By Jan-Kees van der Ven
As every year, we as an association have been invited again this year to the sounding board group meeting of the knowledge platform EMF. The aim of the knowledge platform EMF (ElectroMagnetic Fields) is to make scientific knowledge about electromagnetic fields & health understandable for everyone. Our participation in this sounding board group is twofold:
Last year
Over the past year, the knowledge platform has again shared information on various topics, including:
- Measuring EMF with smartphone apps;
- Not entirely within our field of expertise, but related to radiation: infrared panels;
- Precautionary policy for high-voltage power lines has been recalibrated, as a result of which the information on the website has been updated;
- The SCHEER (Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks) advice has been revised with a recommendation to update the EU Recommendation (1999/519/EC) and EU Directive (2013/35/EU) on exposure to EM fields.
In addition, interaction with society has also been sought in other ways. For example, there is a think tank Grid pollution was established in which people who are concerned with network pollution from a technical point of view and people who are concerned about possible health risks, work together to find solutions. There is also a symposium digitalization and energy transition organized in which the relationship between health, the rapidly advancing digitalization, and the energy transition of society, was discussed. The focus was strongly on the relationship between science and society.
Topics that are still being worked on are: wireless charging of vehicles, but since these systems are not yet on the market, this topic has been put on hold for the time being; and an explanation of scientific research methods, but this appears to be a complex matter, which makes a simple explanation difficult. In addition, the wish has been expressed again that within the government, one ministry will take responsibility for coordination regarding EMF and health-related topics. The General Administrative Service (ABD) will advise which ministry this can best be.
The most important product of the knowledge platform remains the website, but knowledge is also shared by giving lectures, such as at our members meeting on December 8, 2023 at Philips. The platform can continue its work, because funding has been granted by the government for a period of 4 years. In doing so, the platform has set itself the following goals:
- Increasing knowledge and answering questions about EMF and health aspects;
- Be impartial, stimulate discussion, put the topic on the agenda, and provide illuminating explanations of scientific research;
- Explain EMF aspects of electricity networks and mobile communications;
- To highlight health aspects, both physical and stress due to worry.
Three facets are recognised here: indicating what is already being done well; listening to both the discussion within society and the research that is being done; helping, where the focus will be on developing this in the coming year.
In addition to the focus on helping, the following technical topics will be examined in terms of content:
- Scientific research method
- Grid pollution
- Wearables (devices on and in the body)
- Micro inverters
- Shore power for ships
- Second frequency auction 5 G (3.5 GHz) approach 6 G
- The WHO will merge various 5G sub-reviews, with particular attention to the 6 GHz and 26 GHz frequency bands.
- RF exposure limits in legislation
Finally, there were 2 presentations from groups concerned about health risks of EMF. These were:
- White Zone in the Netherlands (Rob Verboog, EHS Foundation) in which a plea was made for the development of areas where EMF levels are kept to a minimum.
- Recognition of electrosensitivity in the Netherlands (Rob van der Boom, EHS Foundation), with a focus on precautionary measures.
Nederlands