Cellular Phone? Don't Answer

A recent study by the director of the International EMF Project at the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that cellular phones may increase the risk of cancer, and some experts in the scientific world are now expressing strong concerns over the safety of these devices. On the other hand, other scientists caution against panic, suggesting that there is no need for concern unless the findings are duplicated. 

The WHO study exposed 100 transgenic mice to 900 MHz pulsed microwave radiation designed to mimic signals from digital mobile telephones. The breed of mice used were specifically bred to be susceptible to lymphomas (cancer of the lymph tissue). The animals were exposed for two 30-minute periods each day for up to 18 months. At the end of the experiment, 43% of the exposed mice had lymphomas, compared to 22% of the controls. The exposed mice also succumbed to cancer more quickly.   

This is the second study to show biological activity caused by digital phone signals. Other studies have found DNA breaks in the brain tissues of rats exposed to low-level microwaves, and increases of malignant tumors in military personnel exposed to similar radiation from communication devices. 

The results of the WHO investigation, which was commission by an Australian telecommunications company, were kept secret for two years. According to some, this suggests that the industry is trying to cover up the hazards associated with their products for fear of losing profits. One industry newsletter commenting on the study said, "Withholding important health data from the public is, to be blunt, unethical."  

[Editor: 900 MHz cordless phones use the same microwave technology as cellular phones, but they are far less powerful. Hopefully, less power translates to less danger, but research on this aspect has yet to be completed.]  

Based on information in: Microwave News, May/June 1997