ICNIRP guidelines for Indian telecom sector

GERMANY: The Department of Telecommunication, TEC, vide its order dated 23rd July 2008, has approved the adoption of International Commission on Non–Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines for the telecom sector in india. These guidelines lay down the limints of maximum exposure that can be permitted from mobile phones and base stations.

Recently, the ICNIRP has issued a press note in respect of the validity of the present radiofrequency safety recommendations for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields up to 300 GHz.

The statement concludes that:
“The recent in vitro and animal genotoxicity and carcinogenicity studies are consistent over all and indicate that such effects are unlikely at low levels of exposure. Therefore, ICNIRP reconfirms the 1,998 basic restrictions in the frequency range 100KHz–300GHz for the moment.”

The ICNIRP guidelines were published in 1998 and are considered to be the safest, and have been adopted by most of the countries across the globe to ensure compliance against all the safety limits from EMF.

The World Health Organization (WHO), is closely involved with the studies and research being carried out by various international bodies, and has recommended adoption of ICNIRP standards to limit human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF).

. In India, the Telecom Commission in its order dated July 23, 2008 has approved the adoption of ICNIRP guidelines.

The statement also comments on mobile phones:
'...individual national and multinational [INTERPHONE] results published thus far do not indicate an elevation of the risk of cancers in the head with cell phones.

Regarding base stations, the statement states that:
'Epidemiological data on possible health effects of chronic, low-level, whole-body exposure in the far-field of radiofrequency (RF) transmitters are poor, especially because of lack of satisfactory individual exposure assessment. The few studies with adequate exposure assessment did not reveal any health-related effects. Exposure levels due to cell phone base stations are generally around one-ten-thousandth of the guideline levels.'

This is an important confirmation that the present WHO and ITU endorsed safety recommendations i.e. ICNIRP are protective for all persons against all established health risks.

We believe that the same will remove many misconceptions and apprehensions with regard to the radiations from the mobile phones and base stations.