The Canadian government has asked a blue-ribbon panel to assess the potential health risks of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produced by cell phones and other wireless devices. The study is meant to inform a government effort to update regulations that set limits on EMFs produced by consumer products.
"There's an awful lot of controversy around this issue," says Elizabeth Nielson of Health Canada, the nation's health agency. Although she says any risks associated with EMFs have been "difficult to prove one way or another," she hopes the panel--which will review existing studies--will address public worries about cancer and other issues. Epidemiologist Daniel Krewski of the University of Ottawa will chair the eight-member committee.
Canadian officials would like to consider the panel's findings when drafting the new regulations. But that may have to be done informally, because the panel isn't scheduled to officially release its report until March--the same time the safety code revisions are due out.
