Swedish SSM's 15th report on EMF and Health

 

6 May, 2021.

No new guaranteed health risks have emerged in this year's report from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM)'s scientific council for electromagnetic fields. The report is the fifteenth in a series of annual reviews that evaluate relevant new data and compile the latest state of knowledge in the field of electromagnetic fields (EMF).

This year's report examines scientific studies of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health risks published from January 2019 to December 2019. Examples of new studies examined are exposure from high voltage lines, workers' exposure to magnetic fields and diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Parkinson's disease. For ALS, there may be a connection with magnetic fields or electric shocks, but so far it is unclear which of these could be the cause. For Parkinson's disease, the results indicate that there is no link to these exposures. The connection between brain tumors and the use of mobile phones is in line with previous research results and indicates that radio waves from mobile phones do not pose a risk.

The report has not evaluated any studies on specific health risks with the fifth generation mobile system, so-called 5G, as no such studies have been identified. On the other hand, the 5G technology that is currently being introduced uses radio waves with frequencies that are adjacent to the frequency ranges that previous generations of mobile phone systems have used for a long time. The research published so far is therefore highly relevant. For the higher frequencies that 5G is expected to use in the future, further studies are needed, but there is no known mechanism to suggest that higher frequency radio waves would increase the risks.

As a precautionary measure, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority recommends the continued use of hands-free during mobile phone calls due to the uncertainty surrounding possible risks during long-term use.

URL：https://www.stralsakerhetsmyndigheten.se/press/nyheter/2021/inga-nya-halsorisker-avseende-elektromagnetiska-falt/