The cell phone is now more ubiquitous than ever, and scientific studies continue to try to distinguish the relationship between cell phones and cancer.
A recent study from the National Institutes of Health showed increased brain activity in participants exposed to cell phone radiation. The study used PET scans to measure the level of sugar in the brain and found increased activity in the regions closest to the phone antenna after 50 minutes of exposure. Although the increased activity is not directly related to harmful effects, the obvious sensitivity of the human brain to electromagnetic waves from the phone raises more questions.
In May 2011, the World Health Organization reclassified cell phone radiation exposure as “possibly carcinogenic,” a label that places it in the same category as chloroform and lead. The largest case-control study of cell phones and cancer, the Interphone study, conducted in 13 countries over a decade, found that the highest degree of mobile phone users, those who used their phones for 30 minutes a day for 10 years or older, were twice as likely to develop glioma, a malignant brain tumor. These results are alarming, particularly because the study did not take into account that children and young adults are much more susceptible than adults to cell phone radiation.
Cell phone radiation tests conducted by manufacturers also underestimate the amount of radiation users are exposed to. A recent article published in the journal Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine revealed that industry testing is done on a dummy modeled after a 6’2″ 200 pound man with the phone held an inch from the dummy’s ear. The study estimates that 97 percent of the population deviates from this unrealistic model of use and experiences increased exposure.
The Federal Communications Commission requires that a mobile phone have a specific absorption rate (SAR), a measure of the maximum level of electromagnetic radiation on a model, of less than 1.6 watts per kilogram. However, the peak SAR may not represent the actual SAR levels of a typical phone call. A cell phone with a lower SAR may expose the user to more radiation on average than one with a higher SAR. A study by bioengineering research professor Dr. Henry Lai found memory loss effects in rats exposed to SAR levels as low as 0.0006 to 0.06 watts per kilogram.
As of 2010, there are more than 223 million mobile phone users in the US over the age of 13, and the numbers are constantly growing. According to the CTIA, the Wireless Association, the total minutes of cell phone use in the United States in 2009 was 2.3 billion minutes. Cell phone users are also starting at younger ages. Given the indispensable role of cell phones in our lives and the growing concern about an association between cell phone use and cancer, regulatory agencies should conduct more extensive investigations, and cell phone users should be aware and take steps to Reduce your exposure to cell phones. radiation.
