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The BioInitiative Report
A comprehensive review of the science on the health effects of electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation, assembled by an independent international working group of scientists and public-health experts.
First published 2007 · updated 2012 · research summaries through 2022 · 3,138 studies in this collection
What the BioInitiative Report Is
The BioInitiative Report is an evidence-based assessment of the biological and health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiofrequency radiation (RFR). It was assembled independently of governments and industry, with the stated goal of documenting research relevant to chronic, everyday exposure and providing a rationale for biologically-based public exposure standards.
Its central conclusion is that biological effects are established at exposure levels far below current regulatory limits, and that those limits — in the report's assessment — are set orders of magnitude too high to protect the public. It places particular emphasis on protecting children, developing fetuses, and infants.
Who assembled it
The 2012 update was authored by 29 scientists and public-health experts from 10 countries — including 10 MDs and 21 PhDs, and three former presidents of the Bioelectromagnetics Society. Contributors came from the USA, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Greece, Canada, India, Russia, Slovakia, and Denmark, spanning oncology, neurosurgery, epidemiology, cell biology, and bioelectromagnetics.
The Library at a Glance
Composition of this collection
By topic
| Label | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Brain & Nervous System | 1,208 | 38.5% |
| DNA & Genetic Damage | 333 | 10.6% |
| Cellular Effects | 246 | 7.8% |
| Oxidative Stress | 244 | 7.8% |
| Reproductive Health | 234 | 7.5% |
| Cancer & Tumors | 222 | 7.1% |
| Whole Body / General | 129 | 4.1% |
| Immune System | 122 | 3.9% |
By organism
| Label | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Human | 1,359 | 43.3% |
| Rodent | 1,014 | 32.3% |
| In vitro | 355 | 11.3% |
| Insect | 28 | 0.9% |
| Mammal | 27 | 0.9% |
| Plant | 20 | 0.6% |
| Microorganism | 16 | 0.5% |
| Bird | 14 | 0.4% |
| Aquatic | 11 | 0.4% |
By decade
| Label | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3 | 0.1% |
| 1990s | 349 | 11.1% |
| 2000s | 1,156 | 36.8% |
| 2010s | 1,630 | 51.9% |
Counts computed live from the database at page load.
Explore this Library
Recognized in the Field
Contributing authors include established bioelectromagnetics researchers such as Prof. Henry Lai (University of Washington), Prof. Lennart Hardell (Örebro University Hospital, Sweden), Prof. Leif Salford (Lund University, Sweden), and Prof. Michael Kundi (Medical University of Vienna). The report has issued updated research summaries on genetic, neurological, and free-radical studies through 2022.
Frequently Asked
What is the BioInitiative Report on EMF?
The BioInitiative Report is an independent, international review of research on the health effects of electromagnetic fields and radiofrequency radiation, first published in 2007 and updated in 2012. In this database it anchors a collection of more than 3,100 studies spanning brain, DNA, reproductive, and cancer research.
Who wrote and organized the BioInitiative Report?
It was organized by environmental-health consultant Cindy Sage and physician David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany. The 2012 update was authored by 29 scientists and public-health experts from 10 countries, including 10 MDs and 21 PhDs.
What health effects does BioInitiative research cover?
Across the more than 3,100 BioInitiative studies in this database, the most-studied areas are the brain and nervous system, DNA and genetic damage, cellular and oxidative-stress effects, reproductive health, and cancer. The research spans human, animal, and laboratory cell studies published from 1988 through 2019.
Does BioInitiative research link EMF to cancer?
The collection includes over 200 studies categorized under cancer and tumors, alongside more than 300 on DNA and genetic damage. Overall, roughly three-quarters of the BioInitiative studies in this database report a measurable biological effect — the basis for the report's call for far lower exposure limits.
How recent is the BioInitiative research?
The report was first published in 2007, substantially updated in 2012, and has issued additional research summaries on genetic, neurological, and free-radical studies through 2022. The individual studies gathered in this collection were published between 1988 and 2019, covering roughly three decades of peer-reviewed EMF science.