Article publication date

March 2026

ARPANSA review date

May 2026

Summary

This commentary by Belenki et al. from the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) provides an in-depth criticism of the  World Health Organisation (WHO) commissioned systematic review of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF‑EMF) exposure and cancer in laboratory animals by Mevissen et al. (2025). It includes a detailed critique and re-analysis, an overview of methodological and analytical flaws, and a comprehensive list of identified errors. 

The commentary’s main critique is that the systematic review diverged from their pre-published protocol and did not perform meta-analyses. Mevissen et al., (2025) argues that the methods and results of individual studies are too different and can’t be combined in meta-analyses. Instead, Mevissen et al., (2025) further argues that any positive outcome can be used to conclude an effect of RF-EMF on cancer, despite this method meaning much of the available evidence is ignored. This meant that the majority of conclusions of the animal systematic review were based on the results of National Toxicology Program (NTP) study which is one of the largest studies on RF-EMF and cancer in rats and mice. However, the NTP study has been heavily critiqued and many of the flaws were not considered by Mevissen et al. (2025). Belenki et al. (2026) corrected this by conducting meta-analyses and certainty of evidence evaluations for sufficiently similar studies following the originally published protocol. These meta-analyses resulted in odds ratios (OR) for both malignant glioma (OR 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.46-23.84) and malignant cardiac schwannoma (OR 9.11, 95% CI 1.51-54.84) with very wide confidence intervals. This means that there is a lot of imprecision in the data and the true risk is hard to determine.

GRADE and OHAT provide guidance on how to interpret confidence intervals when conducting systematic reviews. Both guidance documents recommend that, when confidence intervals are as wide as observed in these results, the certainty of evidence (CoE) should be downgraded twice. Consequently, Belenki et al. downgraded CoE from high certainty to low. This is a substantially different conclusion to that reported by Mevissen et al. (2025) who claimed a high CoE. 

Mevissen et al. (2026), responded to the commentary made by Belenki et al. (2026), contending that rats of different strains could not be compared to each other in a meta-analysis. It was further argued that, if there is a positive outcome in one study and a negative outcome in another study, only positive outcomes should be considered when examining rare cancers. Mevissen et al. (2026) concedes many of the other errors pointed out by Belenki et al. (2026). 

Published in

Environment International

Link to

Commentary on the systematic review of radiofrequency field exposure and animal cancer by Mevissen et al. (2025) - Revisiting the evidence and aquantitative perspective

ARPANSA commentary

The paper by Mevissen et al. (2025) has now been critiqued by a number of national organisations including the Swiss expert group on electromagnetic fields and non-ionising radiation, BfS and ARPANSA. The general assessment is that the methods used by Mevissen et al. (2025) were flawed because they resulted in an assessment that did not consider the evidence as a whole and instead only took into account studies showing positive associations. 

Since the publication of Mevissen et al. (2025) two large studies, simultaneously but independently conducted in Korea (Kim et al., 2026) and Japan (Imaida et al., 2026), investigated whether long‑term exposure to RF-EMF can cause tumours or genetic damage in rats. The findings of these studies were remarkably consistent with each other as there were no statistically significant changes in tumour incidence in either study, in contrast to the results reported in NTP study. Any future meta-analysis on this topic would be significantly influenced by the Korean and Japanese studies, improving the CoE and providing further evidence that RF-EMF does not cause cancer in laboratory animals. 

The WHO commissioned systematic review process aimed to assess the possible implications of RF-EMF exposure on human health. The most significant evidence on the impact of RF-EMF on human health comes from studies on humans,not animals.  The WHO commissioned systematic reviews looking at observational studies in humans (Karipidis et al., 2024, Karipidis et al., 2025) did not find an association between RF-EMF and any cancer type, including brain cancer. 

The meta-analyses conducted by Belenki et al. (2026) has completed the work that the WHO commissioned animal systematic review set out to do in their protocol. Their syntheses of the evidence combined with the newly published results from the Korean and Japanese studies do not the support the association between RF-EMF exposure and cancer in animals. 

Article publication date

28 March 2026

ARPANSA review date

May 2026

Summary

This in vitro study investigated the effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure on oxidative stress and cell viability markers (measure of the number of living, healthy cells in a sample) in two types of brain cell models. Cells were exposed to 5G modulated 700 MHz RF-EMF at three different specific absorption rates: 0, 0.08 and 4 W/kg for either 1 or 24 hours. During exposure the cells were maintained in a carefully controlled environment such that the temperature of each sample remained steady. Cells were analysed immediately after exposure and 24 hours after exposure for mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, cell viability, apoptosis and proliferation.

For both cell types, there was no effect of RF-EMF exposure on any endpoint at either time point. A positive control sample exposed to hydrogen peroxide was also used to validate the measurement tools which showed large effects.

Published in

Scientific Reports

Link to

Biological effects of 5G-modulated 700 MHz RF-EMF exposure on neuronal and glial cell models under isothermal conditions

ARPANSA commentary

Temperature control is important for in vitro studies as the cells, as they exist in the laboratory environment, are not supported by the thermoregulatory systems that exist in vivo. Without temperature control it becomes almost impossible to distinguish between RF-EMF exposure or simple heat as the origin of an observed effect from an experiment. This difference is important when extrapolating in vitro results to a health endpoint in an animal as the temperature rise observed in vitro would be mitigated by an animal’s thermoregulatory response. Similarly, the exposure limits prescribed in the Australian radiofrequency standard RPS-S1 are based on preventing adverse thermal effects in humans so for the results to have relevance to exposures experienced by the general public, temperature must be controlled.

Thus, the temperature control used in the present study is an important mark of high quality. Conversely, the method used to evaluate mitochondrial reactive oxygen species has notable issues that can reduce the reliability of the measurement if additional validation measures are not employed (Murphy et al., 2022; Roelofs et al., 2015). These factors highlight the importance of considering the quality of a study when synthesising evidence from multiple studies. Together with other well-conducted studies (Romeo et al., 2022; Meyer et al., 2024), this study contributes to a body of evidence that demonstrates a lack of adverse effects from RF-EMF exposure. It is also notable that this is one of few studies that has used 5G signal modulation on the 700 MHz band as most studies using this type of modulation have used the more commonly employed 3500 MHz band. 

15 May 2026

ARPANSA has taken regulatory action and issued the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) a Direction under section 41 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act), in relation to the safety of operations at one of the buildings on its Lucas Heights campus, that stores radioactive waste. 

The building is used to store waste generated from past production of nuclear medicines at ANSTO between 1971 and 2007 and is not related to the Open-pool Australian Lightwater (OPAL) nuclear reactor. 

ARPANSA has been engaging with ANSTO to monitor the management of this waste over many years and ARPANSA is no longer confident that ANSTO’s management plans and arrangements for this building comprehensively address potential risks. A recent investigation found four breaches of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Regulations 2018.

This regulatory action is precautionary to reduce the risk of an incident occurring in the future. There has not been any evidence of detrimental impact to the environment, ANSTO workers, or the community from the facility. 

The Direction was issued on 22 April 2026 and requires ANSTO to:

• prepare contingency plans in case of an incident at the building, 
• undertake a full risk assessment and update its Safety Analysis Report, 
• appoint an independent review team to undertake an independent safety and risk review, and provide recommendations; and
• prepare a program to address any findings and recommendations. 

Each of these actions must be completed within specified timeframes and progress reported to ARPANSA. 

It is ARPANSA’s role to regulate relevant Commonwealth agencies, to ensure licence holders take responsibility for protection of people and the environment, from the harmful effects of radiation. 

ARPANSA will continue to engage with ANSTO to ensure safe and secure management of this waste.

13 May 2026

Australian radiation experts worked with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish new research that finds ozone depletion has had a small effect on Australia’s high incidence of skin cancer compared to other ultraviolet radiation (UV) related factors.

Ozone depletion allows more cancer-causing UV to reach Earth’s surface, which is why scientists want to understand what impact it has had on sun-related diseases.  

World leading experts at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), Associate Professor Ken Karipidis and Dr Stuart Henderson, contributed to the study.

A/Prof Karipidis says that melanoma incidence and mortality rates in Australia remain some of the highest in the world with two-thirds of Australians set to receive a skin cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. 

‘What was interesting about this study was that the small effect on skin cancer from ozone depletion was the same in the US and Australia, even though ozone depletion in the southern hemisphere and skin cancer rates in Australia are much higher than in the US,’ A/Prof Karipidis said. 

‘The paper found that genetic susceptibility of skin types, sun exposure behaviours, public health measures like early diagnosis, and proximity to the equator have more of an influence on Australia’s skin cancer rates than ozone depletion.’  

Dr Stuart Henderson says the study used modelling to compare UV exposure and resulting skin cancer and cataract rates between the United States and Australia from 1980 to 2015. Atmospheric data was then used to see what impact ozone depletion had on the rates of these diseases.  

‘Australia receives much more UV through the atmosphere than the US – about 24 per cent more. But it’s the other factors like Australia’s culture of sun tanning that contribute more to UV-related diseases than ozone depletion,’ Dr Henderson said. 

‘This paper reinforces the need to continue educating the community that they need to protect themselves from the sun using the slip, slop, slap, seek, and slide measures.

‘We maintain a monitoring network across all of Australia’s main population centres so people can access the live UV index, which guides them on when to use sun protection.’ 

The paper predicts that ozone depletion is unlikely to have much influence on skin cancer rates in the future. The success of international agreements to phase out the production of chemicals causing atmospheric ozone depletion has meant that ozone depletion peaked in the 1990s, and a full recovery is expected by the middle of this century.

ARPANSA scientists collaborate with eminent international health authorities including the US EPA to build knowledge so the agency can continue to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation. 

Read the full paper here: Effects of Ozone-Depleting Substances on Ultraviolet Radiation and Skin Cancer Rates in Australia and the United States of America

Quarterly Report of the Chief Executive Officer of ARPANSA - January to March 2025

Letter of transmittal
 

20 March 2026
The Hon Rebecca White MP 
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives 
Parliament House 
Canberra ACT 2600

Dear Minister

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (the Act) requires the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to submit to the Minister, at the end of each quarter, a report on:

• the operations during the quarter of the CEO, ARPANSA, the Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council (the Council), the Nuclear Safety Committee (the NSC) and the Radiation Health Committee (the RHC)
• details of directions given by the Minister to the CEO under section 16 of the Act
• details of directions given by the CEO under section 41 of the Act
• details of improvement notices given by inspectors under section 80A of the Act
• details of any breach of licence conditions by a licensee, of which the CEO is aware
• details of all reports received by the CEO from the Council and the NSC under Part 4, paragraphs 20(f) or 26(1)(d) of the Act
• a list of all facilities licensed under Part 5 of the Act.

I am pleased to provide you with a report, meeting the requirements of the Act, covering the period 1 October - 31 December 2025.

Please note that subsection 60(6) of the Act requires you to cause a copy of the report to be laid before each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of the day on which this report was given to you

Yours sincerely

Dr Gillian Hirth AO 
CEO of ARPANSA

The operations of the CEO and ARPANSA

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety. Our purpose is to protect the Australian people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation, through understanding risks, best practice regulation, research, policy, services, partnerships and engaging with the community.

ARPANSA sits within the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing portfolio and has a single outcome, as set out in the 2025–26 Portfolio Budget Statements (PBS):

Protection of people and the environment through radiation protection and nuclear safety research, policy, advice, codes, standards, services and regulation.

The Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Program, contained within the 2025–26 PBS, describes 4 key performance measures against which ARPANSA seeks to achieve its outcome. 

These measures are: 

• Provide high quality advice to government and the community on health, safety and environmental risks from radiation
• Provide emergency preparedness and response systems for a radiological or nuclear incident. Promote patient safety in radiotherapy and diagnostic radiology
• Ensure protection of people and the environment through efficient and effective regulation 
• The report on the operations of the CEO and ARPANSA focuses on these.
  Provide high quality advice to government and the community on health, safety, and environmental risks from radiation

Enhanced Electromagnetic Energy (EME) Program

During this quarter, ARPANSA presented at the annual Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association EME symposium. Topics included EME and health, EME measurements, and public engagement and communication. The symposium was attended by representatives from academia, government, and industry. 

Launch of the Environmental Radiation Monitoring and Assessment Program (RADMAP-Aus) 

In October, ARPANSA launched a new website which brings together the full suite of ARPANSA’s environmental radiation monitoring and assessment data, including measurements of radionuclides in air, water, food and soil across Australia. This information is used to support human and environmental safety, effective regulation, emergency preparedness, education and public awareness. The site includes results of real-time gamma monitoring from 4 locations around Australia, and the data is accessible to the public. Historic data held by ARPANSA and additional gamma monitoring sites will continue to be added to the website. This work demonstrates ARPANSA’s commitment to protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation. The website is available at: www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/radmap-aus

ARPANSA Radiation Monitoring Survey Report at Maralinga 

This quarter, ARPANSA delivered the 2025 Maralinga monitoring survey report to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources and the Maralinga Land and Environmental Management Committee. The report was based on a measurement activity undertaken between May and June 2025, which aimed to determine and record any changes in radiation levels and establish if weather or other effects have exposed previously covered contamination that may potentially lead to health hazards. The survey confirmed that the dose assessments made by the Maralinga Rehabilitation Technical Advisory Committee and outlined in a 2002 report are still applicable to the former nuclear test site at Maralinga. The survey also affirmed that no significant changes to radioactivity levels were detected. Therefore, the site remains radiologically safe for the uses outlined in the report.

Provide emergency preparedness and response systems for a radiological or nuclear incident 

Emergency Preparedness 

During this quarter, ARPANSA was involved in one emergency preparedness and response workshop with the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), and one emergency response. ARPANSA closely monitored reports around contamination of Caesium-137 in Indonesia to ensure any contamination risks were managed for Australian imports. ARPANSA established the Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre at ALERT under the Australian Radiological and Nuclear Event Plan to coordinate a Commonwealth response to this event and worked closely with the Australian Border Force to manage any risks. 

Promote patient safety in radiotherapy and diagnostic radiology 

Australian Clinical Dosimetry Service (ACDS) 

The ACDS is required to show proof of inter-laboratory dosimetry comparisons to maintain NATA 17025 accreditation. To support this, ACDS staff travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) to contribute to the benchmarking of a Cranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) audit against international peers, including: National Physical Laboratory (UK), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (Austria), and the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core Houston QA Center (United States of America). This was the first international comparison of Cranial SRS audits organised by the Global Harmonisation Group to ensure global consistency of audits for clinical trials credentialling. The results will be published in a suitable peer reviewed journal. 

Medical imaging 

ARPANSA’s National Diagnostic Reference Level Service (NDRLS) received 2,935 surveys of patient dose in computed tomography (CT) scans during the quarter, bringing the cumulative total for 2025 to 5,831. The numbers of surveys received per procedure category were sufficient to infer national characteristics. Pleasingly, this is the highest level of annual submissions since the service commenced in 2011. NDRLS surveys are completed by participating imaging facilities and collect data on patient dose from ionising radiation in diagnostic imaging, particularly for CT. The diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) provide a point of comparison, which allows imaging facilities to compare their practice with that of their peers. This helps to minimise excessive radiation dose to patients from medical imaging.

Ensure protection of people and the environment through efficient and effective regulation 

Significant regulatory activities 

ARPANSA issued 2 new facility licences during the quarter for the siting of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO) new Nuclear Medicine Manufacturing Facility (NMMF), and the construction licence for the ASA’s Controlled Industrial Facility (CIF) at HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, Western Australia. See the ‘Facilities licensed’ section below for more detail. Licences previously issued by ARPANSA relating to the ASA’s CIF at HMAS Stirling were transferred to the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulator (ANNPSR) when it formally came into being on 1 November 2025. ANNPSR was created by the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Act 2024 (Cth) (ANNPS Act), along with the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety (Transitional Provisions) Act 2024 (Cth) and the Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Regulations 2025. Any sources or controlled apparatus not related to naval nuclear propulsion activities remain under the jurisdiction of ARPANSA. ARPANSA continues to work closely with ANNPSR to support the smooth transition of regulatory responsibility, as well as ongoing regulatory alignment. 

Approvals 

ARPANSA reviews and issues approvals, where appropriate, for certain controlled activities. This quarter approvals included 3 new licences, 2 amended licences, 2 licence surrenders and the use of a source beyond its recommended working life: 

• ARPANSA issued a new licence to the National Film and Sound Archive to deal with X-ray fluorescence apparatus 
• ARPANSA amended the ANSTO Nuclear Medicine (ANM) licence to extend the time period for provision of the Periodic Safety and Security Review (PSSR). The approval took account of ANSTO’s capacity to deliver multiple PSSRs, and the need to prioritise the review of an older facility
• ARPANSA accepted the surrender of the ANSTO HIFAR ‘possess or control’ licence, and the Department of Defence’s Port Wakefield linear accelerator licence. These have been superseded by new licences
• ARPANSA did not approve a change with significant implications for safety for the construction licence of ANSTO’s SyMo facility. The SyMo facility is a liquid radioactive waste treatment facility. The proposed change in the transfer methodology of liquid radioactive waste into the facility marked a significant deviation from the original design. The application failed to demonstrate that the proposed change was optimised for radiation protection. The change would also require modification of the ANSTO Nuclear Medicine Facility, which was not discussed in the application. 

Inspections 

ARPANSA conducted 10 inspections this quarter, including 6 facilities and 4 source licences. ARPANSA’s inspection program is used to monitor compliance with the Act and Regulations. The inspection report findings assist each licence holder to meet their compliance requirements and attain high safety standards by benchmarking against international best practice. 

Radioactive material import and export permits 

The import and export of radioactive material to and from Australia requires permission under Regulation 4R of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 and Regulation 9AD of the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958. Under these regulations, ARPANSA officers are authorised to issue import and export permits. 

Permits issued this quarter:

Transport of radioactive material 

ARPANSA provided 2 approvals for a Type B(U) transport package of an overseas design. These packages are used to safety transport radioactive material. In addition, ARPANSA approved 3 transport security plans.

Details of directions given by the Minister under section 16 of the Act 

No directions were given by the Minister under section 16 of the Act. 

Details of directions given by the CEO under section 41 of the Act 

No directions were given by the CEO under section 41 of the Act. 

Details of improvement notices given by inspectors under section 80A of the Act 

No improvement notices were issued under section 80A of the Act. 

Details of any breach of licence conditions by a licensee 

There were no breaches with significant safety or security implications during this quarter. 

One breach was confirmed with no significant safety or security implications. The National Museum of Australia had not reviewed the Radiation Safety Policy within 3 years, as required. This is considered an administrative breach. 

Facilities licensed under Part 5 of the ARPANS Act 

ARPANSA issued 2 facility licences this quarter, following a thorough independent review and assessment (including public consultation): 

• ARPANSA issued ANSTO a siting licence for a new NMMF at their campus in Lucas Heights, NSW. This is the first stage of the facility licensing process and allows work to commence to aid assessment and prepare a site for the new facility. ANSTO plans to manufacture nuclear medicines in the new facility – a process which currently takes place in another older facility at the site nearby
• ARPANSA granted a licence to the ASA to construct the CIF. The CIF will provide low-level waste management and maintenance services to support the Submarine Rotational Force – West program. This is the second stage of the facility licensing process. As stated above, this licence was transferred to ANNPSR on 1 November 2025.

ARPANSA implements a multi-layered evaluation and review process to ensure an independent and comprehensive licence assessment, including consideration of all public submissions, and all technical and management information submitted by the applicant (ASA). For the CIF construction licence application, 93 public submissions were received and considered. A summary of the submission themes and ARPANSA’s responses is available on the ARPANSA website at: www.arpansa.gov.au/construction-licence-approved asas-controlled-industrial-facility. 

The operations of the Council and Committees 

Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council 

The Radiation Health and Safety Advisory Council (the Council) met from 26 to 27 November in Sydney. Starting with a joint session with the Radiation Health Committee, the Council heard a presentation from the Acting Deputy Director of ANNPSR on its recent establishment, and further discussed matters including:

• separate ARPANSA-supported and New South Wales-led investigations into injuries from cosmetic uses of non-ionising radiation
• the preparation of a letter of advice regarding developing a national competency framework for the use of radiation sources
• a review of the Clinical Guidelines for Radiological Emergencies
• related technical material regarding use of potassium iodide. 

Following the closure of the joint session, other notable items of discussion included: 

• recent correspondence from the ARPANSA CEO, as well as the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR)
• ongoing matters relating to sunscreen testing, minerals/waste reprocessing, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• the endorsement of letters of advice to the CEO regarding the Safe Work Australia Deemed Diseases List
• the national competency framework for the use of radiation sources. 

Minutes of previous Council meetings are available on the website at: www.arpansa.gov.au/rhsac. 

The next meeting of the Council is scheduled from 25 to 26 March 2026 in Melbourne.

Reports to the CEO from the Council under paragraph 20(f) of the Act 

Two letters of advice were produced by Council in this quarter:

• Council Advice to the CEO on a National Workforce Competency Framework for the Safe use of Radiation Sources
• Council Advice to the CEO on Safe Work Australia’s Deemed Diseases in Australia Report. 

Council statements are available on the ARPANSA website at: www.arpansa.gov.au/rhsac. 

Radiation Health Committee 

The Radiation Health Committee (the RHC) met from 25 to 26 November 2025 in Sydney and discussed items including:

• its draft workplan and key priorities for 2026
• the revision or drafting of a number of Radiation Protection Series documents, including those relating to Waste, Exemption and Clearance, Medical Safety, and X-Ray apparatuses
• the NHMRC guidelines for recreational water
• guidance around the use of potassium iodide in a radiological emergency
• the potential impacts of increased rare earth and critical mineral refining activities
• jurisdictional approaches to radiation regulation and radiological safety assessments
• Australian Radioactive Waste Agency (ARWA) activities regarding radioactive waste management 
• further items in the joint session with Council, noted above. 

Minutes of previous RHC meetings are available on the ARPANSA website at: www.arpansa.gov.au/rhc. The next meeting of the RHC is scheduled from 3 to 4 March 2026 in Hobart. 

Nuclear Safety Committee 

The Nuclear Safety Committee met on 19 November 2025 in Canberra. 

The Committee considered a range of matters, including the ASA’s CIF construction licence work and the transition of regulatory responsibility from ARPANSA to ANNPSR. It also discussed developments in national waste and decommissioning policy, and recent developments regarding licence holder performance related to legacy infrastructure issues at ANSTO. 

The minutes of the meetings are available on the ARPANSA website at: www.arpansa.gov.au/nsc. The next meeting of the NSC is scheduled from 18 to 19 March 2026 in Melbourne. 

Reports to the CEO from the NSC under paragraph 26(1)(d) of the Act. 

The NSC wrote to the CEO regarding community consultation for the CIF at HMAS Stirling, and the importance of engagement to address community concerns.

7 May 2026

28 April 2026

Leading researchers and industry professionals from across the globe will be travelling to Cairns to attend the BioEM 2026 conference in June.  

Radiation Research and Advice Director at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), Associate Professor Sarah Loughran, is co-chairing the conference.  

‘Bioelectromagnetics research is especially relevant to ARPANSA’s work investigating potential health effects of electromagnetic fields on humans and the environment,’ A/Prof Loughran said.  

‘As co-chair for the conference, I’m looking forward to welcoming international experts to Australia to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and accelerate research in this important field.’  

BioEM 2026 is the largest and most significant international conference in the field of bioelectromagnetics, and will be held at the Cairns Convention Centre from 21 – 26 June.  

The program will include presentations and workshops from eminent professionals, scientists, and researchers working in engineering, biomedical sciences, public health industries, and wireless communications. 

Conference themes include: 

• Human, animal, and cell studies investigating the effects of EME, biomedical applications, dosimetry, electroporation, and mmWave research
• Highlights will include a plenary delivered by Distinguished Professor, Gordon Wallace, and a workshop highlighting EME research, measurement, and risk communication across Australia.

‘Australia punches above its weight in this area of science. Cairns will be a fantastic stage to showcase how researchers, government and the sector in Australia have collaborated to protect the public, workers and the environment from the harmful effects of EME,’ A/Prof Loughran said.   

‘We hope to see lots of locals working in the bioelectromagnetics field attend the conference as it is unlikely to return to Australia anytime soon.’  

ARPANSA is proud to be part of this important scientific event, which brings cutting edge research to Australia and helps inform our work under the Australian Government’s Electromagnetic Energy Program. 

BioEM 2026 registrations are now open, with early bird rates available until the end of April.  

Learn more: https://bioem.org/bioem2026/home/  

Article publication date

11 February 2026

Article review date

20 April 2026

ARPANSA summary

This epidemiological study examined the relationship between long-term exposure to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) from electrical supply infrastructure and mortality from neurodegenerative diseases. Adults over 30 from the Swiss National Cohort were followed between the years 2001 and 2018. Their long-term exposure to high voltage power lines (HVPL) and railway power lines was estimated based on the proximity of participant residence to the lines. Results were reported as the hazard ratio (HR) per 1 µT of exposure with a 95% confidence interval (CI) which was computed while adjusting for sociodemographic and environmental factors.

The study computed a positive association between HVPL exposure and mortality from Alzheimer’s disease (HR per 1 µT = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.23–1.92) as well as other types of dementia (HR per 1 µT = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.13–1.52). No association was found between HVPL exposure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. There was also no association between any neurodegenerative disease and railway power line exposure.

Published in

Environment International

Link to

Long-term residential magnetic field exposure and neurodegenerative disease mortality: An 18-year nationwide cohort study in Switzerland

ARPANSA commentary

This study follows on from previous work (Huss, A. et al., 2009), expanding the years followed and also considering exposure from railway power infrastructure in addition to HVPL. There was also large improvements in how exposure and environmental confounders were assessed in this study compared to how it was assessed in the previous work. Epidemiological studies investigating associations with electrical supply infrastructure and health endpoints have typically modelled exposure based on distance as a categorical variable (SCHEER, 2024). The approach taken in this article to model exposure as a continuous variable using a proximity model validated by measurements is an improvement to the accuracy of exposure assigned to participants. 

However, this change in how exposure was assessed is also reflected in how the results have been reported which is deserving of some additional clarification. Sandoval-Diez et al. have reported hazard ratios per 1 µT of exposure despite the fact that only a very small proportion of the HVPL exposed population experience an exposure close to this magnitude (Loizeau, N. et al., 2024). These hazard ratios should therefore be interpreted carefully as some nuance is required to understand their meaning as they relate to realistic exposure scenarios.

The inconsistent results between different neurodegenerative diseases and different exposure sources reported in this study is challenging to interpret or consider in the context of a plausible mechanism. Such selective effects would need to proceed through mechanisms that are highly specific to the nature of the individual disease. This is further complicated when considering that the endpoint under investigation is neurodegenerative disease mortality. For many of these diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, their relationship to a cause of death, and accurate reporting thereof, can be complex (Dobson, A. et al., 2022; Matthews, F. et al., 2018). Studies that also investigate incidence, severity or disease progression may provide more reliable information about causality or a potential mechanism.

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection is currently reviewing their low frequency exposure guidelines. Studies like this will help to inform the guidelines and are considered in the context of the overarching scientific evidence. ARPANSA has previously measured ELF-EMF exposure in Australian homes and has published this information (Karipidis, K., 2014). This measurement survey remains the largest of its kind. Similarly, ARPANSA has measured ELF-EMF exposure near electrical supply infrastructure and have published this as technical report 170. ARPANSA advises that there is no substantiated scientific evidence that exposure to residential ELF-EMF causes adverse health effects, more information is available on our factsheet.

Article publication date

December 2025

ARPANSA review date

25/03/2026

Summary

The BERENIS report briefly presents key findings of systematic reviews (SRs), commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the health risk of radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF‑EMF) exposure. It also highlights research gaps and provides future recommendations for conducting more robust studies to better support future evidence synthesis in this topic. The 12 SRs assessed health effects associated with RF-EMF exposure, such as cancer, reproductive and birth outcomes, cognitive impairment, electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms, and oxidative stress. 

The SRs assessing human observational studies on cancer, cognition, reproduction, and symptoms did not identify evidence of adverse health effects associated with RF‑EMF exposure. The confidence in the evidence for mobile phone use and brain tumours in particular was rated as moderate. However, the available data for most outcomes were limited and the overall confidence in the evidence was low. Animal research showed mixed findings. Some reproductive effects, such as reduced birth weight and reduced male fertility, were supported by moderate confidence though these findings were not reflected in human studies. Cancer findings in animals, mainly derived from the National Toxicological Program (NTP) and Ramazzini studies, indicated increased schwannomas and gliomas with moderate to high confidence, though these arose under whole‑body, high‑dose exposures not comparable to realistic low-level human daily exposures. Evidence synthesised from the SRs for oxidative stress was inconsistent and mostly low‑confidence. The report indicated that current evidence does not allow conclusions about whether certain individuals are more vulnerable to RF‑EMF exposure than the general population. Studies involving people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity have not clarified increased susceptibility, and most observational studies include whole populations without the ability to identify small, sensitive subgroups. It remains challenging to assess subgroup vulnerability or to generalize findings beyond the populations typically studied.

The BERENIS report notes that many RF‑EMF studies included in the SRs have significant methodological weaknesses, such as poor exposure assessment and inadequate experimental design, which reduces confidence in their findings and makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions on potential health effects. The report also identifies major knowledge gaps, including the need for higher‑quality studies, improved exposure assessment, mechanistic research on thermal and non‑thermal effects, and long‑term prospective human studies. The need for high‑quality mechanistic studies across most research areas could help better comprehend how RF‑EMF exposure interacts at the molecular levels. The BERENIS recommends maintaining Switzerland’s precautionary approach to limit exposures since these SRs do not justify changes to exposure guidelines. 

Published in

BERENIS Newsletter – Special Issue, December 2025

Link to study

Assessment of WHO-commissioned systematic reviews on health effects of RF-EMF

ARPANSA commentary 

ARPANSA has previously reviewed the WHO SRs (for example: ARPANSA 2023, 2024a, 2024b, 2024c, 2024d, 2024e, 2024f, 2025). The overall assessment of ARPANSA on these SRs is that there is no substantiated evidence that low-level RF-EMF exposure encountered by the general public or workers poses any health risks in human populations. ARPANSA also acknowledges that much of the research has significant methodological issues related to exposure assessment, experimental design or statistical analysis resulting in low confidence in in some of the results. Therefore, it recommends quality future studies on this topic.

One particular SR which investigated cancer in experimental animals (i.e., Mevissen et al., 2025) notably has several methodological flaws, including not doing an appropriate synthesis of all the evidence and giving undue weight to the NTP study (Karipidis et al., 2026). The NTP study per se was previously critiqued for methodological and analytical flaws (see ARPANSA’s commentary on the NTP study). This flawed SR has been recently revisited by the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection  (Belenki et al., 2026) and their re-analysis disagreed with the conclusions drawn in the SR regarding positive findings for brain and heart cancers in exposed rats. It was highlighted that the SR deviated from their agreed study protocol eventually resulting in flawed results. More recently, two international co-ordinated studies,  one conducted in Korea (Kim et al., 2026) and the other in Japan (Imaida et al., 2026) ruled out the risk of cancers, DNA damage or chromosomal aberrations in RF-EMF exposed rats. Therefore, these emerging findings were published post Mevissen et al.’s SR and they do not substantiate the results previously reported by the NTP study. 

The WHO-commissioned SRs on RF-EMF exposure and health risk provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art evidence on the topic and their findings reinforce ARPANSA’s advice that RF-EMF exposure below the limits recommended in the Australian Standard (RPS-S1) does not pose any health risks.