The FCC and FDA now state that they rely on a self-appointed, self-monitored, private club, to which no American belongs, termed the International Commission of Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). This small group of around one dozen scientists is closely allied with industry and does not represent the larger expert scientific community. It repeatedly puts forward unfounded criticisms of U.S. government research yet remains unchecked by oversight or independent external review. Numerous investigations, published research, and a 2020 report released by European Members of Parliament details the ways in which ICNIRP has serious conflicts of interests and remains under the influence of the telecommunications industry. Yet both the FCC and the FDA substantiate their rejection of the US NTP $30 million animal study with ICNIRP’s criticism despite the fact that several retired scientists of the National Institutes of Health have documented that ICNIRP’s criticisms are erroneous.
The FCC’s current EMF limits, which it has not changed since creating them in1996, are based on recommendations from a close relative of ICNIRP called the NCRP.
As FCC explains it:
“These criteria for SAR evaluation are similar to those recommended by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) in “Biological Effects and Exposure Criteria for Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields,” NCRP Report No. 86, Section 17.4.5, copyright 1986 by NCRP, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Limits for whole body SAR and peak spatial-average SAR are based on recommendations made in both of these documents. The MPE limits in Table 1 are based generally on criteria published by the NCRP in “Biological Effects and Exposure Criteria for Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields,” NCRP Report No. 86, Sections 17.4.1, 17.4.1.1, 17.4.2 and 17.4.3, copyright 1986 by NCRP, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.”