Ergebnisse des Deutschen Mobilfunk Forschungsprogramms = German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme (DMF) : Bewertung der gesundheitlichen Risiken des Mobilfunks = Health Risk Assessment of Mobile Communications

Abstract

The German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme (DMF) was carried out between 2002 and 2008 under the leadership of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). Indications of biological effects observed in field intensities below the currently applied limit values were the starting point, which brought up the question on the adequacy of the current limit values in regard to the protection against adverse health effects caused by electromagnetic fields. As it was not possible at the time to independently verify the experiments which resulted in such findings, repeat studies constituted a substantial part of the programme. Concurrently, epidemiological studies provided isolated indications that mobile communications may pose an increased health risk to the general public. The DMF programme looked into these indications by means of epidemiological studies with an improved research design. During the setting up of the programme, particular emphasis was placed on transparency and public consultation. The conceptual design of the research programme focused on interdisciplinary cooperation, especially between technical, epidemiological and experimental projects. The best possible transfer of technical know-how for the conceptual design and the research conduct on impact research was thereby guaranteed. Furthermore, the programme succeeded in creating a standardisation of the technical conceptual design and the conduct of relevant investigations. For the first time, the German Mobile Telecommunication Research Programme focused on questions of risk communication while working on scientific-technical projects.