Environmental Health in Israel | 2014

Health, and National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources. In 2012, a tender was published to establish the Center, with three years of funding from the Ministry of Science and the MoEP. The Center (TNUDA), which opened in 2013 in collaboration with the Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Unit at the Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, provides responses to queries including those from various government ministries. At a later stage it will conduct basic, epidemiological research and risk-assessment. During the past five years (2010–2014), a small number of studies have been conducted in Israel to test the health impacts of non-ionizing radiation, in particular the effect of EMF radiation on nerve cells and on cellular stress. Israel participated in the INTERPHONE research project, following a 1996 recommendation by IARC to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological study to examine the association between the use of cellphones and cancer. Findings in Israel clearly indicated a link between cellphone use for more than 10 years and the development of tumors in the salivary glands, particularly among people who held the telephone on the same side where the tumor developed and individuals in the highest category of exposure (heavy use in rural areas). Israel is currently a partner in two additional international studies: (1) MOBI-Kids, a multi-center study involving experts from 16 countries who are examining potential associations between use of communication devices and other environmental factors and risk of brain tumors, and (2) the GERoNiMO (Generalised EMF Research using Novel Methods) project, which uses an integrated approach and expertise from 13 countries to further the state of knowledge on EMF and health. Both studies are funded by the European Union and managed (in Israel) at the Gertner Institute’s Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology Unit.  Progress and Challenges  Establishment of a National Center for Information on the Health Effects of Non-Ioninzing Radiation, and the launch of an interactive website which provides information on planned and existing cellular antennas, has significantly improved transparency regarding non- ionizing radiation and potential health effects.  There is a lack of public awareness regarding proper use of products that emit non-ionizing radiation – including cellphones, microwaves, adjustable beds, and laptop computers.  There are significant challenges in regularly monitoring devices in public spaces (such as transformers and power lines) and conducting measurements to enable accurate exposure assessment.  Standards regarding cellphone use are based solely on thermal impacts (localized heating of tissue). As new findings regarding additional health effects emerge, Israel will need to re-evaluate non- ionizing radiation standards in accordance with international regulatory developments. - 71 - Non-Ionizing Radiation