Biological Mechanisms and Health Effects of EMF in View of Requirements of Reports on the Impact of Various Installations on the Environment

This paper presents a review of the literature dealing with the health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by installations, in case of which reports on their impact on the environment are required. A thesis has been formulated that at present, it is not feasible to meet the requirements of the legislator and present in these reports explicit evidence that EMFs exert harmful effect on humans. The major doubts faced by experts are raised by magnetic fields of the power-line frequency (50 Hz) present in the neighborhood of electric power lines and distribution-transformer stations. Although data indicating that they may increase cancer risk in humans do exist, it is not possible to clearly state that their effect is carcinogenic, but only possibly carcinogenic to humans (according to the IARC categorization) in view of the fact that the mechanisms by which EMFs exert their effect have not yet been elucidated. It has not been evidenced that EMFs emitted by radio and TV broadcasting stations, mobile communications or TETRA system induce any adverse health effects in persons living in their vicinity. However, some reports indicating that they may induce health effects (carcinogenicity and disturbances in the function of the central nervous system) have been published. Therefore, further intensive investigations, especially epidemiological (cohort and case-control) studies are needed. They should involve an appropriate exposure assessment, i.e., estimation of EMF magnitude based on measurements and not on distance from antennas. (author)