International radiation protection: BfS experts appointed

Two experts from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) will in future contribute their expertise in the area of electromagnetic fields to the work of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), where they will hold key positions.

Dr Jens Kuhne and Dr Dan Baaken

Dr Jens Kuhne, Head of Research and Evaluation at the BfS Competence Centre for Electromagnetic Fields (KEMF), has been elected to the 12-member commission, which will replace the previous commission on 17 July. At the same time, Dr Dan Baaken, Scientific Officer at the KEMF, will take up his work as Scientific Secretary for the ICNIRP. He succeeds Dr Gunde Ziegelberger, who has held this position since 2004.

ICNIRP founded in 1992

The ICNIRP is a scientific body in which international experts assess the health effects of non-ionising radiation and develop recommendations for protection against it. Non-ionising radiation includes electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields as well as ultrasound.

Scientific panel on non-ionising radiation

For their assessment, commission members draw on the expertise of ICNIRP Scientific Expert Groups (SEGs), among others, which address various issues in Project Groups (PGs). The ICNIRP was founded in 1992 as the successor to the International Non-Ionizing Radiation Committee (INIRC) of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). It is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a collaborating non-state radiation protection actor.

International exchange is crucial

The BfS attaches great importance to international networking

Kuhne, who has already been active in the Ultrasound Project Group (PG Ultrasound) of the ICNIRP in recent years, says: "As a radiation protection expert, it is important to me to be involved in developing and reviewing guidelines and limit value recommendations, thereby making a key contribution to ensuring that these are always based on the latest scientific knowledge and offer effective protection." International exchange is an opportunity, he says, to be notified very quickly of important developments in science and to draw appropriate conclusions for radiation protection.

Kuhne, who holds a doctorate in physics, has been joint head of the BfS KEMF since February 2024, having succeeded Ziegelberger in this role. In his voluntary work for the ICNIRP, he represents neither Germany nor the BfS, but rather acts as an independent expert. The BfS attaches great importance to international networking in scientific research and therefore expressly supports the work of the ICNIRP.