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🇩🇪 German radiation office BfS synthesises 20 years of its social-science EMF risk research, with 10 recommendations

August 28, 2026 (EMFS)
Jul 17, 2026 (original)
Source: BfS (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz)
Source category: Policy
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The Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS), Germany's federal office for radiation protection, has published a research synthesis of its own social-science work on EMF risk communication from 2005 to 2025, written by Cerulli-Harms, Dasch, Rossmann and Drießen as report BfS-RESFOR-266/26. The synthesis reviews 30 BfS studies across high- and low-frequency fields, rating most positively on methods while noting room for better research transparency. Its ten practical recommendations, distilled from 13 socially current and methodologically strong studies, centre on making BfS a credible presence, explaining EMF close to everyday life, accounting for science literacy, presenting science as a process, identifying information needs, coordinating activities, empowering multipliers, training for target groups, accessible web material, intuitive user guidance and a positive social-media agenda; the report also calls for monitoring structures to track public EMF discourse continuously.

Quotes (our translation)

"This research project by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) brings together and evaluates the state of BfS social-science research on EMF risk communication from 2005 to 2025."

[original: "Dieses Forschungsprojekt des Bundesamtes für Strahlenschutz (BfS) bündelt und bewertet den sozialwissenschaftlichen Forschungsstand des BfS zur EMF-Risikokommunikation von 2005 bis 2025."]

— BfS report BfS-RESFOR-266/26, summary

"Misinformation and disinformation in the EMF field also remain relevant, as does research on the population's risk perception and information needs."

[original: "Weiterhin relevant bleiben außerdem Fehl- und Desinformationen im Bereich EMF sowie die Forschung zur Risikowahrnehmung und den Informationsbedürfnissen der Bevölkerung."]

— BfS report BfS-RESFOR-266/26, summary

"The synthesis of recommendations condenses recommendations from 13 of the 30 socially current and methodologically strong BfS studies into ten practical recommendations: (1) establish BfS as a credible presence, (2) provide broad education, but close to people's everyday lives, (3) take science literacy into account, (4) present science as a process, (5) identify information needs and coordinate activities efficiently, (6) empower multipliers, (7) train in a target-group-specific way, (8) make information material and web articles accessible, (9) pay attention to intuitive user guidance, and (10) pursue a positive social-media agenda. In addition, research-specific recommendations are made, such as strategically building monitoring structures to continuously track public discourse on EMF."

[original: "Die Synthese der Handlungsempfehlungen verdichtet die Empfehlungen aus 13 (der insgesamt 30) gesellschaftlich aktuellen und methodisch starken BfS-Studien zu zehn praktischen Empfehlungen: (1) BfS als glaubwürdige Präsenz etablieren, (2) Breite Aufklärung, aber nah am Alltag der Menschen, (3) Science Literacy berücksichtigen, (4) Wissenschaft als Prozess darstellen, (5) Informationsbedürfnisse erkennen und Aktivitäten effizient koordinieren, (6) Multiplikator*innen befähigen, (7) zielgruppengerecht schulen, (8) Informationsmaterial und Internetartikel zugänglich gestalten, (9) Intuitive Benutzerführung beachten, und (10) Positive Social-Media-Agenda verfolgen. Ergänzend werden forschungsspezifische Empfehlungen ausgesprochen, wie der strategische Aufbau von Monitoring-Strukturen, um den öffentlichen Diskurs zu EMF kontinuierlich zu verfolgen."]

— BfS report BfS-RESFOR-266/26, summary

Location

📍 Germany

Map: Germany

Source

Forschungssynthese der sozialwissenschaftlichen Risikoforschung zu elektromagnetischen Feldern des Bundesamtes für Strahlenschutz: Vorhaben 3624EMF124 emf-portal.org

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