Cahier de la recherche n°20: “Radiofrequencies and health – Understanding where research stands (PDF) 

Machine Translated by Google:

https://www.emfsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/22-11-ED-Cahiers-de-la-recherche_20-2.pdf

ANSES – Research Papers No 20 – Health, Environment, Labor – November 2022

Radiofrequencies and Health: Understand where the research stands May 2021-November 2022

ANSES and the health effects of radiofrequencies (translated)

Development of communications technologies translates into a wide variety of objects, connected devices and wireless services using radio frequencies: baby monitors, security cameras headphones, glasses, watches, key rings, blood pressure monitors… This exponential growth is not without raising questions that are the subject of permanent news both from a scientific and regulatory point of view and from a political and societal point of view.

The growth in uses is likely to increase the exposure of the general population via new fixed transmitters, new mobile equipment or new uses (e.g. equipment worn close to the body, even inside the body or even the skin).

For several years, ANSES has been involved in expert appraisal activities in almost all areas of the
non-ionizing electromagnetic spectrum: from extremely low frequencies to millimeter waves. With
regard to the deployment of 5G technologies, the Agency collaborated with the ANFR to collect the
first public exposure measurements taken before and after the commissioning of 5G on 1,500 sites
located in France. In addition, from 20 April to 1 June 2021, it carried out an open consultation during which citizens could make contributions and comments on the expert report published in April 2021. Hence ANSES’s updated opinion of February 2022 supported by an expert report supplemented and enriched with new data.

In view of the rapid evolution of technologies which leads to the exploitation of new frequency
bands (such as those of 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz for 5G, in France), it seems essential, on the one hand,
to adapt the methodologies for measuring and evaluating exposure and, on the other hand, to study the biological and health effects of electromagnetic waves in these frequency bands. To date, the number of users and 5G traffic are still limited in France in the 3.5 GHz band, while the 26 GHz band is not yet exploited by mobile telephone operators. ANSES’s mission is part of a developing context and the data available in the literature are still scarce.

To estimate the impact of 5G technologies on health and the environment, the Agency regularly
continues its scientific monitoring and updating work. Following the recent production of numerous
data from new mechanistic studies, but also from epidemiological studies such as Mobi-kids
(December 2021) or the key study of the “National Toxicology Program” (August 2020) on the
development of tumors in rodents exposed to mobile telephone signals, an expert appraisal
examining the carcinogenic effects of radiofrequencies is underway at ANSES, all frequency bands
combined.

Finally, ANSES invests in the production of new scientific knowledge by supporting research on the health effects of radiofrequencies. This Cahier de la Recherche presents eleven projects funded between 2017 and 2020 via the call for research projects; “radiofrequencies and health” of the national environment-health-work research program (PNR EST). So-called exploratory investigation projects (PIE) also make it possible to acquire new knowledge in response to questions raised by civil society, for example on the symptoms declared near relay antennas, hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields or even the exposure to new mobile telecommunications signals including 5G. The need for this type of project was identified thanks to the dialogue initiated since 2011 with associative or professional stakeholders within the framework of the “Radiofrequency and health” dialogue committee.

Professor Benoit VALLET
Director General, ANSES

Notebooks of the research on the Agency’s website: https://www.anses.fr/fr/content/les-cahiers-de-la-recherche

Note to readers: The presentations of the research projects reflect the points of view of the partner scientific teams and do not commit either the supervising Ministries or ANSES and the associated partners. For any questions, the contacts are indicated at the top of each article.

Summary

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13 Jul 2022

To date, 30 different models of mobile phones with non compliant SARs have been either withdrawn from the French market or have had their Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) updated by software.

Read more at:

https://tinyurl.com/5aha9hcp

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Cédric Leterme 28/07/2020

Almost everyone is convinced that Africa’s economic and social development is dependent upon its “digital transformation”. Yet the continent is already paying a heavy social, economic and maybe above all environmental price for the development of these technologies. Under these conditions, can we imagine a digital development that is both equitable and sustainable for Africa, but also on a global scale?

“Digital Economy for Africa Initiative” (DE4A, World Bank), “Africa E-commerce Agenda” (WEF/ITC), “Nairobi Manifesto on the Digital Economy and Inclusive Development in Africa” (UNCTAD)… », there are countless international initiatives aimed at helping Africa seize the opportunities offered by the “digital revolution”. They echo the multiplication of similar initiatives by African States themselves, both at the national level (e.g. “Digital Senegal 2025”, “Smart Rwanda Master Plan”, “Kenya Digital Economy Blueprint”, etc.) and at the regional level (e.g. the African Union’s “Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa”).

These initiatives are all aimed at addressing the fact that Africa is consistently arriving last (on average) in the different rankings that try to measure digital development [1]. This situation is all the more problematic as digital development is seen as a prerequisite for economic and social development in general, not to mention the promises it is supposed to hold for the “inclusion” of the most marginalized population groups, such as youth and women, for example.

There would therefore be a need for a “digital catch-up” for Africa, as urgent as necessary. The consensus is so broad on this issue, that the only thing that still seems to be debated is the conditions under which the continent would be best able to benefit from digital technologies and the digital economy. A good example of this is the ongoing WTO negotiations on “e-commerce” [2]. The majority of African countries – and many actors of international civil society – consider that the envisaged rules could harm the interests of the countries of the Global South in general, and of African countries in particular. Nevertheless, the question of whether digital technology itself is not as problematic is rarely, if ever, raised. “The digital economy is here, whether we like it or not, the question is how to make the most of it,” this is more or less what one hears from most people interested or involved in Africa’s digital development, including from a progressive perspective [3].

Yet, as with “development” [4] in general, it seems clear that it is neither desirable nor even possible for Africa to follow the same digital trajectory as the most “advanced” countries in this area, particularly for environmental reasons. Indeed, digital activities are very far from the immateriality that is generally attributed to them [5]. On the contrary, it is becoming one of the main sources of environmental degradation, and Africa is likely to pay the heaviest price.

Environmentally destructive technologies

This is the case, first of all, because many of the raw materials needed for the production and operation of the various digital devices come from Africa. The production of smartphones, for example, requires the use of metals (more than 40), some of which are found in very limited quantities and whose extraction has a particularly high environmental cost: deforestation, water pollution, mining waste, greenhouse gas emissions, etc. One of the best known cases is that of cobalt, a key metal for the manufacture of lithium batteries, which are found in particular in laptops and smartphones. Currently, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alone provides 60% of the world’s supply, with terrifying environmental and health consequences, not to mention human rights abuses and the geopolitical destabilization that accompanies them [6]. While this may be seen as an extreme case, it masks a more general reality: the digital economy is based on an “extractivism” that is at least as destructive and unsustainable for Africa as “traditional” industries.

The second problem is that the ever more massive and intensive use of digital technologies is also causing a colossal increase in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In a study relayed by The Guardian, Swedish researcher Ander Andrae was alarmed by a trend that is only increasing: “We have a tsunami of data approaching. Everything which can be is being digitalized. It is a perfect storm. 5G [the fifth generation of mobile technology] is coming, IP [internet protocol] traffic is much higher than estimated, and all cars and machines, robots and artificial intelligence are being digitalized, producing huge amounts of data which is stored in data centers.” [7] As a result, digital technology alone is expected to consume 20% of the world’s electricity by 2025 and to account for 14% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, thus contributing to global warming, the consequences of which are already disproportionately felt in Africa.

Read more at:

https://www.alainet.org/en/articulo/208136

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STEFI, A.; SKOUROLIAKOU, K.; MARGARITIS, L.; VASSILACOPOULOU, D. Pulsed Telecommunication Signals of Non-ionizing Radiation Affect Amyloid Precursor Protein and α-Synuclein Metabolism in Non-neural Human Cells. Preprints 2020, 2020080587 (doi: 10.20944/preprints202008.0587.v1).

Abstract

The expanding use of devices emitting Pulsed Telecommunication Signals (PTS) has launched a serious debate over the possible effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on living organisms. Our previous work has indicated that PTS exposure alters Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and alpha-synuclein (α-syn) metabolism in human cells of neural origin, providing a possible connection between exposure and neurodegeneration. This investigation aimed to reveal, in vitro in human non-neural cells (HEK293), the aftermath of the same exposure on the processing of APP and α-syn. Data presented here, indicate changes in APP metabolism, acquisition of different cellular topologies of the newly generated APP fragments, changes in monomeric α-syn accumulation and multimerization, indicating that APP and α-syn processing is possibly altered in the periphery by EMR. These effects are accompanied by a substantial increase in the levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Further investigation is required in order to provide insights into the interaction of PTS with non-neural cells affecting the peripheral systemic functional stability. This is necessary because nowadays whole body human exposure from various EMR sources is a fact in normal life with the valid estimation that they may be increased in view of the forthcoming 5G telecommunications network implementation.

https://www.emfsa.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/preprints202008.0587.v1-2.pdf

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Abstract

The correlation between long-term exposure to SRF-EMR and the decline in male fertility is gradually receiving increasing attention from the medical society. While male reproductive organs are often exposed to SRF-EMR, little is currently known about the direct effects of long-term SRF-EMR exposure on the testes and its involvement in the suppression of male reproductive potential. The present study was designed to investigate this issue by using 4G SRF-EMR in rats. A unique exposure model using a 4G smartphone achieved localized exposure to the scrotum of the rats for 6 h each day (the smartphone was kept on active talk mode and received an external call for 1 min over 10 min intervals). Results showed that SRF-EMR exposure for 150 days decreased sperm quality and pup weight, accompanied by testicular injury. However, these adverse effects were not evident in rats exposed to SRF-EMR for 50 days or 100 days. Sequencing analysis and western blotting suggested Spock3 overexpression in the testes of rats exposed to SRF-EMR for 150 days. Inhibition of Spock3 overexpression improved sperm quality decline and alleviated testicular injury and BTB disorder in the exposed rats. Additionally, SRF-EMR exposure suppressed MMP2 activity, while increasing the activity of the MMP14–Spock3 complexes and decreasing MMP14–MMP2 complexes; these results were reversed by Spock3 inhibition. Thus, long-term exposure to 4G SRF-EMR diminished male fertility by directly disrupting the Spock3–MMP2–BTB axis in the testes of adult rats. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show direct toxicity of SRF-EMR on the testes emerging after long-term exposure.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31514029/

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“To assure safety, the Federal Government requires that cell phones meet radiofrequency (RF) exposure guidelines. If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is ON and connected to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF radiation. Refer to the instructions in your phone or user manual for information about how to use your phone safely.”

The three judges who heard the case on September 13, 2016 for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s denial of the industry association’s request for a preliminary injunction. The panel determined that “there was no irreparable harm based on the First Amendment or preemption, that the balance of equities tipped in Berkeley’s favor, that the ordinance was in the public interest, and that an injunction would harm that interest.”

Although the federal appeals court hearing only addresses the industry’s request for a preliminary injunction, the ruling bodes well for the City because the industry’s argument in the overall case for killing the ordinance is based upon the First Amendment and federal preemption. The court rejected those arguments stating that that the ordinance is in the public interest as it complements and reinforces existing Federal law and policy.

The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit can be downloaded from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B14R6QNkmaXuSm9PZ0lsM1pKeEE/view

Statement by Dr. Devra Davis on the Landmark California Court Ruling Upholding the Berkeley Cell Phone Ordinance:

In a clear victory for the public right to know with a landmark court decision, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld the City of Berkeley’s ordinance requiring phone sellers make public typically hidden advice about distances used for cell phone testing. In an April 21, 2017 filing, the Court decisively rejected the industry argument that making that advice public deprived them of their First Amendment rights.

First Amendment scholar and Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig argued the case for the City of Berkeley, pro bono, pointing out that the City only required that hidden information about tested distances be made publicly accessible.

In its decision, the court noted that specific FCC tests require that phones be placed about an inch off the body and are generally not known by the public, quoting the FCC requirement:

All supported body-worn accessory operating configurations must be clearly disclosed to users, through conspicuous instructions in the user guide and user manual, to ensure unsupported operations are avoided.

Dr. Devra Davis, President of Environmental Health Trust, added: “This is a great day for the American public and for all those concerned with preventing harm and protecting our children. People have a right to know that phones are tested away from a large adult male body, and some distance from the head. A recent Canadian Broadcasting Corporation independent evaluation showed that phone radiation limits can be 3-4 times over approved levels when phones are tested as they are used– directly next to the head or body.”

Further judicial support for the need to reduce exposure to cellphones comes from a recent landmark court ruling in Italy granting monthly worker compensation to a man who developed a brain tumor that caused him to go deaf after he was required to use his phone regularly for work http://www.nydailynews.com/newswires/news/national/cell-phones-brain-tumors-italian-court-rules-article-1.3080304

Recently the Israeli Health Ministry advised that both students and teachers not be permitted to use microwave radiating phones in schools, noting growing scientific evidence of harms from such exposures. Source: EHT https://ehtrust.org/statement-by-dr-devra-davis-on-the-landmark-california-court-ruling-upholding-the-berkeley-cell-phone-ordinance/

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(European Cancer and Environment Research Institute) http://www.eceri-institute.org/

EDITO

The meeting with WHO’s representatives and a delegation from the ECERI this month stands as a major turning point for our Institute. This opens a new opportunity for scientific collaboration on EMFs wthin the ECERI, aiming at having non-thermal effects recognized once for all by the international scientific and political community. This will require a global and collective effort from all of our members. But in the context of the fast development of more powerful and detrimental wireless technologies, particularly 5G, this has become a high priority. Christine Campagnac, General Secretary.

Meeting with WHO on electromagnetic fields, 3rd of March, 2017

Maria Neira, Director, Public Health and the Environment Department, World Health Organisation and Emilie van Deventer, Team Leader of the Radiation Programme at the WHO received on March the 3 rd , in Geneva, a scientific delegation of the ECERI, composed of Dominique Belpomme (F), Igor Belyaev (SKA), Ernesto Burgio (I), Christine Campagnac (F), David Carpenter (US), Tarmo Koppel (EE) and Lennart Hardell (SE) to discuss the health effects of EMFs.

David Carpenter introduced the talk, reminding that there are numerous significant human health hazards of concern, due to non-thermal effects of EMFs. He expressed the particular concern of the ECERI Group that a new WHO Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) document on radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF EMFs) is scheduled to be released in 2017, and that the members of the EHC Core Group are in denial of serious non-thermal effects of RF EMFs in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Regarding the particular vulnerability of children and their high exposure, the scientific group urges WHO to address the hazards of RF EMF.

Igor Belyaev pointed at genotoxicity induced by exposure to RF can under specific conditions of exposure (type of cells, type of signal etc) and at all other biological effects of RF (blood brain barrier, melatonin, oxidative stress, gene/protein proliferation) induced under specific conditions of non-thermal RF exposure. In contrast to the Russian National Committee of Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, the ICNIRP safety standards do not take into account non-thermal effects and prolonged exposures, and are in evident contradiction with classification of RF as possible carcinogen, group 2B, by IARC. Igor Belyaev delivers to Maria Neira a letter from Oleg Grigoriev, Head of the Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (RNCNIRP). “Based on multiple Russian studies and emerging number of studies coming from other countries, RNCNIRP has consistently warned against possible health effects from mobile communication” writes Oleg Grigoriev, requesting that WHO balances the RF working group in the evaluation of RF health effects to get more credible conclusions.

Lennart Hardell presented the results of his epidemiological studies on brain tumor risks and exposure to EMF. His data strongly suggest that RF EMF should be classified not as Group IIB, as it is presently the case, ie as possible carcinogenic, but as IIA, ie as probably carcinogenic. His studies were recently confirmed by other independent scientific group (see page 4 of the present letter).

Dominique Belpomme presented the results of his study on electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Based on a series of 1,500 EHS and/or MCS cases, it was found that EHS can be objectively characterized by a battery of biomarkers reflecting oxidative stress, low grade neuro-inflammation and BBB opening.

Presently 1-10% of the investigated population in Europe is estimated to be EHS-self reporting persons. The ECERI group calls WHO to urgently accomplish its humanitarian worldwide public health mission: (1) by reexamining objectively the EHS-related health problem, independent of nonscience-based external types of conflicting pressures; (2) by considering EHS and MCS as two new emerging well identified pathological disorders; (3) by including EHS and MCS in separate codes in the next version of the WHO ICD.

Ernesto Burgio pointed at the epigenetics mechanisms by which children are very vulnerable to RF EMF. EMFs (both ELF and RFR) are among the environmental factors already proven to be at the same time constantly increasing in the environment and mostly interfering on the less differentiated cells, on stem cell differentiation and on the early stages of brain development, on cell migration and synaptogenesis, and on the gametes.

This raises concerns for public health, regarding the possible effects (neurodevelopmental disorders, cancer etc.) of long-term exposure to low intensity, environmental daily life levels on the directly exposed subjects and even on the future generations. He concluded that this may impose a drastic reduction of the exposure to EMFs of pregnant women and infants.

Emilie van Deventer invited the ECERI scientific group to provide as many adding publications as possible, particularly peer-reviewed meta-analysis. Regarding the preliminary monography released last year, she precised that the conclusions were not included given that the document was not achieved. She added that the Task Group was not defined yet, and that it was still possible to apply. The date for the final release of the monography is not planned yet either.

International EMFs Expertise Group

Following the meeting with Maria Neira, the ECERI group defined a new strategy on EMFs for the future. The present members unanimously decided to join efforts to make non-thermal effects of EMF definitely recognized at an international level. The principle of an ECERI collective scientific publication on non-thermal effects of EMFs was agreed. This publication should be issued by June. An International EMF Expertise Group issued from ECERI is under development, aiming at publishing meta-analysis on EMFs health effects, in order to counterbalance ICNIRP’s political influence.

Grateful thanks to the author of ‘Towards Better Health’ for the translation of this article.
http://mieuxprevenir.blogspot.co.za/2017/03/summary-of-meeting-of-eceri-delegation.html

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