NRP 57 "Non-Ionising Radiation - Health and Environment"

​The main objective of the National Research Programme "Non-Ionising Radiation - Health and Environment" (NRP 57) is to address key scientific questions regarding the potential adverse health effects of non-ionising radiation (NIR) emitted by the range of present and future technologies. The programme is complementary to international research activities in the field of NIR and focuses on specific issues defined in the EMF research agenda of the WHO. Thereby it directly attends to the ever-increasing uncertainties in the Swiss population regarding potential health hazards by NIR in our environment.
 
Since the international focus lies primarily on the endpoint of cancer, the NRP will address other potentially adverse health effects such as e.g., changes in well being and behaviour, brain or sleep physiology, and clarify the underlying basic mechanisms between electromagnetic fields and biological systems. A better understanding of the causal relationship between NIR and neurophysiologic responses as well as responses at the cellular level will facilitate the risk assessment of current and future technologies.
 
Consequently, the main topics of research within the framework of this NRP are:

• Dosimetry and exposition
• Human epidemiological and experimental exposure studies, including electro hypersensitive subgroups
• Cellular biology of NIR effects
• Risk management, risk stratification and risk communication

• Programme brochure, German (PDF, 3 MB) (PDF)
• Implementation plan (PDF, 117 KB) (PDF)