Norwegian EMF researcher Einar Flydal has published a sharp critique accusing Norway's Folkehelseinstituttet (FHI) of producing "junk science" (søppelforskning) in their recent electromagnetic field health report.
The Critique
Flydal argues that FHI's methodology was designed to exclude real-world population studies showing health effects near cell towers. He cites Alfonso Balmori's 2022 review in Environmental Research as a key example of evidence that was available but excluded.
Balmori's review documented increased incidences of various health problems among people living near mobile base stations, ranging from electromagnetic hypersensitivity to cancer.
Who Is Responsible?
Flydal points to the Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (DSA) as the entity that designed the research protocol:
"DSA ordered the answer that fits DSA's policy, which is to automatically copy the guidelines from ICNIRP."
What Should Be Done
Flydal calls for the report to be withdrawn and a new assessment without methodological blinders to be initiated. He references ISO 26000 on organizational social responsibility as a framework for improvement.
Related Research
- Balmori A (2022). Evidence for a health risk by RF on humans living around mobile phone base stations. Environmental Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113851