Updated at 23 Jun 2026
The 2025 report from SSM's Scientific Council reviews EMF research from 2024, assessing health risks across static, low, intermediate, and radio frequencies. No causal links have been established between EMF exposure and health issues. Continued research is urged, especially on long-term effects and emerging frequency domains like 5G.
The twentieth report from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority’s (SSM) Scientific Council on Electromagnetic Fields, published in 2025, presents a comprehensive review of research on electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health risks published during 2024. The Council monitors and advises on potential health risks related to EMF exposure, compiling consensus assessments to support risk evaluation and policy formulation. This report covers static, low frequency, intermediate, and radio frequency EMF, integrating biological, human, and epidemiological studies. No new causal links between EMF exposure and health risks have been established. Epidemiological associations between extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) and childhood leukaemia remain unresolved, with no definitive causal determination. Research on brain tumours and mobile phone use largely continues to indicate no increased risk, though the thyroid gland’s exposure during mobile phone use remains insufficiently studied. Animal studies occasionally report biological effects from RF-EMF exposure, including oxidative stress, even below current reference levels. While oxidative stress is a normal biological response that may contribute to disease, its relevance to human health regarding weak radio wave exposure requires further investigation. The report supports maintaining existing reference levels and precautionary principles under the Swedish Environmental Code, with continuing recommendations for hands-free mobile phone use and limiting ELF-MF exposure near power lines due to childhood leukaemia associations. The Council highlights the importance of ongoing research, particularly into long-term effects, oxidative stress mechanisms, and epidemiological studies covering emerging frequencies such as those used in 5G technology (including the 26 GHz band). It also emphasizes the need for studies on wireless energy transfer technology using intermediate frequency magnetic fields (300 Hz–10 MHz), which produce comparatively strong local fields and currently lack sufficient scientific evaluation. While intermediate frequency range exposures have shown no health impacts below reference levels in limited studies, research gaps remain. Overall, the report underscores the necessity for continued rigorous research to clarify open questions concerning EMF health effects amid rapid technological evolution.
