Commission launches public consultation on potential health effects of exposure to low frequencies
date: 10/11/2023
Developments in the use of new technologies, e.g., induction hobs and wireless charging, require updates to the assessment of how exposure to electromagnetic fields might impact our health, as well as the scientific guidelines that underpin restrictions and reference levels. In October 2023, following a request from the European Commission, the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) adopted the preliminary Opinion on the potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF): Update with regard to low frequencies between 1Hz and 100 kHz.
This Opinion is now open for public consultation to get feedback from the scientific community and stakeholders.
The SCHEER Committee found that the exposure to low frequency EMF of the general population in Europe remains below the exposure limits recommended in Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC. There is also no convincing evidence for a causal relationship between low frequency EMF exposure within the limits indicated in the Recommendation and self-reported symptoms. However, more research is needed on the interaction mechanism between EMF exposure and human health.
Interested stakeholders are invited to submit their comments on the scientific evidence online until 2 January 2024.
Background information
The Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) Opinion of 2015 on “Potential health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF)” investigated the whole frequency spectrum from static fields to 300 GHz. Since then, new scientific publications have appeared to warrant a new analysis of the scientific evidence on possible effects on human health of exposure to EMF.
In this current opinion, the SCHEER is providing un update of the main findings of the frequency range from 1 Hz to 100 kHz (low frequency), as requested by the mandate.