The New ICNIRP Guidelines: Criteria, Restrictions, and Dosimetric Needs

Abstract

The International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is the independent, non-governmental, scientific organization, comprising all essential scientific disciplines, which is qualified to assess health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields together with the WHO. ICNIRP uses the results of this assessment to draft health based exposure guidelines. This assessment is free from vested interest. The paper describes the criteria used for this assessment, the classes of guidance (basic restrictions and reference levels) and the applied dosimetric models. Since the reference levels are given for the condition of maximum coupling of the fields to the exposed individual, they provide maximum protection. For a less conservative assessment, basic restrictions on the induced current density, whole-body average and localized SAR should be used. The determination of these quantities is a complicated function of various exposure parameters, the biophysical properties of the exposed object, design of the specific equipment and the field coupling to the body. Mainly due to these reasons the ICNIRP guidelines do not address product performance standards or guidance concerning computational methods or measurements techniques. It is the opinion of the ICNIRP that technical standards bodies should perform the provision of technical advice concerning the practical implementation of standards. There is a clear need to analyze systematically the general classes of equipment in order to decide whether the application of the equipment meet the basic restrictions and to determine whether additional protective measurements are necessary.