Risk management policies and practices regarding radio frequency electromagnetic fields: results from a WHO survey.
This study aims to describe current risk management practices and policies across the world in relation to personal exposures from devices emitting radiofrequency fields, environmental exposures from fixed installations and exposures in the work environment. Data from 86 countries representing all WHO regions were collected through a survey. The majority of countries (76.8 %) had set exposure limits for mobile devices, almost all (90.7 %) had set public exposure limits for fixed installations and 76.5 % had specified exposure limits for personnel in occupational settings. A number of other policies had been implemented at the national level, ranging from information provisions on how to reduce personal exposures and restrictions of usage for certain populations, such as children or pregnant women to prevention of access around base stations. This study suggests that countries with higher mobile subscriptions tend to have set radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile devices and to have provisions on exposure measurements about fixed installations.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, EHESP School of Public Health, Avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard CS 74312, 35043 Rennes, France amitdgl@hotmail.com.
Amit
A
Dhungel
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, EHESP School of Public Health, Avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard CS 74312, 35043 Rennes, France Lorraine University School of Medicine, av. de la Forêt de Haye, 54505 Vandoeuvre-Les-Nancy, France.
Denis
D
Zmirou-Navier
Radiation Programme, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Emilie
E
van Deventer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D040421:Cell Phone / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D058735:Environmental Policy; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011846:Radio Waves; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization; D055815:Young Adult