BioInitiative 2012 Report Issues New Warnings on Wireless and EMF

BioInitiative Report
Biologically-based exposure standards for low-intensity electromagnetic radiation

Click here to read the entire “Bioiniative Report 2012“

BioInitiative Report 2012: Table of Contents

Commentaries:

BioInitiative Report 2012 – What It Means For You (from Electricsense.com)

BioInitiative 2012 Report: new urgent warnings on wireless (from EMF Safety Network)

From http://www.bioinitiative.org/media/spread-the-word/

PUBLICATION DATE:  December 31, 2012

WHERE: The BioInitiative 2012 Report [is] will be published at www.bioinitiative.org.  Free download.

WHAT IS IT:   A report by 29 independent scientists and health experts from around the world* about possible risks from wireless technologies and electromagnetic fields.  It updates the BioInitiative 2007 Report.

WHAT IT COVERS:  The science, public health, public policy and global response to the growing health issue of chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation in the daily life of billions of people around the world.  Covers brain tumor risks from cell phones, damage to DNA and genes, effects on memory, learning, behavior, attention; sleep disruption and cancer and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.  Effects on sperm  and miscarriage (fertility and reproduction), effects of wireless on the brain development of the fetus and infant, and effects of wireless classrooms on children and adolescents is addressed. Mechanisms for biological action and public health responses in other countries are discussed.  Therapeutic use of very low intensity EMF and RFR are addressed.

WHAT IS NEW: This update covers about 1800 new studies reporting bioeffects and adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (powerlines, electrical wiring, appliances and hand-held devices) – and wireless technologies (cell and cordless phones, cell towers, WI-FI, wireless laptops, wireless routers, baby monitors, surveillance systems, wireless utility meters (‘smart meters’), etc.

*The BioInitiative 2012 Report has been prepared by 29 authors from ten countries*,  ten holding medical degrees (MDs), 21 PhDs, and three MsC, MA or MPHs.  Among the authors are three former presidents of the Bioelectromagnetics Society, and five full members of BEMS.  One distinguished author is the Chair of the Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation.   Another is a Senior Advisor to the European Environmental Agency.   Full titles and affiliations of authors is in Section 25 – List of Participants

Each year, about 100,000 people visit the site.  In the five years since it’s publication, the BioInitiative website has been accessed over 10.5 million times, or four times every minute.  Every five minutes on the average, a person somewhere in the world has logged on.   More than 5.2 million files and 1 million pages of information has been downloaded.  That is equivalent to more than 93,000 full copies of the 650+ page report (288.5 million kbytes).

* Sweden (6), USA (10), India (2), Italy (2), Greece (2), Canada (2), Denmark (1), Austria (2), Slovac Republic (1), Russia (1)

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From the BioInitiative Report Editors, Sage and Carpenter:

The new suggested precautionary levels:

“A reduction from the BioInitiative 2007 recommendation of 0.1 uW/cm2 for cumulative outdoor pulsed RFR down to something three orders of magnitude lower (in the low nanowatt per square centimeter range) is justified in 2012 on a public health basis. A precautionary action level of 0.0003 uW/cm2 to 0.0006 uW/cm2 is suggested. This number can also be expressed as three-tenths to six-tenths of one nanowatt per square centimeter (0.3 to 0.6 nanowatts per square centimeter) and as 300 to 600 picowatts per square centimeter).

Applying a ten-fold reduction to the ‘effects level’ reported in short-term studies or studies on adults is intended to compensate for the lack of long-term exposure in a particular study, or to adjust for using adult studies in considering children as a sensitive subpopulation.” (Cindy Sage, David Carpenter, MD, BioInitiative Report 2012 Co-Editors)

BioInitiative 2012 Report Issues New Warnings on Wireless and EMF

Press Release, January 3, 2013

RENSSELAER, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A new report by the BioInitiative Working Group 2012 says that evidence for risks to health has substantially increased since 2007 from electromagnetic fields and wireless technologies (radiofrequency radiation). The Report reviews over 1800 new scientific studies. Cell phone users, parents-to-be, young children and pregnant women are at particular risk.

“There is a consistent pattern of increased risk for glioma (a malignant brain tumor) and acoustic neuroma with use of mobile and cordless phones.”

“There is a consistent pattern of increased risk for glioma (a malignant brain tumor) and acoustic neuroma with use of mobile and cordless phones,” says Lennart Hardell, MD at Orebro University, Sweden. “Epidemiological evidence shows that radiofrequency should be classified as a human carcinogen. The existing FCC/IEE and ICNIRP public safety limits and reference levels are not adequate to protect public health.”

A dozen new studies link cell phone radiation to sperm damage. Even a cell phone in the pocket or on a belt may harm sperm DNA, result in misshapen sperm, and impair fertility in men. Laptop computers with wireless internet connections can damage DNA in sperm.

Based on strong evidence for vulnerable biology in autism, EMF/RFR can plausibly increase autism risk and symptoms.

“While we aggressively investigate the links between autism disorders and wireless technologies, we should minimize wireless and EMF exposures for people with autism disorders, children of all ages, people planning a baby, and during pregnancy,” says Martha Herbert, MD, PhD.

Wireless devices such as phones and laptops used by pregnant women may alter brain development of the fetus. This has been linked in both animal and human studies to hyperactivity, learning and behavior problems.

According to David O. Carpenter, MD, co-editor:

“There is now much more evidence of risks to health affecting billions of people world-wide. The status quo is not acceptable in light of the evidence for harm.”

This study covers EMF from powerlines, electrical wiring, appliances and hand-held devices; and from wireless technologies (cell and cordless phones, cell towers, ‘smart meters’, WI-FI, wireless laptops, wireless routers, baby monitors, and other electronic devices). Health topics include damage to DNA and genes, effects on memory, learning, behavior, attention, sleep disruption, cancer and neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. New safety standards are urgently needed for protection against EMF and wireless exposures that now appear everywhere in daily life.

The BioInitiative 2012 Report is available at: www.bioinitiative.org. (Note the report is embargoed until Monday, January 7.)

Contact

BioInitiative Working Group
Cindy Sage, (805) 969-0557
Email: info@bioinitiative.org

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“BioInitiative 2012: A Rationale for Biologically-based Exposure Standards for Low-Intensity Electromagnetic Radiation” updates the 2007 report. It was written by 29 authors from ten countries including ten MDs and 21 PhDs. Authors include three former presidents and five members of the Bioelectromagnetics Society. One author is Chair of the Russian National Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation, and another is Senior Advisor to the European Environmental Agency.

The strength of this report is that it was prepared independent of governments, existing bodies and industry professional societies that have upheld outdated safety standards. The report presents a solid scientific and public health policy assessment that is evidence-based.

“In twenty-one technical chapters of this 2012 update, the contributing authors discuss the content and implications of about 1800 new studies. Overall, there is reinforced scientific evidence of risk where there is chronic exposure to low-intensity electromagnetic fields and to wireless technologies (radiofrequency radiation including microwave radiation).

There is more evidence in 2012 that such exposures damage DNA, interfere with DNA repair, evidence of toxicity to the human genome (genes), more worrisome effects on the nervous system (neurology) and more and better studies on the effects of mobile phone base stations (wireless antenna facilities or cell towers) that report lower RFR levels over time can result in adverse health impacts. There has been a big increase in the number of studies looking at the effects of cell phones (on the belt, or in the pocket of men radiating only on standby mode) and from wireless laptops on impacts to sperm quality and motility; and sperm death (fertility and reproduction).

In other new studies of the fetus, infant and young child, and child-in-school – there are a dozen or more new studies of importance.”

http://www.bioinitiative.org/report/participants/do-we-know-enough-to-take-action/ 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface
Table Of Contents
Summary For The Public And Conclusions
Statement Of The Problem
The Existing Public Exposure Standards
Evidence For Inadequacy Of The Standards
Evidence For Effects On Gene And Protein Expression
Evidence For Genotoxic Effects – RFR And ELF DNA Damage
Evidence For Stress Response (Stress Proteins)
Evidence For Effects On Immune Function
Evidence For Effects On Neurology And Behavior
Effects Of EMF From Wireless Communication Upon The Blood-Brain Barrier
Evidence For Brain Tumors And Acoustic Neuromas
Evidence For Childhood Cancers (Leukemia)
Evidence For Effects On Melatonin: Alzheimer’s Disease And Breast Cancer
Evidence For Breast Cancer Promotion
Evidence For Disruption By The Modulating Signal
Plausible Genetic And Metabolic Mechanisms For Bioeffects Of Very Weak ELF Magnetic Fields On Living Tissue
Evidence Based On EMF Medical Therapeutics
Fertility And Reproduction Effects Of EMF
Fetal And Neonatal Effects Of EMF
Findings In Autism Consistent With EMF And RFR
Mobile Phone Base Stations: Well-being And Health
Precaution In Action – Global Public Health Examples Since Bioinitiative 2007
The Precautionary Principle
Key Scientific Evidence And Public Health Policy Recommendations
List Of Participants And Affiliations
Glossary Of Terms And Abbreviations
Appendix
Acknowledgements

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See my latest news release for a review of the cell phone-brain tumor research by the Hardell research group: http://www.prlog.org/12052898.

Links to my earlier news releases can be found at http://saferemr.blogspot.com/.

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Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D.
Director
Center for Family and Community Health
The UC Berkeley Prevention Research Center
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
50 University Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-7360

Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx
E-mail: jmm@berkeley.edu
WWW: http://cfch.berkeley.edu
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