Loading ...
Loading ...
Loading ...
Safety Guidelines
83
4. What are the results of the research done
already?
The research done thus far has produced
conflicting results, and many studies have
suffered from flaws in their research methods.
Animal experiments investigating the effects
of radiofrequency energy (RF) exposures
characteristic of wireless phones have yielded
conflicting results that often cannot be repeated
in other laboratories. A few animal studies,
however, have suggested that low levels
of RF could accelerate the development of
cancer in laboratory animals. However, many
of the studies that showed increased tumor
development used animals that had been
genetically engineered or treated with cancer
causing chemicals so as to be pre-disposed to
develop cancer in the absence of RF exposure.
Other studies exposed the animals to RF for
up to 22 hours per day. These conditions are
not similar to the conditions under which
people use wireless phones, so we don’t
know with certainty what the results of such
studies mean for human health. Three large
epidemiology studies have been published
since December 2000. Between them, the
studies investigated any possible association
between the use of wireless phones and
primary brain cancer, glioma, meningioma,
or acoustic neuroma, tumors of the brain or
salivary gland, leukemia, or other cancers. None
of the studies demonstrated the existence of
any harmful health effects from wireless phone
RF exposures. However, none of the studies can
answer questions about long-term exposures,
since the average period of phone use in these
studies was around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide
whether RF exposure from wireless
phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and
epidemiological studies of people actually using
wireless phones would provide some of the
data that are needed. Lifetime animal exposure
studies could be completed in a few years.
However, very large numbers of animals would
be needed to provide reliable proof of a cancer
promoting effect if one exists. Epidemiological
studies can provide data that is directly
applicable to human populations, but 10 or
more years follow-up may be needed to provide
answers about some health effects, such as
cancer. This is because the interval between
the time of exposure to a cancer-causing agent
and the time tumors develop - if they do- may
be many, many years. The interpretation
of epidemiological studies is hampered by
difficulties in measuring actual RF exposure
during day-to-day use of wireless phones. Many
factors affect this measurement, such as the
angle at which the phone is held, or which
model of phone is used.
Loading ...
Loading ...
Loading ...