Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 Apr;113(4):402-5.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.7538.

The precautionary principle and risk perception: experimental studies in the EMF area

Peter M Wiedemann  1 , Holger Schütz
Affiliations

The precautionary principle and risk perception: experimental studies in the EMF area

Peter M Wiedemann et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Apr.

Abstract

Possible adverse health effects due to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from cellular phones and base stations present a major public health issue across Europe. Because scientists cannot exclude that EMFs may cause health problems, the application of the precautionary principle is debated heavily. By considering precautionary measures, political decision makers hope to cope with public fears about EMFs. We present results from two experimental studies that indicate that precautionary measures may trigger concerns, amplify EMF-related risk perceptions, and lower trust in public health protection. Such impacts, questioning common expectations, should be considered in decisions about precautionary measures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mean ratings (± SEM) for the four “precautionary measures” conditions.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Mean ratings (± SEM) for the two “precautionary measures” conditions for each of the three dependent variables. : *p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Invoking the precautionary principle.
    Salmony SE. Salmony SE. Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Aug;113(8):A509-10; author reply A510. doi: 10.1289/ehp.113-a509. Environ Health Perspect. 2005. PMID: 16079050 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. BfS 2004. Quality Label for Mobile Phones. Salzgitter:Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (Federal Office for Radiation Protection). Available: http://www.bfs.de/elektro/hff/oekolabel.html [accessed 12 December 2004].
    1. Burgess A. 2004. Cellular Phones, Public Fears, and a Culture of Precaution. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
    1. Commission of the European Communities 2000. Communication on the Precautionary Principle. Brussels:Commission of the European Communities.
    1. Foster KR, Vecchia P, Repacholi MH. Risk management. Science and the precautionary principle. Science. 2000;288(5468):979–981. - PubMed
    1. Gee D, Stirling A. 2003. Late lessons from early warnings: improving science and governance under uncertainty and ignorance. In: Precaution: Environmental Science, and Preventive Public Policy (Tickner JA, ed). Washington, DC:Island Press, 195–213.