UCLA Public Health Professor Responds to Smart Meter Questions

UCLA School of Public Health Professor Leeka Kheifets on Friday afternoon responded to a series of questions from La Mesa Patch. Kheifets was named by San Diego Gas & Electric Co. as one of its experts on the health effects of smart meters—devices used by SDG&E and other utilities to monitor electricity and gas use.

Questions from La Mesa Patch to Leeka Kheifets sent Sept. 4:

1. Dr. David Carpenter, in a widely circulated video, says wireless smart meters are a health hazard and says the question to ask is: What is the evidence that smart meters are safe?  What is your answer to Dr. Carpenter's question?

2. A letter dated July 9, 2011, to the CPUC from Sweden's Olle Johansson cites major concerns about wireless smart meters. He wants such meters prohibited until studies take down the "red flags" about their health effects.  Do you support such a moratorium? Why or why not?

3. Anecdotal accounts say physicians are telling their patients that RF radiation from wireless smart meters is contributing to their symptoms of hearing loss, nausea, dizziness and worse.  If you were in a room with a physician who counsels patient to avoid smart meters, what would you tell that physician?

4. How long have you advised SDG&E on smart meter health effects?  Do you advise any other public utilities?  If so, which ones?

5. Are you paid by any public utility, including SD&E, to provide expert advise on smart meter health effects?

6. What has your own research shown on wireless smart meter health effects? Can you share this research?

Kheifets’ responses to La Mesa Patch on Friday, Sept. 9:

I saw you already published your article.  Sorry I could not respond earlier. Below is a response I drafted. Hope it is helpful.

Most recent Reviews of Science (focused appropriately on cell phones not smart meters):

1. Exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields, biological effects and health consequences (100 kHz-300 GHz) <http://www.icnirp.de/documents/RFReview.pdf>This document addresses the current scientific evidence concerning exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) and the resulting consequences for health.  It covers Dosimetry, Review of Experimental Studies and Epidemiology.  Each chapter  contains a comprehensive reference list.

2. Baan, R., Y. Grosse, et al. (2011). "Carcinogenicity of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields." Lancet Oncol 12(7): 624-626.

3. Swerdlow AJ, Feychting M, Green AC, Kheifets L, Savitz DA, International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection Standing Committee on Epidemiology. Mobile phones, brain tumours and the Interphone Study: Where are we now? Environmental Health Perspectives. 2011 Jul 1;[ePub ahead of print].

Here is information relevant to low public exposure sources (exposure from Smart meters in most situations is even lower than discussed below if one considers frequency of transmission, distance to the body and intensity)

•    Electromagnetic fields and public health: Base stations and wireless technologies <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs304/en/index.html>   

•    Also see paper on difficulties in exposure assessment:   

G. Neubauer, M. Feychting, Y.Hamnerius, L. Kheifets ,N. Kuster, I. Ruiz J. Schüz R. Überbacher J.Wiart, M. Röösli, Feasibility of future epidemiological studies on possible health effects of mobile phone base stations, Bioelectromagnetics. 2007 Apr;28(3):224-30.

Physicians who are telling their patients that RF radiation from wireless smart meters is contributing to their symptoms of hearing loss, nausea, dizziness should look at:

•    Electromagnetic fields and public health: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs296/en/index.html>

EHS is characterized by a variety of non-specific symptoms that differ from individual to individual. The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. Whatever its cause, EHS can be a disabling problem for the affected individual. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure. Further, EHS is not a medical diagnosis, nor is it clear that it represents a single medical problem. Governments should provide appropriately targeted and balanced information about potential health hazards of EMF to EHS individuals, health-care professionals and employers. The information should include a clear statement that no scientific basis currently exists for a connection between EHS and exposure to EMF.

My research, as recommended by research agendas of National Academy of Science and WHO focuses on cell phone exposure – see:

1. Barnes FS, Gandhi OP, Hietanen M, Kheifets LI, Matthes R, McCormick DL, Veyret B. Identification of Research Needs Relating to Potential Biological or Adverse Health Effects of Wireless Communication Devices. The National Academies Press. Washington, DC. 2008; 78 p. Available at: <http://national-academies.org>.

2. World Health Organization. (2010). "WHO Research Agenda for Radiofrequency Fields."   Retrieved October 22, 2010, from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2010/9789241599948_eng.pdf.

Here are some additional citations of my papers that might be of interest:

Divan H, Kheifets L, Olsen J, Prenatal cell phone use and developmental milestone delays among infants, Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011 Jul;37(4):341-8

Divan H, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J, Cell phone use and behavioral problems in young children, J Epidemiol Community Health. 2010 Dec 7. [Epub ahead of print]

Divan H, Kheifets L, Obel C, Olsen J, "Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Mobile Phone Use and Behavioral Problems in Children at the Age of Seven”, Epidemiology, 2008, 19[4] p523-529

Kheifets L, Swanson J, Kandel S, Risk Governance for Mobile Phones, Power Lines and Emerging Technologies, Risk Analysis. 2010 Aug 17; [Epub ahead of print].

Kheifets L, Olsen J. Should epidemiologists always publish their results? Yes, almost always. Epidemiology. 2008 Jul;19(4):532-3.

Editor’s note: Follow-up questions have been sent to Kheifets. We’ll share any response she sends.