During the French government round-table discussions which finished in May 2009 a committee was set up to oversee the experimental reduction in EM radiation from phone masts in response to the worldwide concern emerging  (thanks in particular to the work of the independent scientists who have contributed to the BioInitiative Report) about electrosmog (radiation from artificial EMFs).

The report recommends, as a preliminary measure, a drastic reduction in the level of artificial HF microwave radiation to 0.6 V/m, ie. 0.1 μW/cm•. Organisations and campaign groups all over the world are demanding that this maximum limit be applied because it would not harm the greater part of the public who are in reasonably good health. However the long-term objective is to remove this new form of environmental pollution by introducing an upper limit of 0.1 V/m or 0.003 μW/cm• from all sources of emission combined.

The present the legal limit in France for UMTS/3G is 61 V/m, or 1,000 μW/cm•. This is on the basis of the official period of 6 minutes per phone call. There is no limit specified for any longer period which has not prevented the government from allowing the public, quite illegally, to be subjected to this type of exposure.

At the May round table meeting with the government, the campaign group Robin des toits ('Robin Hood of the Roofs') suggested that the lower radiation limit of 0.6 V/m should be tried out in several towns. 238 cities, towns and rural councils volunteered to take part in the experiment of reduced radiation from mobile phones. This number indicates a growing awareness among local councils of the health problems caused by the proliferation of relay antennas in towns.

The Ministry of Ecology hasnow published the list of towns chosen by the Committee responsible for the project to participate in the experiment in reducing exposure to the EMFs around relay antennas. Many applicants will be disappointed as, of the 238 that volunteered, only 16 of them have been chosen for the trial reduction in exposure and 11 for the trial consultation methods.

For the full report and the list of the chosen towns.

More articles on mobile phones and masts

First Published in December 2009

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