Electromagnetic Fields: Annual Update 2003

In recent years there has been a steep rise in public concern that exposure to electromagnetic fields might produce harmful effects. One cause of this has been the enormous increase in the use of mobile phones. Questions on this topic are often put to the Health Council by the government, parliament and members of the public. Accordingly, the President of the Council has decided to establish an Electromagnetic Fields Committee, for an initial period of four years. The Committee, which was installed on 6 March 2000, is charged with producing regular reports on scientific developments in its field of interest and with responding to requests for advice in this matter. In the intervening periods it will shed light on major scientific developments, whenever there is reason to do so.

Committee

• Prof. dr EW Roubos, professor of zoology, neurobiologist; University of Nijmegen, chair
• Dr LM van Aernsbergen, physicist; Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, The Hague, consultant
• Prof. dr G Brussaard, professor of radiocommunications (emeritus); Eindhoven University of Technology
• Dr J Havenaar, psychiatrist; ‘Altrecht’ Mental Health Care Foundation, Utrecht
• FBJ Koops, biologist; Arnhem
• Prof. dr FE van Leeuwen, professor of cancer epidemiology; Free University, Amsterdam/epidemiologist; The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam
• Dr HK Leonhard, physicist; Ministry of Economic Affairs, Groningen, consultant
• Dr GC van Rhoon, physicist; Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam
• Dr GMH Swaen, epidemiologist; University of Maastricht
• DHJ van de Weerdt, MD, specialist in environmental medicine; Arnhem Municipal Health Service
• Prof. dr APM Zwamborn, professor of electromagnetic effects; Eindhoven University of Technology/physicist; Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), The Hague
• Dr E van Rongen, radiobiologist; Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, secretary