Base stations and wireless networks : exposures and health consequences

Overview

The WHO Workshop on Base Stations and Wireless Networks: Exposure and Health was held in Geneva on June 15-16, 2005. This meeting was jointly sponsored with the European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST 281), the European Commission Coordination Action EMF-NET, the Research Association for Radio Applications (FGF) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

This workshop covered issues such as the exposure from mobile phone base stations and other wireless networks, future wireless technologies, review of possible health consequences from the above, risk communication to the public related to radio base stations exposure, and response from governments and other stakeholders. The aim of the conference was to review the current state of knowledge and opinions of the conference participants and propose ways forward on this issue.

The meeting was convened by the WHO International EMF Project as part of the scientific review process to determine biological and health effects from exposure to EMF. The purpose of these workshops is to bring together expert scientists so that established health effects and gaps in knowledge requiring further research can be identified.

Exposure to radiofrequencies from radio base stations is a topic much debated by the scientific community, policy and health authorities, other stakeholders and the general public. In the course of the workshop, over 25 contributions were discussed. The editors thank all speakers to the Workshop for their contribution to this Proceedings.