For most Americans, the cost of their cell phone contract is a much bigger worry than the potential effect of cell phones on their health. Two recent reports ask Americans to reconsider, warning that the amount of electro magnetic radiation from cell phones may be more harmful to our health than previously thought.
EWG's analysis found that radiation from cell phones
can vary widely by model. Credit: On the phones by
Flickr user Mr. Thomas / CC BY-SA 2.0
A study by the International EMF Collaborative questions the research the cellular telephone industry has relied on to show cell phone safety and another by the Environmental Working Group looks at the science and the technology, comparing radiation from various cell phone models in an user-friendly online database.
Do cell phones cause cancer?
Concerns about cell phones, cell towers and cancer has never been very far off the public radar screen. A quick internet search results in a lot of speculation about the late Senator Ted Kennedy and whether cell phone use caused his cancer. The Los Angeles Times article on the EM Radiation Trust study begins:
People have been asking for years whether cellphones can give you a brain tumor. And for years, the wireless industry has been telling us not to worry our pretty heads.
Cell phone use by children and teens has some health
advocates calling for more study. Credit: Pre-teen on
cell phone by Flickr user quinn.anya / CC BY-SA 2.0
The EMF Collaborative study concludes that the cancer risks of cell phones are grossly underreported and that the most commonly cited studies on cell phone safety are fundamentally flawed. The National Cancer Institute disagrees that cell phones are unsafe citing steady rates of brain cancer even as cell phone use has become ubiquitous in recent years. Still, the institute would like to see more research on the topic.
Can cell phone users reduce their risk from EMF radiation?
Caution is a central message of the Environmental Working Group study. EWG also reviewed the scientific literature on cell phones and health hazards, concluding that more study is warranted and that consumers should take care to reduce their radiation exposure where they can. The relative newness of the technology and rapid increase in cell phone use – U.S. wireless subscriptions increased by 30 percent in the last three years – means people haven't been using cell phones long enough to make a conclusion from rates of brain cancer, a disease that can take decades to manifest, says EWG.
EWG is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to re-examine its safety standards for cell phone radiation and consumers to take care when buying and using cell phones. EWG published safety tips and an online database where consumers can look up their cell phone models.
|
10 Cell Phones Emitting the Least Radiation |
10 Cell Phones Emitting the Most Radiation
(watts/kilogram) |
|||
| Samsung Impression SGH-a877 | 0.35 | Motorola Moto VU204 | 1.55 | |
| Motorola Razr V8 | 0.36 | T-Mobile MyTouch 3G | 1.55 | |
| Samsung Impression SGH-t229 | 0.38 | Kyocera Jax S1300 | 1.55 | |
| Samsung Rugby SGH-a837 | 0.46 | BlackBerry Curve 8330 | 1.54 | |
| Samsung Propel Pro SGH-i627 | 0.47 | Motorola W385 | 1.54 | |
| Samsung Gravity SGH-t459 | 0.49 | T-Mobile Shadow | 1.53 | |
| T-Mobile Sidekick | 0.5 | Motorola C290 | 1.53 | |
| LG Xenon GR500 | 0.52 | Motorola i335 | 1.53 | |
| Motorola Karma QA1 | 0.55 | Motorola Moto VE240 | 1.52 | |
| Sanyo Katana II | 0.55 | BlackBerry Bold 9000 | 1.51 | |
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source: Environmental Working Group
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What are your thoughts on cell phones and cancer? Are you concerned? Leave a comment to discuss.
Comments
Jennifer, this is a terrific piece and thank you for your attention to EWG's report. So sorry our Web site has been overwhelmed the the response to your story and others like it. Best, Ken Cook, President, EWG
Both sides of the cellphone radiation comparison table are identical. Looks like a copy/paste error :-)
I've been concerned about any radiation exposure for years.
i've got a website emfreview.com where I check various phones and various products designed to stop the radiation. The best thing you can do is speakerphone or hollow tube headset.
BE HEALTHY!!!
Each cell phone tower has many antennas.
Every year many different wireless digital media is adding to the radiation composite. Altogether the vast array of microwave pulses are dangerous.
The 1996 guidelines handbook used to give cellphone companies the right to build cell towers is outdated and has left the community in harms way. It says if you measure one antenna it must be under 10 watts.
RF Check Inc is dedicated to public safety and can measure the radiation.
Henrik,
You are totally right. Fixed now.
There are Senate hearings on this on Monday! See microwavenews.com for details. I hope it's on CSPAN but I didn't see it on their website.
It does seem there is an increased cancer risk at 10 years; the real problem is that we don't know what the chances are of getting a cell phone tumor after 25 years. If it's more than 10% it will bankrupt the country no matter what healthcare system we have.
I am a broadcast engineer. I've known fellow engineers, after years of working at transmitters and tower sites, to develop various cancers. Now cell-phones, as I've always suspected, may also cause cancer, too. The best part of this is that I can now hassle the righteous anti-smoking Nazis about their second-hand radiation while I'm out puffin' on the sidewalk. They can join me out in the weather, as long as they don't get too close with their nasty phone habit!
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