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Non-Ionizing Radiation: Health Hazards

Answer

The Department has commissioned, either directly or through the Health Protection Agency, research on the effects of non-ionising radiation in the following areas:"exposure to radiofrequency fields including mobile telephones, terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA) and WiFi;""studies to examine the potential cellular and behavioural effects of radio frequency fields;""measurement of exposures to power frequency fields for population studies of the health effects of power frequency exposures including the United Kingdom childhood cancer study and UK adult brain tumour study;""laboratory studies of the effects of power frequency fields on cells;""development of realistic three dimensional (voxel) models for male, female, and pregnant female, to allow assessment of exposures from electromagnetic field sources at various frequencies;""real-time measurement of ambient levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation throughout the UK;""studies to examine the effects of different frequencies of UV light on melanocytes and melanoma cells;""measurement of the protection afforded by clothing, shade structures, and UV protective gloves;""assessment of emissions and safety of products such as lasers, compact fluorescent light bulbs, projects for interactive whiteboards and other consumer products;""the Department's Radiation Protection Research (RPR) programme includes both ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation research at power frequencies and intermediate frequencies. Information on the current RPR programme research strategy and research projects can be found on the Department's website at:""www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_082096;""the independently managed Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme, jointly funded by Government and industry, was set up in 2001 in response to a recommendation in the Stewart report (the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (www.iegmp.org.uk). MTHR has supported a number of studies into the possible health effects of radiofrequency technology relating both to base stations and hand-held mobile telephones. The MTHR programme published its first report in September 2007 www.mthr.org.uk. None of the 23 individual studies funded under this programme to date demonstrates that biological or adverse health effects are produced by radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones or base stations; and""the Department additionally has provided an annual contribution to the World Health Organisation International (WHO) Electromagnetic Fields Project since its inception in 1996. Information on this project can be found on the WHO website at:""www.who.int/peh-emf/project/en/"

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

471 c1263-4W;471 c1259-60W; 184892

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Health hazards Non-ionizing radiation

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk