Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI) Fourth annual report from SSI's Independent Expert Group on Electromagnetic Fields - March 2007
March 2007
This is the fourth annual report from the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority’s (SSI) Independent Expert Group (IEG) on Electromagnetic Fields and focuses on recent research on mobile phone telephony and health risks.
An update on the key issue of exposure from base stations states: "The few studies that have been published on health risks among populations living near transmitters have had major methodological shortcomings [IEGEMF 2003; IEGEMF 2005; IEGEMF 2006 (current report)]. However, the exposure to the general population that results from transmitters is very weak and one would not expect such exposure to produce a health risk as discussed in the previous report [IEGEMF 2003]. Indeed, one would assume that if RF exposure at low levels is associated with a health risk it would be considerably easier to detect it in studies of mobile phone users, or highly exposed occupational groups. The overall conclusion is that exposure from transmitters is unlikely to be a health risk." (p35/36)
The full report can be found at: http://www.stralsakerhetsmyndigheten.se/Global/Publikationer/Rapport/Stralskydd/2007/ssi-rapp-2007-04.pdf
4 Million Mobile Broadband Connections
Mobile phones cannot work without a network of base stations (masts). There are approximately 52,500 base stations in the UK. An Ipsos MORI survey for MOA (May 2010) showed that almost three quarters of people understood that masts are essential if they are to access the services they require. Mobile telecommunications are vital for the UK’s economic competitiveness and in promoting social inclusion. There are now over 81 million mobile connections in the UK. Over 4.8 million customers now access mobile broadband services via a laptop and dongle, and 28 per cent of UK adults use their mobile phones for internet access.
No Established Health Effects
Mobile phones operate by using radio waves, similar to those that have been widely used for decades, for example in radio, TV and radar signals. A large number of studies over the last two decades have found no clear evidence of adverse health effects from the use of mobile phones or from phone masts.