17 July 2026
Experts from Australia and New Zealand have published a commentary paper in the New Zealand Medical Journal that evaluates the latest evidence on radiofrequency electromagnetic energy (EME) exposure.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency’s (ARPANSA) Associate Professor Ken Karipidis was an author on the paper.
He says that when you consider all the available science, there is no substantiated evidence that exposure to EME from wireless technologies like mobile phones causes any health effects.
‘In the last few years there has been a lot of research activity in this space,’ A/Prof Karipidis said.
‘In part that is due to the World Health Organization’s commissioned systematic reviews on the potential adverse health effects from EME exposure, which were all recently published.
‘Generally speaking, most of the systematic reviews found no association with adverse health effects and exposure to EME. But the evidence is limited in some areas.
‘Most importantly the systematic review investigating human observational studies and cancer found no association between using a mobile phone and brain or other cancers.
‘A systematic review investigating experimental animals and cancer did report associations with some cancers, but the methods in that systematic review were flawed and have been widely criticised in the field.
‘As such, science in this space must continue so that we can reassure policy makers and the public that new and emerging technologies that expose users to radio frequency electromagnetic energy are safe.’
A/Prof Karipidis was an author on the paper with New Zealand expert Professor Mark Elwood.
‘Findings in New Zealand are consistent with what we have found in Australian studies, which is that despite the massive increase in mobile phone use in the last 40 years there has not been a correlating increase in brain cancers.’
As the Australian Government’s primary authority on radiation protection and nuclear safety, ARPANSA will continue to monitor and lead research on the potential adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic energy.
You can read the paper in the New Zealand Medical Journal here: https://nzmj.org.nz/journal/vol-139-no-1638/health-risks-of-radiofrequency-electromagnetic-fields-and-the-world-health-organization-s-programme
