Mobile Phones - the Truth about their Safety

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Many researchers are clear that there is a real health threat from the use of mobile phones, however the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) would have us believe that there is no problem. What is the truth about their potential effects on health?

Radio frequency (RF) microwave radiation damages human tissue. RF radiation heats human tissue, much like the way microwave ovens heat food. Informed speculation believes this damages the DNA sequence inside our body cells.

Dr. Michael Klieeisen, working at the Neuro Diagnostic Research Institute in Marbella, discovered that a short mobile phone call alters the natural electrical activity of a child's brain. He said: " We never expected to see this continuing activity in the brain. We are worried that delicate balances that exist - such as the immunity to infection and disease - could be altered by interference with chemical balances in the brain."

The study was the first time that human guinea pigs were used to measure the effects of mobile phone radiation on children. The scans found that disturbed brain wave activity lasted for up to an hour after the phone call ended. Previously it had been thought that interference with brain waves and brain chemistry stopped when a call ended.

A research study , report published this year, headed by Professor Leif Salford at Lund University, Sweden, has discovered that a couple of hours on a mobile generates, "an abundance of dead brain cells." The study was carried out on rat brains but he says, " We have good reasons to believe that what happens in rat's brains also happens in humans."

Professor Sebastian from Madrid believes that much research is based on flawed computer modelling and he says, " In effect the fields created are higher than we thought so it is likely that any health effects are also going to be greater. We believe the effects to be cumulative and that in 10-15 years we are likely to see more cancers as a result of widespread mobile phone use."

Simon Best, editor of Electromagnetic Hazard And Therapy News Report, says that radiation can change dramatically over a single phone call. 'The Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) reading given by manufacturers is usually given at maximum emission levels," he says. "But, power levels, phone size, how you hold your phone and the position of the antenna will all affect SAR levels and how much radiation you absorb at any point in time. A call with a poor signal or low batteries can subject you to 100 times more radiation than one with good reception or high batteries."

Other perspectives

However, there are reports that offer different conclusions. One is a Danish study, published in February 2002 that found mobile phones, even when used regularly for as long as 18 years, did not increase the risk of developing brain cancer or, as some people suggest, leukemia.

The World Health Organisation senior spokeswoman on radiation and cancer, Elisabeth Cardis, sums up this position by saying, "Based on current epidemiological evidence, there is no evidence of a strong association between RF exposure and cancer. One can't rule out that there is a risk, but if there is a risk to mobile phone users it would be very small. More research is needed." .

The jury is out on mobile phones and likely to remain so for some time to come. Adopting a precautionary approach to their use is advisable in this climate of counter results and speculation.

Precautions

• Hold the phone a few centimetres away from your ear as the connection is made and during calls. Even one centimetre can reduce your radiation exposure 20-fold.
• The angle of the handset makes a big difference, too. The vertical position allows the phone to transmit signals most efficiently. If a phone is laid horizontally, for example-talking while in bed, it will need to emit significantly more radiation to work.
• Try not to obstruct the antenna, as this will cause the phone to power up.
• Enclosed spaces tend to trap and amplify radiation - if you are in a train or car, open a window and point the phone towards it.
• Take off metal-rimmed glasses and earrings while talking, as these can increase radiation by up to 20per cent.

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