Historical review of RF exposure standards and the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES).

Focused research on the biological effects of exposure of humans and animals to radio frequency (RF) and microwave energy goes back at least five decades. The history of committees that develop safety standards based on the results of this research goes back almost as far. One such committee that has played a major role in developing such standards is the International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES), which began in 1960 as the American Standards Association C95 Committee. This paper briefly reviews the history of this committee and its role in the development of RF safety standards. The process now being followed by ICES and its sponsor, the IEEE Standards Association Standards Board (SASB), is discussed, as are a number of issues related to standards setting, such as the poor quality of much of the research and the seemingly endless speculation and search for mechanisms of interaction other than heating. Finally, a tribute is given to Dr. Eleanor Adair, a long-time researcher and supporter of science-based standards. As Chairman of ICES, she makes it clear that her goal and the goal of ICES is to establish rational standards that will make future beneficial applications of RF energy credible to humanity. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.