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2.5 times risk of brain tumours from phone radiation in humans? |
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 New evidence is growing fast about health risks from mobile phones electromagnetic radiation. Dr Kjell Hansson Mild in Sweden studied radiation risk in 11,000 mobile telephone users. Symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, burning sensations on the skin were more common among those who make longer mobile phone calls. At the same time there are a growing number of unconfirmed reports of individuals whose health has been affected after chronic, frequent use of mobile phones, presumably from radiation effects on cells. See below for SAR data on mobile phone radiation levels. Now there is more evidence of definite health effects of mobile phone radiation on human health ranging from blood pressure to brain tumours (see below). In June 1998 the Lancet reported that radiation from mobiles causes an increase of blood pressure. Dr Braune and colleagues in Freiburg, Germany, attached mobiles to the right side of the heads of ten volunteers. The phones were switched on and off by remote control without the volunteers knowing - so that any radiation effect could be separated from the psychological effect of holding a mobile phone. Their blood pressure rose each time by between 5-10mm Hg, probably from an electromagnetic radiation induced constrictive effect on blood vessels from the mobile phones. This level of increase would be more than enough to trigger a stroke or heart attack in someone at severe risk. This was the first firm evidence that mobile phone radiation could directly alter cell function in the human body. But what about longer term radiation effects of using mobile phones? Could mobile phone exposure trigger cancer? Birth defects? What about the health risks not just from mobile phones but the transmitter masts? This work on human subjects follows other mobile phone studies in animals suggesting that electromagnetic radiation from mobiles may cause brain tumours, cancer, anxiety, memory loss and serious birth defects. An Australian study found that mice exposed to pulsed digital mobile phone radiation over 18 months had twice the risk of developing cancers. An American study found that learning and short term memory were impaired after 45 minutes exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones in rats. And other studies of electromagnetic radiation on pregnant mice suggest that high exposure to mobile phones can affect intra-uterine development, confirmed recently in chicks (double birth defects, see below). The effects of mobile phone radiation in human embryo development are unknown. In Britain a 27 year old woman with a brain tumour is taking a mobile phone manufacturer to court who she blames for her tumour. A biologist, Roger Coghill has also been given permission to bring a case against a provider of mobile phone equipment for failing to warn people of radiation hazards. A wide variety of electrical devices contribute to electrosmog, ranging from computers, to phones, TV sets, radar transmitter and transformers. However mobile phone radiation is certainly intense, as evidenced by the effects on aircraft navigation systems, or more obviously on a nearby conventional telephone or a music system. Meanwhile, The European Union is drawing up guidelines for electromagnetic radiation exposure of all types. Mobile phones vary on radiation dosage: Following figures are for European mobile phones in SARS (watts of radiation from mobile phones per kg of brain), antenna extended / retracted. Safety is 10 watts/kg. Lowest radiation levels from phones with hidden antennae or ones extended away from head. Below that are SAR levels for US mobile phones. Note that there are different figures for SAR levels around for the same mobile phones, I suspect because some are official company data, and others independent lab measurements and that there may be other variables according to the exact conditions. For example the first table below shows big SAR phone radiation differences depending on the position of the aerial.  List of some European mobile phone SAR levels
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| (Source: National Physical Laboratory UK.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| List of top 10 highest radiation mobile phones in the US - SAR
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| List of 10 lowest radiation mobile phones in the US - SAR
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| (Source of both tables above: official manufacturers SAR data sent to FCC, and then collated by DoMode.com and CNET.com. These figures may not be 100% accurate and Navis.gr cannot take responsibility for them.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| So what do we make of it all?
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 The greatest risk to a mobile phone user is from an accident while distracted - particularly when driving. This risk is likely to be many thousands of times greater than a radiation hazard. Evidence from human studies of mobile phone radiation is now of raised blood pressure, direct brain warming as well as of mild sensations in heavy users. There is no evidence so far of mobile phone radiation causing tumour formation or memory impairment in humans - may be memory enhancing. Much more research needed. Mice, rats and chickens may be more sensitive to electromagnetic effects from mobile phones on their cells. Further human studies of mobile phone health risks are urgently needed, because of the very large numbers using mobiles. Whatever effects of using mobile phones there may be in humans, the health risk to an individual user from electromagnetic radiation is likely to be
very small indeed, but some individuals may be more prone to radiation side effects than others. Expect large numbers of people to come forward with claims that a wide variety of conditions have been triggered or made worse by use of mobile phones. These claims will be extremely difficult to prove. Even if a link is shown, proving that a particular case was directly related to heavy mobile phone use is almost impossible. This has been the case, for example, over Gulf War syndrome, or reactions to MMR vaccine, or the debates over passive smoking, or clustering of leukaemia cases near power stations. Once the case against mobiles is widely recognised, expect many lawsuits alleging that other sources of electromagnetic radiation have damaged health or caused birth defects - for example electricity sub-stations, computers, generators, minicab aerials. Some manufacturers already sell radiation shields for mobiles, reducing electromagnetic radiation to the head. Expect others to follow. eg
http://www.microshield.co.uk Moving the mobile phone aerial eight inches from the head, instead of one inch, would dramatically reduce exposure - dose falls to 1/64th as the square of the distance. Hands free mobile phone kits, allowing earpiece and microphone attached to phone in pocket, massively reduce brain exposure to electromagnetic radiation, but may increase exposure to the pelvis and the unborn. Latest NewsUK government report says now clear that mobile phone radiation can affect brain function. Now that 20,000 radio masts in the UK are active it means that everyone is being subjected to constant low level electromagnetic radiation. Sunday Times 12 March 2000. New research suggests living downwind from an electricity pylon can increase the risk of lung cancer significantly. Ionisation of the air causes microscopic pollution particles to become charged so they stick to the lining of the lung. September 2000. |
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