Are cellular phones dangerous to your health? Although there is no conclusive proof of these dangers, just about everyone is recommending keeping your cellular phone's RF signal away from your body by using an external cell phone antenna or hands-free kit.
What's to be afraid of?
Your cellular phone is basically a low power, two way radio. Being a radio, your phone uses radio frequency (RF) signals. When you talk on your phone, an RF signal is transmitted phone to nearby tower then to land lines, out to the destination tower until it makes it to the destination cell phone. The term "cellular" comes from towers set up across your coverage area, each tower is considered a cell. When you're traveling, you may go from cell to cell (or tower to tower).
Since your cellular phone uses radio frequency signals, you, the user, is exposed to these signals. However, the signal uses very little power and is very low. The general consenus is that the power is too low to have any effect on human health. Most scientists are not concerned. However there are some that disagree.
Here are a few articles, links to research and other sources of information on the possible dangers of cellular phone signal.
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First, what does the industry have to say about it?
CTIA is the voice of the wireless industry - representing its members in a constant dialogue with policy makers in the Executive Branch, in the Federal Communications Commission, and in Congress, CTIA's industry committees provide leadership in the area of taxation, roaming, safety, regulations, fraud and technology.
CTIA and the wireless industry are deeply committed to safety and to providing timely, accurate information to consumers about wireless phones. This website is one of the ways in which we communicate this information.
First, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have said that the scientific evidence to date does not demonstrate any adverse health effects associated with the use of wireless phones. However, they and other government and scientific groups have called for further research, a call to which the industry both in the United States and around the world has supported. Second, there has been significant research conducted on wireless phones and health; much has been completed and much more continues even today. In fact, in the early summer of 2000, CTIA launched a new research initiative in conjunction with FDA -- known as a CRADA -- to further examine scientific questions about radiofrequency (RF) energy. The results of this work will augment the existing body of scientific information and will be shared with the public as quickly as it becomes available.
Read more on CTIA's view on cellular phone health issues.
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration
What biological effects can be caused by RF energy?
The energy levels associated with radiofrequency energy, including both radio waves and microwaves, are not great enough to cause the ionization of atoms and molecules. Therefore, RF energy is a type of non-ionizing radiation. Other types of non-ionizing radiation include visible light, infrared radiation (heat) and other forms of electromagnetic radiation with relatively low frequencies.
FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Like other components of FDA, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health has established advisory committees to provide independent, professional expertise and technical assistance on the development, safety and effectiveness, and regulation of medical devices and electronic products that produce radiation. Each committee consists of experts with recognized expertise and judgment in a specific field. Members have the training and experience necessary to evaluate information objectively and to interpret its significance. These persons are not regular employees of FDA, but are paid as "special government employees" for the days they participate as members of a panel. This is time they take from their daily occupations to provide their professional skills to FDA. The committees are advisory -- they provide their expertise and recommendations -- but final decisions are made by FDA. Go here to visit this site.
FDA FAQ: Do wireless phones pose a health hazard?
The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are associated with using wireless phones. There is no proof, however, that wireless phones are absolutely safe. Wireless phones emit low levels of radiofrequency energy (RF) in the microwave range while being used. They also emit very low levels of RF when in the stand-by mode. Whereas high levels of RF can produce health effects (by heating tissue), exposure to low level RF that does not produce heating effects causes no known adverse health effects. Many studies of low level RF exposures have not found any biological effects. Some studies have suggested that some biological effects may occur, but such findings have not been confirmed by additional research. In some cases, other researchers have had difficulty in reproducing those studies, or in determining the reasons for inconsistent results.
Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield the head from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason to believe that accessories that claim to shield the head from those emissions reduce risks. Some products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the phone. Studies have shown that these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike "hand-free" kits, these so-called "shields" may interfere with proper operation of the phone. The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption. In February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies that sold devices that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with making false and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these defendants lacked a reasonable basis to substantiate their claim.
What about wireless phone interference with medical equipment?
Radiofrequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with some electronic devices. For this reason, FDA helped develop a detailed test method to measure electromagnetic interference (EMI) of implanted cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators from wireless telephones. This test method is now part of a standard sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Medical instrumentation (AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA, medical device manufacturers, and many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard will allow manufacturers to ensure that cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from wireless phone EMI.
FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from handheld wireless phones and helped develop a voluntary standard sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). This standard specifies test methods and performance requirements for hearing aids and wireless phones so that that no interference occurs when a person uses a “compatible” phone and a “compatible” hearing aid at the same time. This standard was approved by the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible interactions with other medical devices. Should harmful interference be found to occur, FDA will conduct testing to assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.
More about cellular phone safety from the FDA
Go here for more on radiofrequency signals on the FDA's website.
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World Health Organization
2003 WHO Research Agenda for Radio Frequency Fields
Introduction
In 1997, the WHO International EMF Project developed a Research Agenda in order to facilitate and coordinate research on the possible adverse health effects of non-ionizing radiation. In subsequent years, this agenda has undergone periodic review and refinement.
A major update to the RF (radiofrequencies) Research Agenda was undertaken with the input of an ad hoc committee of invited scientific experts who met in Geneva in June 2003. Further input to the RF Research Agenda came from a WHO Workshop “Adverse Temperature Levels in the Human Body” held in Geneva in March, 2002, (see Goldstein et al., Int. J. Hyperthermia 19, 373-384, 2003). The committee reviewed research in the following areas: Epidemiology and Human Laboratory Studies, Animal and Cellular Studies, and Dosimetry. Consideration was restricted to RF; possible effects non-ionizing radiation from static fields, wide-band and power frequencies will be considered separately.
The RF Research Agenda defines high priority research whose results would contribute to the WHO health risk assessment for RF exposures. Researchers are encouraged to use the Research Agenda as a guide to studies that have high value for WHO health risk assessments. To maximize the effectiveness of large research programs, government and industry funding agencies are encouraged to address the WHO Research Agenda in a coordinated fashion. Such coordination will minimize unnecessary duplication of effort and will ensure the most timely completion of the studies identified as being of high priority for health risk assessment.
Read more on the WHO Research
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World Health Organization
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Mobile Telephones and Their Base Stations
Mobile telephones, sometimes called cellular phones or handies, are now an integral part of modern telecommunications. In some parts of the world, they are the most reliable or only phones available. In others, mobile phones are very popular because they allow people to maintain continuous communication without hampering freedom of movement.
This fact sheet has been updated in the light of recent reviews of the effects on human beings of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) fields conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 1999, the Royal Society of Canada (1999), and a review on mobile phones and health by an expert committee in the United Kingdom (IEGMP 2000).
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WHO: A Review of Completed and Ongoing RF Bioeffects Research
Relevant To Cancer Risk Assessment
Over 180 studies have been initiated using human, animal, and cell culture experimental
models to investigate whether exposure to radiofrequency (RF) emissions, specifically from
mobile telephony, can cause or promote cancer (Table 1). One hundred fifteen of these
studies are now complete, with the vast majority reporting no association with cancer
endpoints. A list of these studies including details of exposure, test model, and author's
conclusions can be obtained from the WHO website at http://www.who.int/pehemf/
research/database/en/. The results of cancer related studies from this database will be
used by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2004/05 to evaluate RF
emissions as a potential human carcinogen. In addition, the results of non-cancer related
studies from this database will be used by the WHO in 2005/06 to evaluate RF emissions for
adverse human health effects other than cancer. In such evaluations, epidemiological studies
will carry the most weight. Animal studies will play an important role when epidemiological
studies are weak or not definitive. In vitro studies will generally have a supporting or
clarifying role. Read more.
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Mobile Phone Use and the Risk of Acoustic Neuroma
Epidemiology. 15(6):653-659, November 2004.
Lonn, Stefan *; Ahlbom, Anders *; Hall, Per +; Feychting, Maria *
Background: Radiofrequency exposure from mobile phones is concentrated to the tissue closest to the handset, which includes the auditory nerve. If this type of exposure increases tumor risk, acoustic neuroma would be a potential concern.
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Long-Term Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumor Risk
Stefan Lönn1, Anders Ahlbom1, Per Hall2, Maria Feychting1 and the Swedish Interphone Study Group
Handheld mobile phones were introduced in Sweden during the late 1980s. The purpose of this population-based, case-control study was to test the hypothesis that long-term mobile phone use increases the risk of brain tumors. The authors identified all cases aged 20–69 years who were diagnosed with glioma or meningioma during 2000–2002 in certain parts of Sweden. Randomly selected controls were stratified on age, gender, and residential area.
Human exposure to radiofrequency radiation has increased dramatically during recent years from widespread use of mobile phones. If radiofrequency radiation has a carcinogenic effect, the exposure poses an important public health problem, and intracranial tumors would be of primary interest. A biologic mechanism that could explain any possible carcinogenic effect from radiofrequency radiation has not been identified. It is generally agreed that the heating of tissue by radiofrequency radiation from mobile phone use is negligible and that any carcinogenic effect would have to be mediated through a nonthermal mechanism. The results of most previous studies of brain tumors in mobile phone users have been negative although a Finnish study and a Swedish study have indicated an increased risk. Studies of ionizing radiation have indicated that the induction period of radiation-induced solid tumors is probably at least 10 years. If, however, the mechanism is one of promotion rather than initiation, a shorter induction period would be possible. No studies to date have had an exposure time long enough to properly address the potential adverse late health effects of mobile phone use.
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Pooled analysis of two case-control studies on the use of cellular and cordless telephones and the risk of benign brain tumours diagnosed during 1997-2003
LENNART HARDELL1,2, MICHAEL CARLBERG1 and KJELL HANSSON MILD2,3
1Department of Oncology, University Hospital, SE-701 85 Örebro; 2Department of Natural Sciences, Örebro University, SE-701 82 Örebro; 3National Institute for Working Life, SE-907 13 Umeå, Sweden
The use of cellular and cordless telephones is widespread and increasing in society. A potential association between cellular and cordless telephones and health effects is of concern and has been discussed in several articles during recent years (1-3). Of special concern is the risk of brain tumours since this is a part of the body with high exposure during phone calls compared with other parts. Cellular telephones emit radio frequency signals during calls. Exposure is characterized through the specific absorption rate (SAR) expressed as watt/kg. Analogue (NMT; Nordic Mobile Telephone System) phones operating at 450 MegaHertz (MHz) were introduced in Sweden in 1981. At first, they were usually used in cars with a fixed external antenna.
Portable NMT 450 phones were introduced in 1984. Analogue phones using 900 MHz (NMT 900) were used in Sweden between 1986 and 2000. The digital system (GSM; Global System for Mobile Communication) started in 1991 and has during recent years dramatically increased to become the most common phone type. This system uses dual band, 900 and 1,800 MHz, for communication. From 2003, the third generation of mobile phones, 3G or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), was introduced in Sweden, operating at 1,900 MH
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Cell Phones and Cancer: What Is the Evidence for a Connection?
J. E. Moulder,a L. S. Erdreich,b R. S. Malyapa,c J. Merritt,d W. F. Pickarde and Vijayalaxmif
There have been allegations in the media and in the courts that cell phones and other types of hand-held transceivers are a cause of cancer. There have also been numerous public objections
to the siting of TV, radio and cell phone transmission facilities because of a fear of cancer induction. A recent publication in Radiation Research by Repacholi et al. (147, 631– 640, 1997) which suggests that exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiation may increase lymphoma incidence in mice has contributed to this controversy. The goal of this review is to provide biomedical researchers a brief overview of the existing RF radiation–cancer studies. This article begins with a brief review of the physics and technology of cell phones. It then reviews the existing epidemiological studies of RF radiation, identifying gaps in our knowledge. Finally, the review discusses the cytogenetics literature on RF radiation and the whole-animal RF-radiation carcinogenesis studies. The epidemiological evidence for an association between RF radiation
and cancer is found to be weak and inconsistent, the laboratory studies generally do not suggest that cell phone RF radiation has genotoxic or epigenetic activity, and a cell phone RF radiation–cancer connection is found to be physically implausible. Overall, the existing evidence for a causal relationship between RF radiation from cell phones and cancer is found to be weak to nonexistent. q 1999 by Radiation Research Society
Go here to read this document.
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Mobile telephones - An evaluation of health effects
Mobile telecommunication has developed considerably in recent years: to date over half the population of the Netherlands posses a mobile telephone. Nevertheless, concerns also grow, particularly as to whether exposure to electromagnetic fields from antennas and mobile telephones can adversely affect health. In this advisory report, the Electromagnetic Fields Committee of the Health Council of the Netherlands provides, on the basis of the scientific literature, an overview of various aspects that may play a role. The Committee comes to the conclusion that there is at present no reason for concern. However, since mobile telephony leads to widespread electromagnetic field exposure and relatively little knowledge exists on, especially, longterm effects, it indicates areas for further research. In particular, the Committee indicates in what areas research can be conducted in the Netherlands.
Go here to read this report.
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Epidemiologic Studies of Cellular Telephones and Cancer Risk – A Review
JOHN D. BOICE, JR. AND JOSEPH K. MCLAUGHLIN
SUMMARY: Cellular telephones emit and receive radiofrequency (RF) signals between
about 450 and 2200 MHz which fall in the microwave region of the electromagnetic
spectrum. A RF wave from a cellular telephone contains billions of times less energy
than an x-ray and is not capable of inducing ionizations or damaging DNA. The rapid
and widespread use of this technology, however, has raised concern over possible adverse
health effects, in particular brain cancer. A few studies which addressed this
concern in the United States and Sweden are non-informative, either because the follow-
up was too short and numbers of cancers too small (USA) or because of serious
methodological limitations (Sweden). In contrast, five well-designed epidemiologic
studies have been conducted in three countries by investigators using different designs:
three hospital-based case-control studies in the United States, a registry-based casecontrol
study in Finland, and a registry-based cohort study of over 400,000 cellular
phone users in Denmark. In our view, a consistent picture has emerged from these studies
that appears to rule out, with a reasonable degree of certainty, a causal association
between cellular telephones and cancer to date. No consistent evidence was observed
for increased risk of brain cancer, meningioma, acoustic neuroma, ocular melanoma,
or salivary gland cancer, examined over a wide range of exposure measures, including
type of phone (analogue or digital), duration of use, frequency of use, total cumulative
hours of use, tumor location and laterality (concurrence of tumor location with hand
normally used during phone conversations). These methodologically sound epidemiologic
investigations have limitations associated with any non-experimental study, and
although they are not the same across each of the studies, the influence of bias, confounding
and uncertainties in exposure assessment cannot be completely discounted.
However, increased risks of 20% or higher can be excluded with a high level of confidence.
Complementing the human data are the emerging results of experimental studies
which have failed to confirm earlier reports of possible adverse outcomes from RF
exposure. Moreover, there is no biologically plausible mechanism to support a carcinogenic
effect of non-ionizing RF waves. While the current state of the science is reassuring,
ongoing case-control studies being conducted in 13 countries using a shared
protocol, and continued follow-up of cohorts of cellular phone users, should provide
further evidence regarding any possible carcinogenic effect associated with long-term
cellular telephone use.
Go here to read this report.
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Cellular Phone Antennas and Human Health
by John Moulder and the Medical College of Wisconsin
This FAQ addresses the issue of whether base station transmitter/antennas for cellular phones, PCS phones, and other types of portable transceivers are a risk to human health.
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Do Cellular Phones Cause Brain Cancer?
The Australian Newspaper, April 29, 1997
There has been anecdotal evidence for several years associating use of cellular phones, and other sources of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave region of the spectrum, with brain cancers and other cancers. From police officers who used radar guns to heavy users of cellular phones who have contracted cancer, there has been mounting evidence that exposure to this kind of electromagnetic radiation may not be as safe as advertised.
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Don't get fooled again
By James Freeman USA Today
Do cell phones cause cancer? We don't know yet, but the history of similar scares is that they look less and less scary the more we learn about them. We now know that the infamous power line cancer scare resulted not only from sloppy science, but also from outright academic fraud, according to the Office of Research Integrity at the government's National Institutes of Health.
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On the Inadequacy of Existing Safety Guidelines
G.J. HYLAND, University of Warwick, Department of Physics, COVENTRY, CV4 7AL, England.
The importance of ensuring compatibility between activated electronic instrumentation of various kinds and the pulsed microwave radiation currently used in GSM mobile telephony is well recognised and generally accepted. Prohibition of the use of cellular phones on aircraft and in hospitals, on the grounds that their emissions might adversely interfere with the operation of sensitive electronic equipment, is familiar, and their possible deleterious effect on personal medical devices, such as heart pacemakers, hearing aids, defibrillators and insulin pumps has been the subject of a number of published scientific studies in recent years. Given that it is inconceivable - at least in the case of aviational and hospital equipment - that the interference could arise from the heating effect of the radiation, some other, non-thermal, influence of the radiation must here (at least tacitly) be considered to be responsible. Unfortunately, however, the same considerations do not currently extend to the alive human organism, which is generally considered to be immune from adverse influences of GSM radiation, on account of its intensity [1] being far too low to cause any deleterious degree of body tissue heating (as quantified through the so-called specific absorption rate, or SAR [2]; for, contrary to case of electronic instrument-ation, it is generally accepted that for humans adverse effects can arise only from excessive heating. Indeed, this belief is reflected in the relative leniency of the ICNIRP Safety Guidelines [3], which permit us to be exposed to electric fields that are over ten times stronger than the limit of 3V/m limit that is applicable to all electronic goods offered for sale in the EU under current legislation on Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC).
. It's kind of ironic because I made a call in my car as I was listening to the podcast, and a few minutes later he said that. I left my phone in my car instead of carrying it around in my pocket like usual. 
