[HSI] Can You Hear Me Now?

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Misty L. Trepke

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Can You Hear Me Now?

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

 

February 9, 2004

 

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Dear Reader,

 

" The largest biological experiment in history " is how one

researcher describes cellular phone use. And those who make

numerous cell phone calls every day are the guinea pigs.

 

I confess, I'm one of them. I like being connected from

anywhere, and my cell phone is in reach just about all the time.

So I sat up and took notice when news of these concerns started

leaking out.

 

Yet, I think it's safe to say that most of the estimated 1.5

billion worldwide cell phone users are not aware that the little

device placed at the side of our heads might be a health hazard.

And while so far there is no conclusive evidence about what the

specific danger may be, it's enough of a concern to prompt a

large, multiyear government study.

 

In the meantime, there's a simple way to stay connected while

protecting yourself from any potential dangers.

 

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Young brain cells

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In the e-Alert " Skinny Dipping " (3/4/03), I told you about a

study from Sweden that showed how exposure to the radio signals

in cell phones killed brain cells in rats. Of course, brain cell

death is a far cry from brain cancer, but anyone who's

comfortable with losing brain cells is a braver cell phone user

than I am. Personally, I don't feel I have a lot of brain cells

to spare and would like to keep as many intact as possible.

 

But that Swedish research was just one of many cell phone

studies that, taken as a whole, have returned no clear consensus

on cell phone safety. What we do know is that cell phones emit

low-level, non-ionizing radiation on the same frequency as

microwaves. This radiation has been shown to enter the user's

head, but what happens when this is repeated over and over,

every day, year after year, remains to be seen. Of even greater

concern is what this may be doing to young people whose brains

are still developing and who are using cell phones more and more

every day.

 

One former engineer with a major wireless provider has stated

that " there's a fairly strong body of literature " that indicates

there could be a problem with regular cell phone use over many

years.

 

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First the cart, then the horse

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In 1993, a Florida man sued a cellular phone company after his

wife died from complications with brain cancer, which her

husband attributed to cell phone use. At the time, there was

little scientific evidence that cell phones created a health

risk, so the court found in favor of the phone company, but the

media coverage of the trial prompted a demand for cell phone

safety studies.

 

That same year, the FDA issued an advisory stating that the

danger of cell phone use was " probably small, " but suggested the

almost laughably feeble advice that people keep their calls

short. But one year ago, Microwave News obtained an internal FDA

memo written in April 1993 that reviewed existing research on

microwaves emitted from cell phones and concluded that the

database of studies " suggests that under at least some

circumstances these exposures do indeed accelerate the

development of cancer by some unknown mechanism. "

 

Apparently realizing that damage control was necessary, the

Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association launched a

$25 million cell phone safety research program in 1993. At the

conclusion of the research in 1999, the program director

announced that two studies showed evidence of possible cancer

risk, and called for further research.

 

That call has been answered, none too quickly, by the National

Toxicology Program (NTP; a division of the National Institute of

Environmental Health Services, under the auspices of the

National Institutes of Health). NTP researchers are developing

an extensive study that may last as long as six years. But

because the planning for such research is so involved (and

because, after all, we're talking about a huge bureaucracy here)

the first phases of the study aren't expected to begin until

sometime next year.

 

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Exit the study

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Leif Salford is the Swedish researcher who referred to cell

phones as the largest biological experiment in history. Salford

feels that the results of existing studies are important enough

to recommend using a hands-free device when taking calls on a

cell phone. It's a simple, inexpensive and effective way to

avoid participating in " the experiment. "

 

Last year I started using a hands-free unit to make all my cell

calls. I'll admit that sometimes it's not as convenient as just

grabbing the phone, but whenever I use it I feel comfortable

knowing that it's a small precaution that just might turn out to

be an important prevention. And, after all, I'm not going to be

anyone's guinea pig unless the study includes at least a little

bit of chocolate.