INDEPENDENT EXPERT GROUP ON MOBILE PHONES REPORT Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones - 04-28-2000 Mobile Phones and Health Summary and Recommendations 1.1 The widespread use of mobile phones is a recent phenomenon. Their use has escalated over the past decade and to many they are now an essential part of business, commerce and society. Over the Christmas 1999 period alone approximately 4 million phones were sold in the UK and at present (April 2000) there are about 25 million mobile phones in circulation. This is equivalent to nearly one phone for every two people (see paragraph 2.16) 1.2 The fact that so many people own mobile phones attests to their perceived importance to the general public. The advent of third generation systems will extend the use of most forms of communications technologies, including fax, e-mail and Internet access. The use of mobile phones and related technologies will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. 1.3 The extensive use of mobile phones has been accompanied by public debate about possible adverse effects on human health. The concerns relate to the emissions of radiofrequency (RF) radiation from the phones (the handsets) and from the base stations that receive and transmit the signals (paragraphs 3.3-3.7). For the general population, the levels of exposure arising from phones held near to the head or other parts of the body are substantially greater than whole-body exposures arising from base stations (paragraphs 4.28-4.36). 1.4 There are two direct ways by which health could be affected as a result of exposure to RF radiation. These are by thermal (heating) effects caused mainly by holding mobile phones close to the body, and as a result of possible non-thermal effects from both phones and base stations (paragraphs 5.5-5.26). 1.5 There can also be indirect effects. There is evidence that using a mobile phone whilst driving can increase the risk of accidents. Also some people's well-being may be adversely affected by the environmental impact of mobile phone base stations sited near their homes, schools or other buildings, as well as by their fear of perceived direct effects (paragraphs 5.264, 6.44 and 6.45). Sources of Exposure 1.6 Mobile phones and base stations emit RF radiation. In both cases levels of exposure generally reduce with increasing distance from the source. For mobile phones, exposures will be principally to the side of the head for hand-held use, or to the parts of the body closest to the phone during hands-free use. 1.7 For base station emissions, exposures of the general population will be to the whole body but normally at levels of intensity many times less than those from handsets (paragraphs 4.28-4.36). Base stations communicate with mobile phones within a defined area or "cell". These can be of three types: macrocells, microcells and picocells depending upon their size and the power output of the antenna (paragraph 4.9). 1.8 Macrocells provide the main structure for the base station network. The base stations for macrocells have power outputs of tens of watts and communicate with phones up to about 35 kilometres (22 miles) distant. There are at present about 20,000 macrocells covering the country (paragraph 4.9). We believe that this number will continue to increase. Measurements that have been made (see paragraphs 4.30-4.36) indicate that exposures of the general population from these sites are typically many hundreds, or thousands of times lower than existing exposure guidelines. There are concerns, nevertheless, about whether the emissions from all base stations are uniformly low, about whether the emissions could cause unknown health effects, and whether, with the increased use of mobile telecommunications, their output will have to rise. 1.9 Microcells are used to infill and improve the main network, especially where the volume of calls is high. They are sited in places such as airports, railway stations and shopping malls. Their number is rapidly increasing in line with the growth in demand for mobile phones. The microcell base stations emit less power than those for macrocells and their range is a few hundred metres. We understand that exposures above guidelines do not occur, provided the case surrounding the antenna is kept in place. However, as with some other items of electrical equipment - for example, lasers in CD equipment - there is a possibility of overexposure if the case is removed. 1.10 Picocell base stations have a lower power output than those of microcells (a few watts) and are generally sited inside buildings. It is likely that the number of picocells within buildings will substantially increase. Although we are satisfied that their emissions should not exceed the guidelines, the system of audits that we propose (paragraph 1.40) will provide an independent check on the output not only from picocell antennas but from all base station types. 1.11 As well as mobile phone base stations, there are a large number of other RF emitting sources in our environment, including antennas for radio, television and paging (paragraphs 4.20-4.22). Exposures of individuals to RF radiation from these sources will depend upon their proximity and may be above those from mobile phone base stations, although still well below guidelines. Current Guidelines on Acceptable Levels of Exposure to RF Radiation 1.12 Government has in place national guidelines (paragraphs 6.19-6.26, 6.32) established by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on the maximum levels of exposure to RF radiation emitted from mobile phones, base stations and other sources ("the NRPB guidelines"). These guidelines were established in 1993 when mobile phone technology was in its infancy. The guidelines were based on a comprehensive review of the scientific literature carried out by NRPB, a statutory body, which advises Government on radiological issues related to health. 1.13 In 1998 the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) published its own guidelines (paragraphs 6.27-6.31) covering exposure to RF radiation. These were based on essentially the same evidence as that used by NRPB, and for workers the limits on exposure are similar. However, under the ICNIRP guidelines, the maximum levels of exposure of the public are about five times less than those recommended for workers. The reason for this approach was the possibility that some members of the general public might be particularly sensitive to RF radiation. However, no detailed scientific evidence to justify this additional safety factor was provided. 1.14 The ICNIRP guidelines for the public have been incorporated in a European Council Recommendation (1999), which has been agreed in principle by all countries in the European Union (EU), including the UK. In Germany the ICNIRP guidelines have been incorporated into statute.