U.K. Report Finds Little Health Risk from Using a Cellphone
The U.K. Health Protection Agency’s independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation found there’s still no solid evidence that cellphones cause adverse effects on human health, including cancer. The report updates the group’s previous evidence review from nine years ago.
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"The evidence suggests that [radiofrequency] field exposure below guideline levels does not cause symptoms in humans and that the presence of RF fields cannot be detected by people, including those who report being sensitive to RF fields,” the report concludes. “A large number of studies have now been published on cancer risks in relation to mobile phone use. Overall, the results of studies have not demonstrated that the use of mobile phones causes brain tumours or any other type of cancer.”
Mobile technologies have only been in widespread use for the last 15 years, the report notes (http://xrl.us/bm5aer). “It is therefore important to continue to monitor the evidence, including that from national brain tumour trends. These have so far given no indication of any risk."
The report adds to the prolonged debate over whether cellphones pose a risk to human health. In March, Yale researchers found fetal exposure to radiofrequency energy from cellphones may be harmful (CD March 20 p6). Last June, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, found a direct cancer risk from the use of mobile phones (CD June 1/11 p3). The last major report on cellphones and cancer, the long-awaited Interphone study, produced no conclusive results (CD March 18/10 p1).
"There are still limitations to the published research that preclude a definitive judgment, but the evidence overall has not demonstrated any adverse effects on human health from exposure to radiofrequency fields below internationally accepted guideline levels,” said Anthony Swerdlow of the Institute of Cancer Research, who chaired the group preparing the report.