Interagency Committee on the Health Effects of Non-ionising Fields: Report to Ministers 2015
Appendix A: Common concerns about the New Zealand RF field exposure standard
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- ‘The standard only considers thermal effects’
- The standard does not consider long-term effects
- ICNIRP applies too high a standard of proof
- Appendix B: The IARC classification scheme
Appendix A: Common concerns about the New Zealand RF field exposure standard‘The standard is out of date’Although the standard is now 15 years old, in 2009 (following a review of more recent research discussed above) ICNIRP reaffirmed the limits on which it is based. Reviews of the health research carried out since then by national and international expert panels have also found no good reason to revise the fundamental limits. On the other hand, ICNIRP and others note recent dosimetry data which suggests that under circumstances (particular combinations of frequency, body size and radio signal polarisation), exposure at the reference levels might result in the basic restrictions being exceeded, although this seems unlikely to result in any health effects. ‘The standard only considers thermal effects’The ICNIRP limits used in the standard are based on a review of all relevant health effects research, regardless of the mechanism that might be involved. ICNIRP and other expert panels that have reviewed the data find that the only effects that show up with any clarity are consistent with the effects of heat stress, and occur at exposure levels at which absorption of RF energy in the body (as heat) exceeds the body’s ability to dissipate that heat. Exposures below the ICNIRP limits would prevent these effects. Most of the research conducted over the past 25 years has used exposures that are at or below the ICNIRP limits, but no consistently reproducible or persuasive evidence of health effects, from any cause, has been found. In summary, the standard takes into account the possibility of health effects from any cause, but thermal effects are the only ones for which there is clear evidence.
Information on the effects of long-term exposures comes from both epidemiological studies and laboratory studies on animals that are exposed for large parts (or all) of their lifetimes. (In fact some studies have exposed laboratory animals over several generations.) These findings are all taken into account in determining what health effects are produced by exposures to RF fields, and the levels at which they occur. ICNIRP applies too high a standard of proofICNIRP (and other expert panels) apply similar quality criteria to studies used in their evaluations as would be used in a health risk assessment for any other agent. Their approach was summarised in a 2002 statement General Approach to Protection Against Non-ionising Radiation.57 Individual studies are assessed against criteria that allow the strength of the findings to be evaluated (eg, Were laboratory studies double blinded to safeguard against conscious or unconscious bias in their evaluation? Was the exposure properly evaluated and checked? Were appropriate statistical techniques used when analysing the data?). As new research and new findings accumulate, they are assessed in the context of existing data, and an overall evaluation is made based on all the relevant data (not just the new material). In situations where the data is ambiguous or uncertain, informed judgements are made following schemes such as the Hill criteria.58 Appendix B: The IARC classification scheme
* This table summarises the minimum requirements that must be satisfied in most cases, but there may be exceptions. For a full overview of the IARC process and classification scheme, refer to http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Preamble/CurrentPreamble.pdf Directory: system -> files -> documents -> publications publications -> Acknowledgements documents -> Annual Report 2013 documents -> Monitoring International Trends posted August 2015 documents -> Final report documents -> Foreign Research Reactor West Coast Shipment Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Institutional Program External Lessons Learned September 18, 1998 frr snf west Coast Shipment Institutional Program Lesson Learned documents -> Report: Shelter Support Mission to Afghanistan documents -> Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination in Emergencies: Towards a Predictable Model documents -> Guidance for Public Health Units about the core capacities required at New Zealand international airports under the International Health Regulations (2005) Purpose documents -> Rapid Education Needs Assessment Report documents -> H Report of a Workshop on Coordinating Regional Capacity Building on Gender Responsive Humanitarian Action in Asia-Pacific Download 274.35 Kb. Share with your friends:
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