IARC Group 2B

Definition

IARC hazard categories describe the strength of evidence that an agent can cause cancer, not the potency or the magnitude of exposure-related risk. Group 2B means limited evidence in humans and less than sufficient evidence in animals. Both RF fields (2011) and ELF magnetic fields (2002) are in Group 2B. Citing the classification as evidence of a quantified risk misstates what IARC published.

Sources

1. iarc-2b-rf IARC classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), Press Release N° 208 — International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2011. government, link checked 2026-08-12.
2. iarc-monograph-80 IARC Monographs Volume 80: Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part 1: Static and Extremely Low-Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields — International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2002. peer-reviewed, link checked 2026-08-12.