1. Introduction
Commission K "Electromagnetics in Biology & Medicine" is the latest born among the URSI Scientific Commissions, formed in 1991 to follow the evolution of Radio Science with reference to the interactions of electromagnetic field with biological systems. Aim of the Commission was to promote the international research on the effects, the mechanisms, and the human health aspects of the bio-electromagnetic interaction both from the health protection and from the medical, diagnostic and therapeutic point of view.
The presence of Commission K among the URSI Scientific Commissions indicates the growing interest of the scientific community into the possible health effects of electromagnetic fields. This interest gave impulse to some collaborations that Commission K immediately started with other Societies, and with others URSI Commissions.
In the following the activities done by Commission Kin the past three years are listed. These activities include among the others the collaborations we have just mentioned, the financial support done to different initiatives, and, of course, culminate in the organization of the Commission K Sessions at the URSI General Assembly (Lille, August 28 -September 5, 1996). To outline the developments done by Commission K in these years, it is worth noting the organization of the URSI GA in Lille. In fact, in the next GA there will be a Commission K Session entirely devoted to the Wireless Communications thus evidencing the increasing importance of these communications into modern life. Moreover, together with the Joint Sessions organized in conjunction with Commission A ("Electro-magnetic Metrology") and Commission B ("Fields and Waves") already present in the URSI GA in Kyoto (1993), there will be a Joint Session organized in conjunction with Commission E ("Electromagnetic Noise and Interference") and devoted to the "Characterization of EM-sources and design of equipment for minimum coupling with the human body". The purpose of this Session is to stress the need of introducing, into the new electromagnetic system design processes, steps devoted to the reduction of the environmental impact and of the possible health consequences of these systems.
2. Collaborations with formal Societies
During the past triennium Commission K collaborated with the BioElectroMagnetic Society (BEMS), the European BioElectromagneticAssociation (EBEA) and the IEEE for the organizations of special sessions and meetings. In particular,
- BioElectroMagnetic Society (BEMS)
It has been agreed on the organization of joint sessions during the BEMS meetings. This has led to the organization of a Session on "RF & Microwave Dosimetry" in the 1994 BEMS meeting;
-European BioElectromagneticAssociation (EBEA)
1993: URSI Commission K co-sponsored the 2nd EBEA Congress;
1996: at the 3rd EBEA Congress, URSI Commission K together with EBEA and COST Project 244 organized the Special Sessions on "Human Exposure in Mobile Communication Systems", and on "Biological Responses to ELF fields";
- IEEE
1993: URSI Commission K co-sponsored the International Conference on Microwaves in Medicine
3. Organization of special Sessions in Congress
At many International Congresses Commission K has actively organized Special Sessions on subjects close to the terms of reference of the Commission. Besides the sessions already mentioned in the preceding paragraph, they are:
- EMC '94 Rome (Italy)
Session on "Human Exposure to EM Fields";
Workshop on "Electromagnetic Pollution and Bio-electromagnetic Interaction";
- COMMSPHERE '95 Eilat (Israel)
Workshop on "Radiation Hazards in Personal and Cellular Communication Systems";
- EMC '95 Zurich (Switzerland)
Open Meeting concerning the various domains of interest for the Commission.
4. Sponsored initiatives and financial support
In Table I the initiatives sponsored by the Commission and the budget given to each of them are listed. The initiatives that will be completed in this last year of the triennium are also present.
5. The "Review of Radio Science 1993-95" and the "Disk of references 1993-95"
In correspondence of the General Assembly a book reviewing the developments of Radio Science related to the triennium and a disk reporting the international literature published in the triennium are edited.
With reference to the "Review of Radio Science", the book is divided into chapters edited by the Vice-Chair of each URSI Commission. Commission K chapters are edited by J.C. Lin, University of Illinois at Chicago. The titles and the authors of these Chapters are:
- C.K. Chou and W.W. Wang, "Medical Applications of Electromagnetic Energy";
- R. de Sezel and B. Veyret, "Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields".
The Commission K part of the disk is edited by S. Pisa, University of Rome "La Sapienza", using contributions provided by the Commission K Official Members together with references selected from international journals and publications. It will be constituted of more than 500 references, each quoted with some key words. Although the disk is not intended to be an exhaustive bibliography for the years covered, it gives a broad representation of the international literature published in scientific journals, books, or as full papers (more than 3 pages) in the proceedings of international symposia.
6. Organization of URSI General Assembly (Lille, August 1996)
For the next General Assembly, Commission K scheduled 1 Tutorial, 4 Regular Sessions, and 3 Joint Sessions. Each Session is constituted by invited lectures, spontaneously submitted oral presentations, and posters. For further information, we refer you to the Provisional Scientific Programme.
The TUTORIAL will be held by M. Stuchly, University of Victoria (Canada) on "Personal Communication Services - Technology and Health Concerns - Is there a Common Solution? ". It will discuss the argument that health protection and technology development have a common end-point in the case of wireless communication systems.
7. Activities still in progress
Commission K is organizing the following activities that will be completed after the URSI General Assembly : EMC'96 Rome (Italy) and COMMSPHERE '97, Lausanne (Switzerland).
Prof. P. Bernardi, Chair,
M. Cavagnaro