• 06 JUN 08
    • 0

    #898: ICEMS releases Venice Resolution on EMF Safety

    From Libby Kelly, ICEMS:

    Initiated by the International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety,
    following the 6th ICEMS Workshop, December 17, 2007.
    www.icems.eu

    As stated in the Benevento Resolution of September 2006[1], we remain concerned about the effects of human exposure to electromagnetic fields on health. At the 6th ICEMS Workshop, entitled, “Foundations of bioelectromagnetics: towards a new rationale for risk assessment and management,” we discussed electro-hypersensitivity, blood brain barrier changes, learning and behavioral effects, changes in anti-oxidant enzyme activities, DNA damage, biochemical mechanisms of interaction, biological damage and, experimental approaches to validate these effects. As an outcome, we are compelled to confirm the existence of non-thermal effects of electromagnetic fields on living matter, which seem to occur at every level of investigation from molecular to epidemiological.

    An urgent task before international researchers is to discover the detailed mechanisms of non-thermal interactions between electromagnetic fields and living matter. A collateral consequence will be the design of new general public and occupational protection standards. We, who are at the forefront of this research, encourage an ethical approach in setting of exposure standards which protect the health of all, including those who are more vulnerable. We recognize the need for research to reveal the critical exposure parameters of effect and risk from exposure to electromagnetic fields.

    The non-ionizing radiation protection standards recommended by international standards organizations, and supported by the World Health Organization, are inadequate. Existing guidelines are based on results from acute exposure studies and only thermal effects are considered. A world wide application of the Precautionary Principle is required. In addition, new standards should be developed to take various physiological conditions into consideration, e.g., pregnancy, newborns, children, and elderly people.

    We take exception to the claim of the wireless communication industry that there is no credible scientific evidence to conclude there a risk. Recent epidemiological evidence is stronger than before, which is a further reason to justify precautions be taken to lower exposure standards in accordance with the Precautionary Principle.

    We recognize the growing public health problem known as electrohypersensitivity; that this adverse health condition can be quite disabling; and, that this condition requires further urgent investigation and recognition.

    We strongly advise limited use of cell phones, and other similar devices, by young children and teenagers, and we call upon governments to apply the Precautionary Principle as an interim measure while more biologically relevant standards are developed to protect against, not only the absorption of electromagnetic energy by the head, but also adverse effects of the signals on biochemistry, physiology and electrical biorhythms.

    *******************

    Contact: Elizabeth Kelley, Managing Secretariat, International Commission for Electromagnetic Safety, info@icems.eu

    Signed,
    Pasquale Avino, Italian National Institute for Prevention & Worker Safety, Rome, Italy
    Angelico Bedini, Italian National Institute for Prevention and Worker Safety, Rome, Italy
    Igor Belyaev, Associate Professor in Toxicological Genetics, Dept. of Genetics, Microbiology and Toxicology,
    Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
    Fiorella Belpoggia, ICEMS, Vice Scientific Director, European Foundation for Oncology & Environmental
    Sciences “B. Ramazzini”. Bologna, Italy
    Carl Blackman, ICEMS, President, Bioelectromagnetics Society (1990-91), Raleigh, NC, USA
    Martin Blank, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, USA
    Natalia Bobkova, ICEMS, Institute of Cell Biophysics, Pushchino, Moscow Region
    Bill Bruno, Theoretical biophysics, earned at Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, USA
    Catarina Cinti, ICEMS, Director, National Research Center, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Siena, Italy
    Mauro Cristaldi, Dip, B.A.U. Universita degli Studi “La Sapienza”, Roma, Italia
    Suleyman Dasdag, Biophysics Department of Medical School, Dicle University, Diyarbakir,Turkey
    Antonella De Ninno, ICEMS, Italian National Agency, Energy, Environment & Technology, Frascati, Italy
    Emilio Del Giudice, ICEMS, International Institute of Biophysics, Neuss, Germany
    Alvaro de Salles, ICEMS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
    Sandy Doull, Consultant, Noel Arnold & Associates, Box Hill VIC, Australia
    Christos Georgiou, ICEMS, Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Biology. University of Patras, Greece
    Reba Goodman, Prof. Emeritus, Clinical Pathology, Columbia University, New York, New York USA
    Settimo Grimaldi, ICEMS, Inst. Neurobiology & Molecular Medicine, National Research, Rome, Italy
    Livio Giuliani, ICEMS, East Veneto & South Tirol, Deputy. Director, Nat. Inst. Prevention & Worker Safety,
    Camerino University. Italy
    Lennart Hardell, ICEMS, Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden
    Magda Havas, ICEMS, Environmental & Resource Studies, Trent University, Ontario, Canada
    Gerard Hyland, ICEMS, International Institute of Biophysics, Neuss, Germany
    Antonella Lisi, ICEMS Inst. Neurobiology & Molecular Medicine, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
    Louisanna Ieradi, Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi C.N.R., Roma, Italia
    Olle Johansson, Assoc. Prof. The Experimental Dermatology Unit, Department of Neuroscience,
    Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
    Vini G. Khurana, Neurosurgeon, Canberra Hospital and Assoc. Prof. of Neurosurgery,
    Australian National University Medical School
    Henry Lai, ICEMS, Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
    Lukas Margaritas, Professor of Cell Biology and Radiobiology, Athens University, Athens, Greece
    Fiorenzo Marinelli, ICEMS, Institute of Molecular Genetics National Research Council, Bologna Italy.
    Vera Markovic, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Nis, Serbia
    Ed Maxey, M.D. retired surgeon, Fayetteville Arkansas
    Gerd Oberfeld, Public Health Department, Salzburg State Government, Salzburg, Austria and Speaker for
    Environmental Medicine for the Austrian Medical Association, Vienna, Austria
    Jerry Phillips, Director, Science Learning Center, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo. USA
    Elihu Richter, ICEMS, Head, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah, Israel
    Leif Salford, ICEMS, Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, Lund University, Sweden
    Massimo Scalia, Professor, Evolution Models in Applied Sciences, Mathematical Physical and Natural Science,
    University of “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
    Nesrin Seyhan, ICEMS, Head, Department of Biophysics; Director, Gazi NIRP Center, Ankara, Turkey
    Zamir Shalita, Consultant on Electromagnetic Hazards, Ramat Gan, Israel
    Morando Soffritti, ICEMS, Scientific Director, European Foundation for Oncology & Environmental
    Sciences, “B. Ramazzini”, Bologna, Italy
    Stanley Szmigielski, ICEMS, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Warsaw, Poland
    Ion Udroiu, Italian National Institute for Prevention & Worker Safety, Rome, Italy
    Clarbruno Verduccio, Prof. Lt. Col. Commander C.F, Marine MIlitary, La Spezia. Italy
    Mehmet Zeyrek, Professor of Physics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
    Mikhail Zhadin, ICEMS, Professor, Honorary Scientist. of Radio Frequencies
    Stylianos Zinelis, M.D., Vice President, Hellenic Cancer Society, Cefallonia, Greece
    Anna Zucchero, ICEMS, MD, Internal Medicine Department. Venice-Mestre Hospital, Venice, Italy

    [1] The Benevento Resolution may be found at http://www.icems.eu/benevento_resolution.htm

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