Effects and Consequences for Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(7), 3772.

 

Yakymenko, I., Tsybulin, O., Sidorik, E., Henshel, D., Kyrylenko, O., & Kyrylenko, S. (2016). Oxidative mechanisms of biological activity of low-intensity radiofrequency radiation. Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, 35(2), 186–202.

 

Henshaw DL, Philips A. A mechanistic understanding of human magnetoreception validates the phenomenon of electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). Int J Radiat Biol. 2024 Dec 9:1-19. doi: 10.1080/09553002.2024.2435329. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39652433.

 

Maluin, S. M., Osman, K., Jaffar, F. H. F., & Ibrahim, S. F. (2021). Effect of Radiation Emitted by Wireless Devices on Male Reproductive Hormones: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Physiology, 12.

 

Norton Escopelli Soares , Giovani Bulla , Claudio E. Fernández-Rodríguez , Alvaro A. A. de Salles. “SAR Estimations in a Classroom with Wireless Computers” Journal of Microwaves, Optoelectronics and Electromagnetic Applications, Vol. 24, No. 2, e2025288526 May 2025 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2179-10742025v24i3288526

 

Fernández, C., de Salles, A. A., Sears, M. E., Morris, R. D., & Davis, D. L. (2018). Absorption of wireless radiation in the child versus adult brain and eye from cell phone conversation or virtual reality. Environmental Research, 167, 694–699.

 

Falcioni, L., Bua, L., Tibaldi, E., Lauriola, M., De Angelis, L., Gnudi, F., Mandrioli, D., Manservigi, M., Manservisi, F., Manzoli, I., Menghetti, I., Montella, R., Panzacchi, S., Sgargi, D., Strollo, V., Vornoli, A., & Belpoggi, F. (2018). Report of final results regarding brain and heart tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to mobile phone radiofrequency field representative of a 1.8 GHz GSM base station environmental emission. Environmental Research, 165, 496–503.

 

Hardell, L., & Carlberg, M. (2019). Comments on the US National Toxicology Program technical reports on toxicology and carcinogenesis study in rats exposed to whole-body radiofrequency radiation at 900 MHz and in mice exposed to whole-body radiofrequency radiation at 1,900 MHz. International Journal of Oncology, 54(1), 111–127.

 

Moon, J., Kwon, J. & Mun, Y. Relationship between radiofrequency-electromagnetic radiation from cellular phones and brain tumor: meta-analyses using various proxies for RF-EMR exposure-outcome assessment. Environ Health 23, 82 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-024-01117-8

 

John W. Frank, Joel M. Moskowitz, Ronald L. Melnick, Lennart Hardell, Alasdair Philips, Paul Héroux, Elizabeth Kelley. The Systematic Review on RF-EMF Exposure and Cancer by Karipidis et al. (2024) has Serious Flaws that Undermine the Validity of the Study’s Conclusions. Environment International, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.109200. 

 

Mevissen M, Ward JM, Kopp-Schneider A, McNamee JP, Wood AW, Rivero TM, Thayer K, Straif K. Effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMF) on cancer in laboratory animal studies. Environ Int. 2022 Mar;161:107106. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.10710


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