An article about reduction and prevention of exposure of students to EMR was published today on Israeli Internet newspaper.

An article about reduction and prevention of exposure of students to EMR was published today on Israeli Internet newspaper.

The environmental and health committee in the KNESSET (Israel parliament) called the government to adopt the recommendations of a technical committee to reduce and to prevent exposure to electromagnetic radiation of students in schools to, due to the possible health effect of electromagnetic radiation might have on their health.

From the Jerusalem Post: http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=196395

An automatically Hebrew to English translated (google translate) can be found on the following link: http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=iw&tl=en&u=http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3988033,00.html

I did my best to summaries the article:

The electromagnetic radiation sources that were addressed are:

· Mobile Phones

· Wireless computer network systems, WLAN, WIFI

· Laptops

· Power lines

· Electrical power transformers

· Electrical cabinets

· Additional sources.

The Recommendations:

· Compose a habit changing educational plan that will explain about Electromagnetic radiation, and about the possible related health risk. The plan will also cover tools and means to reduce the exposure to EMR like the right way to use mobile phones, reduction of the usage, limiting the number and length of calls, using a wired earpiece, sending SMS rather than talking and will discuss also the usage of cellphones while driving, using cellphone before going to sleep and additional aspects.

· Schools should Place of wired landline telephones for students to use.

· Consider establishment of special areas in schools in which mobile phone can be used and limiting the use of mobile phone elsewhere (similar to smoking areas).

· Ensuring that teachers will use cell phones only in the staff room or areas that will be allocate.

· The Ministry of Transport will ban cell phone use for young drivers and public transportation drivers (because of the serious impact on driving even when using headsets or handfree kits).

· Wired computer network in schools will be preferred over wireless networks.

· Reduce and limit students' exposure to radiation sources from the electricity network.

· Radiation tests will be mandatory at the end of construction or maintenance work done on the electricity network and infrastructure in schools.

· The Ministry of Environment Protection will present a schedule for radiation tests in all schools and educational institutions to be completed within one year.

· The Ministry of Education will map all the classrooms and schools to find classrooms that are located near or next to a possible electrical radiation source and will deliver this info to the Ministry of Environment Protection who will use it to priorities these classes to be tested first (for radiation).

· Radiation Hazards found in schools will be reported to the construction department in the Ministry of Education.

· The report will include a description of the hazard, methods of treatment and repair.

· The construction department in the Ministry of Education will be responsible to deal with the problems found, including in some cases evacuation of students from problematic classrooms, and reporting the problems to the Israeli eclectic company and to the school in question so they will fix the problems.

· After fixing the problem the Ministry of Environment Protection may make a second test.

I hope that the government will soon adopt these recommendations.