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At a scientific conference on
27th November 2007 entitled-"Are Present ICNIRP EMF Exposure Recommendations
Adequate?", hosted by Roger Coghill and Robert Verkerk,
at the Royal Society, London,
scientists endorsed the BioInitiative Report, extended the 2006 Benevento
Resolution and resolved that:
"We, the undersigned, do call on theUKHealth Protection Agency (HPA), UK Government and all the health protection
agencies and governments world-wide, to take note of the findings and
recommendations in the Bioinitiative Report (2007) [1] and its predecessors the
Benevento Resolution (2006) [2], the Catania Resolution (2002) [3] and the Salzburg Resolution (2000) [4] to immediately reduce the guidelines for exposure to radiofrequency radiation (RF) and extremely low-frequency
electromagnetic1 fields (ELF-EMF) for the following
reasons:
•
The overwhelming evidence of adverse non-thermal
health effects at exposures many times below the current guide lines.
•
The near 100% penetration of the market in Europe,
the USA
and many other markets by mobile phones and increasing penetration elsewhere.
•
The vast proliferation of wireless networks and
devices beyond those envisaged at the time the current guidelines were set.
We call for the ICNIRP to reconvene as a matter of urgency to
reassess the exposure guidelines and to develop and implement biologically
based public safety limits reflecting the overall scientific evidence that
existing ICNIRP guidelines are not sufficiently protective against health
effects from chronic exposures to the rapidly increasing environmental-level
ELF-EMF and RF.
Failing that
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We call for the setting up of an independent body to
define new biologically based public exposure limits and/or preventative
actions, for ELF-EMF and RF, that address reported biological effects, which,
with prolonged exposure, can reasonably be presumed to result in adverse health
consequences.
-
In the absence of such recommendations we suggest as
an intermediate step that the HPA and UK Government immediately implement the
ELF-EMF and RF recommendations of the BioInitiative Report 2007 and strive for
the recommendations of the Public Health Department of the Government of
Salzburg (2002) of 0.06 V/m for outdoor and 0.02 V/m for indoor RF exposure.
Based on the precautionary principle, children and vulnerable groups (such as
people with epilepsy and heart conditions)
should not be exposed to a risk of harm, thus we propose that
-
Children under 16 should use mobile phones and
cordless phones for emergency calls only.
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No Wi-fi, WiMax or other forms of wireless
networking are placed in homes, schools or public areas or promoted for use
thereof.
-
That regular and frequent independent audits are
undertaken of emissions to ensure that base stations ("masts") do not exceed
the new biologically based guidelines at any locality either singly or by
accumulation. Such audits should be widely publicised and made available for
public scrutiny. The precautionary principle needs to be implemented."
Signed:
Dr. Christopher Busby,
Subcontractor, Policy Interpretation Network on Children's Health and
Environment (PINCHE), Liverpool/Aberystwyth, UK
Mr. Roger Coghill,MA(Cantab) C Biol Mi BiolMA(Environ Mgt), Coghill Research Laboratories, Pontypool,Wales, UK
Dr. AndrewGoldsworthy, Honorary Lecturer, Imperial
College, London, UK
Dr. Lennart Hardell, University
Hospital, Orebro
University,Orebro, Sweden
Prof. Olle Johansson, Experimental Dermatology Unit, Department of Neuroscience,
Karolinska Institute, Sweden, and The Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Dr. Gerd Oberfeld, Public Health Department, Salzburg Government, Salzburg, Austria
Mr. Alasdair Philips, B.Sc. (Eng), Director, Powerwatch, Sutton in the Isle, UK
Mr. Graham Philips, MBCS, Technical Manager, Powerwatch, Ely, UK
Ms Cindy Sage, Co-Editor, BioInitiative Report, Santa Barbara CA,
USA
Dr. JohnWalker, Chartered Physicist, Sutton Coldfield, UK
References
[1] BioInitiative Report, http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/docs/report.pdf
[2] Benevento Resolution, Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine,
25, 2006, pp. 197-200, http://www.icems.eu/docs/BeneventoResolution.pdf
[3] Catania Resolution, http://www.plattform-mobilfunk-initiativen.at/englisch/CATANIA
eng.pdf
The London Resolution has now been published here and here .
The Following Scientists and Individuals were speakers at the Conference held at the Royal Society from which the London Resolution has come.
Prof Olle Johansson has published over 300 peer reviewed papers, many in the
field of EMF bioeffects. He lectures frequently on this issue, and
conducts experimental research on weak field effects on surface
tissues. Sweden is the only country in the World that recognise EHS as
a disability.
Dr
Lennart Hardell is
professor in oncology and cancer epidemiology at the University
Hospital in Orebro, Sweden. Most of his research has been on risk
factors for cancer such as exposure to pesticides and persistent
organic pollutants. During recent years he and his co-workers have
studied use of cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for
brain tumours. This research is independently funded unlike the Interphone studies.
Roger
Coghill has for over twenty years directed an independent
bioelectromagnetics laboratory in South Wales, specialising on the
interactions between the physical energies of electricity and magnetism
and organic life.
Eileen O'Connor, a breast cancer
victim, campaigns extensively for regulatory recognition of the adverse
effects of cellphone masts.
Read her story here (pdf).
Dr. Gerd Oberfeld is
responsible for environmental medicine and since 1994 has been
adviser for environmental medicine of the Austrian Medical
Association being responsible for the postgraduate course in
Environmental Medicine. His
Government warn that WiFi should not be used in schools. It also has
the lowest exposure guidelines in the World.
Dr. John Walker is a Chartered Physicist who lives in Sutton Coldfield
Dr
Christopher Busby, Subcontractor, Policy Interpretation Network on
Children's Health and Environment (PINCHE) - The PINCHE-project is a
Policy Interpretation Network on Children's Health and Environment
that is funded by the European Union for three years. The PINCHE
project is designed to provide decision makers, environmental health
professionals, and other stakeholders with information relevant for
policy development. This will help making decisions about issues in
the area of children's health and environment.
Dr Robert Verkerk is from The
Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) was founded in 2002 and is a
UK-based, internationally-active, non-governmental organization,
working to help positively shape the regulatory and scientific
framework affecting natural health.
Cindy
Sage is a first author of the Bioinitiative review of scientific
literature on EMF bioeffects, a review which concluded that the
ICNIRP guidelines are inadequate to protect public health.
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