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Home > Research > Expert statements from the BfS
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Expert statements from the BfS on national and international research topics
National and international research covers questions which are significant for radiation protection. The BfS issues statements on selected topics.
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Scientific statement of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection concerning the results and conclusions of the INTERPHONE international case-control study on the risk of brain tumour in relation to mobile telephone usage
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The rapid increase in mobile telephone use has led to general concerns about possible detrimental health risks that may be related to the radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields generated by this technology. The INTERPHONE international case-control study on the risk of brain tumour incidence in relation to mobile telephone usage was initiated in 2000 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It involved 49 scientists extensive epidemiological data and detailed information on mobile phone usage from 13 countries (Australia, Canada,Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway,Sweden and the UK).
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Statement on the Danish cohort study on mobile phones
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The present study is an extended follow-up of a nationwide cohort of 420,095 Danish persons whose first mobile phone subscription was between 1982 and 1995 and who were followed through 20072 for cancer incidence. The observed number of cancers in the cohort was compared with those expected in the Danish population. There was no evidence for an increased tumour risk due to cellular telephone use among either short-term or long-term users. Potential limitations of this study concern exposure-misclassification due to the use of subscriber data only and the exclusion of occupational users. Overall results are quite consistent to those of other published studies, at least for short-term users. Still unclear is the situation for long-term users. Due to biases and errors the results of the so called INTER-PHONE study, the largest study on the risk of brain tumours in relation to mobile phone use conducted to date, cannot be interpreted causally regarding intensive and long-term usage of mobile phones (full text in German only).
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Special Eurobarometer: Electromagnetic fields - Report 347
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The Eurobarometer is a series of surveys among EU citizens periodically funded by the European Commission since 1973. In a recent Eurobarometer poll in 2010 (Report 347) the public perception on possible health effects of electromagnetic fields was assessed in the 27 Member States of the European Union and compared to a preceding survey conducted in 2006. The results for the German respondents show that there is only little concern about possible health effects from electromagnetic fields among German citizens. At present, German respondents are more concerned about high-voltage power lines than about mobile phones or mobile phone base stations. About one third of the German respondents informed themselves on electromagnetic fields using different sources of information. 50 percent of the interested persons were satisfied with the quality of the material, which is a significant increase compared to the last survey in 2006. German citizens still prefer television as an information medium, followed by print media. In Germany, thirty percent of the respondents feel to be effectively protected against health risks from electromagnetic fields by the authorities. The Eurobarometer largely supports the results obtained within the research projects commissioned by BfS (full text in German only).
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Health effects of TETRA - scientific knowledge and actual research
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At present, a standard voice and data radio communication system for security authorities and organisations (digital radio BOS) according to the TETRA standard is introduced nationwide in the Federal Republic of Germany by the Federal Agency for Digital Radio of Security Authorities and Organisations (BDBOS). The current state of knowledge on possible health effects due to this technology gained from scientific literature is briefly summarised here (full text in German only).
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Statement on the topic "Influence of Mobile Phone Use on Male Fertility"
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There is a controversial discussion whether mobile phone use does influence male fertility. Davoudi et al. (2002) were the first to report that the frequent use of a GSM mobile phone reduces the motility of sperms, taking as an example a group of 13 healthy men. Further examinations of male volunteers and animals followed. BfS summarises the results and evaluates them.
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Statement on the Issue of Possible Effects of High-frequency and Low-frequency Electromagnetic Fields on Animals and Plants
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Frequently, questions are posed to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection relating to possible damaging effects of high-frequency electromagnetic fields – especially of mobile telecommunication – but also of low-frequency electric and magnetic fields on animals and plants. Many questions relate to a possible influence of the electromagnetic fields on productive livestock but also on birds, bats, and trees. The scientific state of knowledge of the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on significant groups of animals and plants is summarised and evaluated.
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Exposure of persons using mobile phones in locations with metallic walls
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Triggered by the publication "Rising level of public exposure to mobile phones: Accumulation through additivity and reflectivity." Journal of the Physical Society of Japan. Vol. 71(2), pp 432-435, 2002 (Tsuyoshi Hondou) the Federal Office for Radiation Protection states that the assumptions made by the author are not realistic especially in terms of neglecting attenuation of radio waves by objects and subjects within the passenger compartment. With realistic assumptions a violation of safety values seems extremely unlikely.
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Grundbegriffe der Epidemiologie strahlungsbedingter Krankheiten
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Die Epidemiologie (von griech. epi „auf, über“, demos „Volk“, logos „Lehre“) ist eine wissenschaftliche Disziplin, die sich mit der Verteilung von Krankheiten in einer Bevölkerung (deskriptive oder beschreibende Epidemiologie) und mit den Faktoren beschäftigt, die diese Verteilung beeinflussen (so genannte analytische Epidemiologie). Ausgehend von der untersuchten Krankheit oder vom untersuchten
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